NEWS FLASH....ABC NEWS INVESTIGATES UNLAWFUL COLLECTION!

Here is the link He said what?

These guys have been watching a little too much "Soprano's." What are they gonna do- go sick Paulie on the poor woman?

If some guy told me that, I would say "you'll have a hard time getting paid if I'm dead."

Just like the phone companies have caller-Id and call-forwarding and such, they should have a call-record option that will record your calls for you. If everyone had proof to back up their complaints, these places would be shut down so fast...

hometwoemail - thank you so much for posting the link!

I will have to listen to this link later today. It's good to know that some of these clowns are being investigated though.

Ya know - I have always wondered something about recording phone calls. Here's my brain in action (step back...this could be scary):

Federal law states that if you send out a radio signal, you have the right to build a machine to intercept it. This is how radar detectors are legal (in all but 2 states).

Now, if you are talking on a cordless phone, you are sending out a radio signal. Couldn't you capture that signal and record it, using it in a court of law without getting busted by any laws that talk about both party consent?

I think it should be completely legal to record calls without consent from the other party. If that collector had known he was being recorded, I'd be willing to bet he'd have been singing a different tune.

The collection industry has good apples and bad apples - we all know that - but the bad apples are getting out of control.

Thanks for the info Sue!1 Maybe this will catch on, and others will be investiated! I emailed my congressmen,etc., and collectors, and they all responded! Most didn't have a clue what was going on in the world of collections, and said they would ask around, look into it and keep it in mind when talk to others. Guess if we keep spreading the word, maybe it will get out!..Karen

Thanks for posting that Sue. I would definitely be freaked out if I heard something like that. Can you imagine how people that aren't as "collector savvy" as some of us, would react? Geez.

I was floored when I heard it on the radio this morning - I thought "I have GOT to put this on the forum!"

I guess we're not the only ones who have dealt with bad collection practices - and we're not the only ones noticing and doing something about it. The only thing I had to take issue with was the fact that the report on the radio stated that they were advising people to record the phone calls and file complaints on the collection agencies. The problem with that is they didn't mention that recording calls without consent is illegal in some states, and could land you in a boatload of trouble. Maybe not as much trouble as the collection agency would be in, but still...

Quote:

Suebeehoney70 i just love your information
about bad debt collectors.
i think your work is excellent and
i congratulate you.thanks!!!!!i go to
read again.

OMG!!! Some of these calls are awful..and the one about him saying that they need to go back to Mexico and then laughing and then "watch me big boy". If he were to call here, I would probably tell him what I thought about collectors... :lol: Thanks for the info...

Sue, what great information! Thanks for letting us know. I'll be going to that link after work tonight. It only makes sense that collectors like these aren't using their brains and it's only a matter of time until they get caught.

Just an update - there's a whole episode of 20/20 this Friday night on ABC that is dedicated to debt and collection - and this topic, illegal debt collecton practices, is covered as well. It's on ABC at 10 pm Eastern Time on Friday night.

I would definitely advise everyone to watch it!

I will definitely watch...it completel blows my mind that it's such a wide spread problem. When I got my first threatening call, I didn't know what to do...but then I found this site and it's helped me tremendously. I think that showing a program like this is going to help out a lot more!

I listened to the calls and watched the video and it literally made my stomach upset. What people have to go thru in this life. I think there should be stricter laws enforced on these issues. Its a shame that people are treated this way. I know some people try and escape bills but most have just fell on hard times and need a little help. KYSIDE38

I definitely plan on watching, though I've already read the "webcast" by John Stossel (the 20/20 commentator) who said that though there are a few "rougue collectors" in the debt collection industry that make the industry as a whole look bad, that the industry is necessary because it makes the system of consumer credit work smoothly.

I guess I agree with him, to a point - it's those rogue collectors that make the whole industry look bad - he's right about that - and without collection procedures in place, the consumers who abuse the credit system would be allowed to go right on abusing it and not paying their bills, with no consquences. But I'm really interested to see what the program as a whole has to say about debt and collection.

Oh, and as I was listening to those audio recordings of the debt collectors abusing the clients over the phone, my youngest said - that's what you help with Mommy, isn't it - on that debt website! :lol: I think he's a fledgling DebtCC Member! :-)

if everybody have a forum like this
forum and if everybody was so wonderful
like the members of this forum.the world
will be a better world.
i think the efficiency and skills of
the gold members of this forum are
supreme.the gold members for me is this
time that are helping people with their
debits with day and night in this forum
of debt consolidation care.
suebeehoney70 i really think this infor-
mation go to give courage to people to
stop the abusive calls from bad debt
collectors and they go to complaint more
about abusive debt collectors.
GOD THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DEBTCONSOLIDATION
CARE FORUM AND FOR ALL GOLD MEMBERS OF
THIS FORUM.

Thank you, Tania! :D

Quote:

I've found some interesting stuff in his commentaries, but he has such a cynical outlook on everything...

I find him too much of a cronie for the Bush admin.

I am watching it right now. Do you know if the show will be available on the Internet? I missed the first part.

This goes back to when I saw the guy on the news a few months ago. He tried to cancel his AOL account and the representative spent twenty minutes on the phone trying to convince him to stay, even saying that he shouldn't get angry with him. AOL later fired the guy but everything he said was caught on tape. Wow.

Well, I've watched the show, and found it quite interesting, but not really enlightening - unless you are in the position of the couple shown on the show that was in debt to the tune of $60,000 - all of it credit card debt - and still spending like there's no tomorrow. To quote their own words - "what if we died tomorrow, how would this decision be affected?" In other words, they're literally spending like there's no tomorrow! And it never really said whether they went through with the plan offered to them by the financial advisor. I found that disappointing - I was hoping to see what they had decided to do, since the husband was so totally for the plan, and the wife was hanging back as though she didn't want to do it. I guess if anyone else was in their position, the show might have been a little bit helpful in showing them where the problem lies.

I found the segment on "cyberbegging" very disturbing. I don't know about anyone else, but I can't even fathom the idea of going online and begging someone else to pay my bills for me - especially in the case of the woman on the show that intentionally got herself into debt with her shopping habits and then asked others to donate to her "cause". I thought that was absolutely shameful. Creative, yes - but shameful. And now she's written a book about it and made even more money out of the fact that she purposely indebted herself, then had other people pay for it. :roll:

They didn't show as much on the "bad collectors" as I had hoped they would - and they definitely didn't mention the fact that you should check your state laws before recording a conversation to avoid legal trouble yourself.

All in all, it was an interesting show, but I really hoped for more "meat" in the way of discussing how to combat debt and handle your finances - instead, I felt like it was a lot of "fluff" about how various people got themselves into debt and found creative ways to get out of it. I guess if you want to go into thecolor=Red]****[/color] business like "Screech" from Saved by the Bell, that's one way to do it...but I think the producers of 20/20 could have done so much more with this show - like demonstrated proven ways to

[color=Red]****Adult term removed - Jason[/color]

get out of debt. They could have addressed the PDL industry, which is a HUGE concern for many people in debt. They could have covered budgeting, saving, etc.

Your thoughts, everyone??

Oh, and Alexandra - I don't know if it will be available online or not - check on the ABC News website tomorrow morning - if it's available, it should be on there.

Update....I just checked the ABC News website this morning - pretty much all the segments shown on the show are there, in videos, if you want to see them. There is also additional info on managing money on the video page - items that weren't shown on 20/20 last night!

Sue-I'm with you, I thought there would be more to it also. I was hoping they would go into more detail about some things, and bring up the pdl industry also. I though there could have been more on cc debt, and they collectors,rights,etc. I,too, was disturbed with the cyber begging, and then have the gall to get on tv and say you weren't ashamed!! Might as well get on the street corner with a cardboard sign!!..KAren I need to add, I'm not making light of being in debt and needing help, I have too. I am saying that begging online instead of getting a job, and then bragging about it, is too much for me!

Karen and Sue I totally agree. I would just like to say I think this site has the Primetime special beat ten to one. There is great advice on here for people in debt. Thats what impressed me when I first came here. Advice that people give that have educated themselves. KUDOS to our FORUM..... KYSIDE38

My husband had cancer and with out medical insurence we had many bills large and small. The hospital wouldn't help us becuase according to them we made to much. They would only take 50.00 a month for each bill? So we told them whatever we payed them 10 to 20 depending on the bill. They sent this to a collections then suded us. We tried to explain what happened to the attourney and they told us the same thing we were lying to him and we just were getting out of debt. They didn't think we needed to pay the rest of our bills and he refused to settle just he could go to court and get more money from us.

Welcome to the Community Jaime Ann :D Since you have registered, someone will contact you and discuss options with you regarding your debt. Have you tried contacting the American Cancer Society for help? It's worth a shot. Did I understand you to say they already sued you and got a judgement? If you have any questions, please ask..Karen

suebeehoney always i go to check your
posts for more information about bad
debt collectors and bad collection
agency.
i was very good to see 20/20 yesterday
because the program was not so good but
was a lot better if the golden members
of this forum was making this program
and show the reality about bad debt collectors..
a woman was telling good debt collectors
are 99% and bad debt collectors was 1%.
a man telling anybody to sell his home
for pay his bills!if this man came to debt consolidation care for help he dont need
to sell his home and get free of his
bills.i think this program is bought
for 99% of the good ones.99%bad and1%good
dear suebeehoney 70 these people that
make this program 20-20 yesterday was
nasty.the lady of a dollar and a book
like you said was no good because she
use money for superfluous things.if
was for pay food ,rent,school or a home
was different.
suebeehoney i really love your post and
the abc news article.
please people dont sell your only home
to pay a debit.contact the gold members
of this forum and they are very happy to
help you pay all your debits and keep
your home for your kids!

I thought the show was lame! They had nothing new to report.

I didn't bother to watch it, it just did not interest me.

Thank you, Tania! I really wish the show had featured debt assistance websites like this one - what a difference that could have made for so many people! Boy, wouldn't we have been busy then, answering questions!

I only saw a small portion of the 20/20 last night. I saw the couple who was 60,000 in debt. It amazes me that they still get credit card offers but I guess they would be a credit card companies dream come true. I mean since they only make the minimum payments but that would be outrageous every month. I guess I got a little irked when I found out about their vacations and cruises that they had taken last year. I don't know. I fell asleep so I didn't see it all. It sounds like it could have been more informative. I agree with kyside though. This forum has been a big help to all of us as we are learning how to deal with our own debt issue :-)

I didn't watch it, I have no need. It's not shock to the sense's that there are bad collectors and extremely bad ones. I believe that the bad ones, all of them should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

The only thing that does make me sick is that the good collectors never get any credit. Why? Because America doesn't like to hear positive things when it comes to somehting we don't like to talk about.. debt. There are way more good collectors than bad. When is it going to be time for that recognition? Never.

I beg to differ! Sorry! You "close" a deal and your peers clap??? Whats up with that???

I thought the couple that was so deeply in debt was definately not living in the real world and almost felt sorry for them. But then I thought that these are the people we all could wind up paying for and got angry.
And talking about good vs bad collectors, just remember that it's TV and to a producer, good news isn't necessarily sexy. It won't sell, which is why they don't concentrate on it. Just the way it is...

I have never had to deal with that type of situation. I've only seen it on the news

sueebeehoney70 because this post you wrote my husband
wasn't abused today in the telephone for a debt collector of capital1hassle.i told him to listen the abuses of bad bad debt collectors.today my husband that is paying all his bills and cap.1 increase his bill for more and he paid already almost a 100,00 and the money disapeared and was sold to citibank ?!(lie)and now the balance is different of credit report and is more44,00 high and again is capital1.these people of capital1 told my husband that cap.1 was sold to citibank and because it he cannot pay it.sorry for my bad english,suebeehoney70.i call him to see 20-20
the part of debt collectors abusing customers in the telephone.
i didnt know about the phone calls in the news or in the 20-20.i really like this part of 20-20 of harassing phone calls to show my husband.
suebeehoney70 is really a great post and you dont
imagine how you help us and many people more in the usa!

Thank you Tania, for your kind words. I'm glad it helped. :-)

tsacgiv? You are right on the money! The major news networks are PROFIT driven & report only what is going to fatten up their bottom line, nothing more!

Hahaha.........I like person! smart as all get out!

http://frugalmom.yesdebtfree.org/
sueebeehoney i really love your blog but i'm having
difficult to post a comment overthere.sorry for my
ignorance.