What would the perfect collection experience include?

I would have to say that both would need to meet somewhere in the middle. If I offer to pay it off in 12 months and the CA say's no, it has to be done within 3 months, then that won't work. CA's will stick to their demands and not be flexible. What would work is if they could meet my 12 months or even come close to that, BUT maybe require that the debtor pay them with an automatic withdrawal of somekind so that the CA will feel assured that they are going to get a payment. I would almost be willing to set up an automatic withdrawal if the CA was reasonable and I felt good dealing with them. Now for me to do that, I would set up a seperate checking/savings account strictly for those purposes and have that exact amount go into that account. I wouldn't use my primary bank account. As a consumer, if you are having to call to collect, I'm already having financial difficulties and barely meeting my bills. I can't strap myslef to pay off this debt when I need to make house, car, utilities and put food on the table. Today's times are tough for consumers. Corporate profits keep going up, consumers wages are not. Where I live in Seattle WA, which is expensive to live, most jobs here DO NOT pay a living wage. We fall under and jobs here just aren't paying. Among other issues, consumers may have had life altering events, such as mine, that prohibits them from paying ALL of their bills RIGHT NOW. I can only pay one or two at a time.. I'm just a big advocate for the little people that keep getting screwed by corporations and I'm going on my soap box about living wages and stuff. Anyway, just a little insight for you Beauty. We are not all deadbeats and I know you do get some. But the rest of us have legitimate issues and we are just struggling to get by.

To have a collector call me and let me know that it was a courtesy call, that I owed say bellsouth $100 and did I know when I could pay it then ACCEPT my answer and not argue with me

Not to sound rude but what is wrong with negotiating a little. We do it everyday. We negotiate when we decide that we will tell a collector we can't pay anything until after christmas. Is that fair? It means you have money to spend but you would rather spend it for christmas, so are you saying a rebuttle is wrong? Or is it the way it is done? I am asking because I am a collector and i feel as if sometimes people take the consumer thing too far. But I am also here for insight.

I think if both parties would be honest about what they can and can't do, it'd be easier to work out a compromise. When I am called or I myself call a collector, I have it figured out ahead of time the maximum that I can afford; so it's very irritating when I am trying to work out a payment plan and I get met head on with someone who isn't willing to work with me.

And just for the record, Guest, not all of us put Christmas ahead of our bills. We are postponing our Christmas until February, when I hope to be debt free enough to have a decent one. So, yes, I do put bills first.

I have not said, nor will I ever say that ALL debt collectors are bad. I have had some of both. The ones I remember have said, "how can I help you get caught up or make your payment easier?" The have dropped interest, late fees, made payments stretch etc., and I have gotten them paid off. I do not, and have not ever said I don't owe the money, just that at one point I lost my job and insurance and times were tough, not that I wouldn't pay. My problem was when a collector tried to collect on a 1982 bill recently of which I had charged 1500.oo and made payments for 20 years!!! Then the CA that bought it wanted 3000. more dollars. You can't lump everyone into the same category. I'm a Substance Abuse Counselor, I have heard and gotten ALOT of negative about this. But when you work with the publec, that's part of it. Oh, by the way Guest, I haven't done Christmas at all for over 3 years, just so I Could pay my bills...Karen

dbaker6, I didn't postpone Christmas/birthday this year we just cut WAY back, I have to get the car fixed this month

A Good collection call would be regarding an account that is real, belongs to the person that they are calling and the ammount isnt fabricated to pad the collectors wallet.

Guest, I appreciate your insight and questions. Now, I recently ended a business relationship with a debt settlement company that did nothing for me. I've found that I have had better luck on my own. Unfortunately, the majority of my accounts are now in charge off status or in collections. I was never late prior to entering into debt settlement. That was my own mistake but I'm trying to make things right. I am not putting anything off because Christmas is coming, I shop sales through out the year. I have one that I'm trying to come to settlement terms with now but I already have two scheduled to pay off this month and next. So what do you tell a collector in this circumstance? I'm certainly not trying to avoid the debt. I just have my money tied up with other commitments for the next two months. I have been sending in payments to the original creditor because it was just turned over to a CA within the last week. I called them back after they had left me a voice mail.

I also dealt with a law firm last month regarding an account that is less than five hundred dollars. I was still in debt settlement then. I tried to explain this to him but he started shouting at me. He didn't want to listen to me. He didn't seem to think he needed to verify the debt per the fdcpa laws. He threatened to sue me because I wouldn't give him my checking account information right there on the phone. I told him I could send him a money order once everthing was verified. I'm not going to do anything without written documentation. He seemed to think that this was my refusal to pay the account. He said he had other things to day, basically called me a dead beat so I just hung up on him. I sent in a dv letter to them and quoted the phone conversation in the letter. They have received it but I have not heard anything back yet.

A good collection call would be when both parties can be polite and respectful to each other.

Negotiation is a key tatic collectors use because we have rules and guidelines applied to us by our client.

Creditors and Collections agencies do not care about your hardship when you haven't contacted them before they had to send your account to a collections agency because now they have to pay someone to collect. collection agencies feel the same way, if you wanted easy terms you should have worked it out in that first month with your creditor.

People should realize that they need to contact their creditors BEFORE they miss that first payment, not after. People should carefully read contracts they apply their good name to and consider the future when applying for credit.

A good rule of thumb to follow for credit cards. If you can't pay it off by the end of the month you don't need it.

I've had collectors that are corteous and just want to remind you that there's still a balance; I've had some thank me for calling them back; I even had the Amex collection department offer me another credit card just for paying off the first one...

On the other hand, I have had some rude ones that are demeaning and make demands you can't possibly live up to.

I think that on our end, we should not ignore the problem or postpone it, and we should put an effort into resolving it. And we should not make promises that we can't keep, just to get them off the phone. On the collectors end, they should not talk to people like scum; when you demoralize a person it just makes them want to say "screw you." There is a common denominator that we must find.

For example, I had a past-due account call me today, she was over 3 months behind a car note, more than $600. First, I thanked her for calling me back. Second, I don't tell her what to do; I say "what can we do about this?" So then she promises to pay me $400 every two weeks. I know that's not realistic, but she's trying to tell me what she thinks I want to hear. So I say "now don't over-extend yourself; Don't say that if you can't do it, because then I'll be calling in 2 weeks wondering where the $400 is." So in the end, we arranged for her to make her regular monthly payment, and send $100 "in between" for the next 6 months, until she's caught up. It was fair for both parties, no yelling, and we both walk away happy.

Ashley, that's great that you can do that. I just told the kids once the garnishment is over (which should be around the end of January), we'll be at the point that I can still pay on my debts and also get gifts, so that'll work for us this year. I'm looking forward to being debt free by this time next year!

dbaker, You do what you have to do. It is good that your family undestands about Christmas. At least you will be able to afford it then. Best Wishes KYSIDE38

dbaker I hope my post didnt come off wrong (sometimes I hate posting words don't come across right) I was just posting what i was doing this year that worked for me and yeah if I had to we would have postponed it also especaislly since she is older now I think she understands that the money isn't always there. I didn't mean any offense and if it came across that way I apologize with a big heart

A good Christmas gift to you and your family is to help yourself out of debt. Imagine what a good Christmas you can have next year when you aren't having to pay off any creditors or having collection agencies call all week long.

Kyside, thanks for the encouragement. Next year, I hope to be in a much better situation.

Ashley, there's no reason to apologize. You didn't offend me. Next Christmas will be better for both of us!

FYI, you're absolutely right. I'll be working hard now and this coming year to get myself out of debt so that next Christmas will be much better.

dbaker6 , I don't know if you saw my other post but I got a great suprise christmas present in the mail today, will make things a tad bit easier

I just like to know so that i can make the next person that i talk to feel like you all want to feel. I know it is hard I have been there and i still am.

Beauty, I have to say, you are an asset to your company, and I hope they appreciate you for it.

Ashley, I must have missed that post. Doesn't it always seem like the bad things happen right around the holidays (like your car breaking down?). So it's nice when you get a little surprise to help you through. Have a really nice Christmas. We're going to my daughter's so, once again, I don't have to cook! lol

the one on cocaine sex drugs....man life gets hard sometimes and you just don't know how hard until you grow up, become and adult and don't have a clue as to how to live life as an adult. People run across so much in life. Divorce, Drugs, Children, unexpected accidents, layoffs,and you would think with all the milliionares in the us. If anyone understands, i do/

I had a collection agency call me once about a medical bill.Seems I did owe it and they were local.So We paid in full and never heard from them again. They left my credit report alone too! That is what I consider a good collection exp. I will pay any of my debts promptly if my reports stay spotless like they are now.