Example script from experienced collector...please read!!!!

:D THANKS FOR THE ADVICE!

LOL Yeah, that's what it's like talking to Arrow...lol My collector calls himself "Carlos Santana" and it's the same conversation over and over again.

"Hey, there Carlos, it's Jessica...Acct. ******"

"This is an attempt to collect a debt, blah blah, blah"

"Yeah well, **my request of the day**"

"Pay $1300 and we'll call it even"

"If i HAD $1300 we wouldn't be having this conversation"

LOL And yes, he did ask about borrowing the money from a family member, and I told him HE should borrow the money from a family member...lol

Beatlemyn02, back up the truck there! This reads to me like a polite and law-abiding collector trying to build rapport and find a solution for the debt incurred by a very defensive and stubborn debtor. Back in my days as a collector I had all the patience in the world, but all the immaturity and stubbornness coming from debtors who refused to utilize their assets really tested my patience.

Law-abiding collectors have a right to inquire debtors of their assets and possibilities in order to help them gain control of the debt. They don't ask about them to be nosy, they don't ask for a high payment to be mean, and the reason why questions are asked in a more "softened" manner is because debtors like this become even more defensive if collectors are blunt in their questioning.

Any debtor who has assets or borrowing possibilites to utilize should do so. They incurred the debt and if they have the means to negotiate the debt they should, or else it is refusal to pay. Those who do not have assets still should not fight like this, they should consolidate and tighten their belt as much as possible. Quite frankly, someone who is living on unemployment and has a disabled spouse really shouldn't have a cell phone! Unless of course it is prepaid.

All of you who know me know how I despise collectors who harass people and push on junk debts that aren't even valid. Thou shalt not steal.
The scenario you played above reminds me of debtors whose stubbornness to look into their options made me so frustrated that I wanted to kick the table. When I collected student loans, I heard more often than not, debtors who acted like they were being tortured and would refuse information vital to their resolution just because they didn't like hearing from debt collectors! Wah Wah Wah!

The debtors here in this forum are here to find solutions to free themselves from payday charlatans and monstrous collectors who terrorize them. Neither of which I could see in your scenario. What you played out was a law-abiding collector making conversation with a debtor who seemed to be in give-up mode. This is a good insight though, of what a law-abiding collector will ask somebody in order to help them get control. Your scenario was not one of harassment, I just want to make that clear.

Take care,

Ari

It's all about the frame of mind of the collector. I've dealt with goofballs, and decent people.

This could be used either way..Either to give the collector "Ammo" to make the debtors life Hell, or to help the debtor use what they have to take care of things.

Just my opinion here. :)

beattle thans for sharing your experience. Ari you right, don't we wish all collector's could be that appropriate

And it is a good opinion Jessi. You are absolutely right in your thinking, it is important to know who your audience is!

I definately don't think it's fair to ask a debtor to borrow money from a family member. The collector doesn't have a clue about the finances of the family/friends-Whether they're good or bad.

I admit I've felt a degree of embarassment when I traveled that avenue with debtors, it only proved effective once in my six month tenure in student loans. Also, the fact of the matter is, this person is in debt, and building more debt amongst family does no good.

Yeah, I borrowed $400 from my boyfriends dad a few months ago..Got what I needed paid, but now I owe him, and he needs the money back now ASAP.

That's how you get hard feelings between family/friends..He's understanding about it, but I'm tired of telling him, "Next week, I swear."

You'll do fine, you would just die if I told you how much money my dad invested in me when I left my first husband! Details all in my story. He paid for my divorce, helped me catch up on utilities, and helped me settle with the correspondence school whose billing statements my ex-husband had been throwing out on me! It was far more than $400 I can tell you that! I did mention paying it all back, but he told me not to worry, that he was just doing what he had to as a parent and he would appreciate it more if I paid it forward instead, such as helping people out, and raising kids of my own properly such an event ever arise.

Cliff def. needs it back asap due to circumstances..I can't sit on his $$ while he's struggling.

Speaking of investing..My uncle who is the greatest guy ever, (Yes, I'm biased) has helped me more than he should have with all of my dumb mistakes. Rent, car payments, co-signing on things for me, and then letting me move back in here 2 years ago to get things in order. He's awesome. But he's suffering for it, and it kills me. He keeps up on his payments, but it's a stretch. I basically cleaned out his savings. :(

Once I get things in order, I hope to return the favor and get him ahead.

That's very noble! I'm sure that by pay it forward he means have or adopt children. He's old-fashioned in his thinking, believing that marriage is the base for having children. I've been told by my mother that I'm his favourite, so that tells me that if I ever have children, they will recieve lavish attention from him. Unfortunately, the partial hysterectomy I had at age 15, plus my lack of interest in motherhood coupled with my husband's lack of interest in fatherhood are will not permit that. Not that we don't like kids! I'm the favourite aunt throughout the family! Thank goodness that the mothers of my neices and nephews are either only children or have only brothers! I nailed that title by default and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Indeed, that script sounds as if it is from a legit collector (not a junk debt buyer, operating on the edge of the law). I'd disagree with the ownership of a cell phone being any clue though. Nowadays there are many very good pre-payed plans, some as little as $20 every 90 days.

Thanks for sharing this with the community beatle. I wonder the script contains so many bluffs. If a legitimate collection agency uses so many bluffs during a small discussion, what will a bad collection agency do?

And beatle, I'm sure things rarely go that much smooth, what you say?

Interesting read, thanks for sharing it!

~Mary

Stanley,

In a law-abiding agency, about 80% of conversations do go that smooth. Collectors have to be coercive in order to gather information vital to the resolution of the debt, because debtors are often stubborn and overly guarded, which can be understandable considering all the boogeymen out there in collections. They're not necessarily bluffs, they're open-ended questions, and yes many of them are a bit assumptive. Come on, if I came out and asked point-blank "Got a checking account?" or "Where do you work?" would I not chase you away?

I think it's been stated repeatedly throughout the forums what a bad collection agency will do! Threaten arrest, removal of children, all sorts of nightmares.

I guess I should have noted that would have been an IDEAL call. LOL. That script is what collectors are trained on. That is how the call should go. Verifying the party, getting a reason for deliquency, digging for information, and then going through a payment progression. Collectors bonus on lump sums. $50/month payers are bad for collectors. The idea in the training is to push for the lump sum, and when the debtor balks, use what information that you have gathered to convince him/her that it is the right thing to do, and to offer them options based on the information that you have. So, yes, I posted that script just so the non-collectors would have some idea behind the motivation of the collector on the phone. Oh, by the way, that was a script (similar) to the junk buyer I worked for...LOL!!! Do collectors deviate from the scripts? Ohhhhh yeah. A lot. If the money comes in, the management tends to look the other way. Let me post some talkoffs that I have heard used that are bad. Also, I would like to note that in the defense of collectors, some debtors are just not reasonable. They are upset with their situation, and often scream and cuss at the person on the phone. I had a man that said he was going to kill me in the parking lot of my work because he had the address. I have worked at places where debtors HAVE showed up, and the police had to be called. 90% of people are not like that. They are honest people who got in a bind.
Let me post some talkoffs here...

These are talk offs i actually witnessed, and I will put a personal one at the end:

Collector: Yes, please put mary on the phone.
Third party: She's sleeping.
C: Oh REALLY. Who is THIS? Her secretary?
T: No, I am her son.
C: Well, son, this is an urgent matter. I'll wait while you go and get her out of the bed.
T: But, she works nights.
C: And? What's your point? She has something she needs to take care of, so tell her she needs to get up and take this call.
T: Can't you leave a message.
C: Why leave a message when I know she is there. Stop covering and playing secretary and wake her up!
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C: Mary?
D: Yes, this is Mary.
C: Mary, this is Billy with AAA collections. We need to have this taken care of right now.
D: Billy (baby crying in background) I have a sick child here, and now is not a good time. Please call back.
C: Stop avoiding me, Mary. Put the baby down, get out your pocketbook, and let's get this paid.
D: I really can't right now...my baby is sick.
C: You know, Mary, it is people like you who make interest rates higher for the rest of us. You have no intention of paying this bill.
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C: John?
D: This is John.
C: John, it's about time you decided to answer the phone. Let's talk about how you are going to pay this Visa bill.
D: WHo the ^%&^ are you?
C: John! This is Sarah, you know, the same one that keeps leaving you messages every day.
d: Listen, Sarah, I am not able to pay this bill. I am sick and there is nothing I can do.
C: You must be proud of yourself John. How many other companies have you ripped off? You obviously like taking money and not paying it back. Why don't you go and pawn some of the things you bought with that Visa?
D: Don't call me again.
C: (Laughing) John, I am going to call you every single day at 8AM until you decide to become responsible and take care of this.
D: I am going to call the proper authorities on you.
C: (Laughing) Who? The phone police? Go ahead and call them. I'll wait on the other line.
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C: Yes, I need to speak to Rita.
Third Party female: She isn't home, can I take a message?
C: Who is this?
T: I am her sister.
C: Ohhhh, her SISTER, huh? Well, you sure sound a lot like Rita!
T: My name is Rhonda. We live here with our folks.
C: Come on Rita! Stop playing games. I know this is you! Why are you playing games?
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Collector calling employer: Yes, I need to speak with the owner.
Recept: He cannot be reached here.
C: Oh, I see. Well I need to speak to the person in charge of John Jones.
R: I can get his manager.
C: You do that, and let him know this is important, and I can't wait long.
Manager: Can I help you?
C: Yes, this is Billy. John requested that I send some documents over here to the company fax machine. I just want to make sure he is present when I fax them. Is he there now?
M: Yes, but he cannot come to the phone.
C: Oh, I see. Are you his direct manager?
M: Yes.
C: I need to make sure that he is aware that I am calling because this is time sensitive. I can wait while you go and get him.
M: I am not going to do that. he is not allowed to recieve documents here.
C: Sir, you have an attitude, I would like to speak to YOUR manager.
Other manager: Can I help you?
C: How high are you up in the company?
M: I am the building supervisor.
C: Good. Since John and the other manager are uncooperative, I want you to hand deliver this important message to him immediately.
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This actually happened to me, the day after my mother died. I was fieldinga bunch of calls from concerned relatives and whatnot...then I get this:

Beatlemyn: Hello?
Collector: I need to talk to Janie.
Me: My mother? Who are you?
C: Don't worry about who I am, just put her on the phone.
Me: Sir, I don't think you know who you are dealing with.
C: Are you threatening me?
Me: No, !@!$%@&#^, I am not. You are tying up my phone line. My mother passed away yesterday.
C: (laughter) Sure she did.
Me: Yes, @%#^@%, she did. Call the Benbrook Funeral Home. Now what do you want?
C: Who do you know that works there that will cover for your mother?
Me: Listen, ^@%%^*, I don't have time for this $%@#%^. You can believe me or you can shove it up your @&#^@&*. My mother is dead not even 24 hours ago. Good luck trying to collect from her. Call me back if you reach her.
C: (laughter) It doesn't matter if she is dead. Her husband is just going to have to pay this bill. I guess I'll call him.
Me: Ok, @^#%!@^%, I DARE YOU. I'll be sure to let him know about the third party disclosure, and I'm sure he will be happy to tell you that his attorney will be contacting you soon. (I hung up)

That dude DID call my stepfather, who told him to &%@%#*@&^@*(^$(*$^)$&@&($^&*@#%@^^ and mentioned the third party disclosure...and the debt just sort of went away after that...

Oh my.....that sucks that you were treated like that :( Thanks for posting those though, really interesting to read!

~Mary

Beatlemyn,

I haave just finished reading your two post and I am in full agreement with you about how some debtors act out because they are mad at themselves. I see where you are coming from completely. My first collections job was in defaulted student loans and the fdcpa was always the order of the day, and still is. I guess I came to expect that of all agencies because it is federal law, right?
When I became acquainted with this forum, and then took my second collections job, I took quite a slap upside the head as to how naive I was on that! Reading what I read of all these collectors terrorizing people, and then going to work and being ordered to do the same by my boss shocked me profoundly! We're all people! Debt or no debt people deserve to be treated with dignity!

I'm also so sorry to hear of how disgusting that person was to you after your mom died. I'm also so sorry about how they scorned your mother in extremis. What a bunch of monsters! All that for a bonus check? That's like selling your soul for a doughnut!

Let me ask you this, How long was it till you were sick of collections, and then what direction did your career lead you? I have been in secondary collections for six years and hate it.

That was really informative! I'm glad it got bumped up. These collectors are such buggers!!!