Trying for Settlement, how often to take calls?

Hi Kaylee, I took them early on so the backdrop was established and they knew I wasn't a disappearing act. That way, I felt they would keep me in house or close to the vest. I am aware that if they have no contact, they can mark your file as such and just seek a judgment figuring you will not show....or they can send it straight to a ca. HOWEVER, one reaches the point where enough is enough and for me that translated into accepting calls (marked by caller id on my cphone) appx 2 weeks apart....until such time as we were talking settlement. THEN I answered all of the calls.

And being nice goes a long way. You could be a crossdressing 80-year old Eskimo and I would still interact with you on this board unless you got mean. Then you are on your own. I suspect the employees of these banks feel that way and I always am nice to people for that reason.

You are getting to the point of offers at your door so be prepared...remember, always counter the offer. They may reject it but they do expect it and may just take the deal. dtm

Thanks Dan, this is along the lines of what I am doing.

I did just talk to Citi (it was a new # so I thought I would answer and see if they were offering yet) and it was a nice call. Asked how I was and I said ok, how about you

and she said "I'll be better at 1:30" LOL so that set the tone.

I also just signed up for google voice, got a new # and all, it was free. Now I have to figure out how to use it but I did set up my voicemail and greeting which said "Citi, Chase and BofA, quit stalking me!" LOL, just kidding!

Kaylee

well you don't have a discover so you should be fine! those bastards skip traced my parents twice even though i was taking 9 outta 10 calls

You are right, no Discover and I have a friend who they did the same thing to, called her folks and sister also, very embarassing cause even tho they didn't spill all the details, she is convinced that they know. And she knows others with Discover and they did the same, they must be awful!

Greetings kaylee,

Just my 2 cents worth.
Be polite, return the calls.

By returning the calls the cc's log it as contact made.
I'm certain there's a program that selects lawsuits/collections based upon contacts made over time.

I really believe that keeps it out of collections.

Think of it this way.
You've got 90k to settle out for maybe 30k.

That's a 60k spread.
If you are on the phone for 60 minutes a day for the next 60 days...that equates into 60 hours of communications.

Take that 60k and divide it by 60 hours......hmmmmmm.....

$1000/hour ain't bad for your efforts.

I may had not answered every call, but I sure returned them on a dailey basis and made certain they had it logged.

Best of Luck.
King "Kash" Jabba Labba

Tell them you will do it but only if they write 'paid as agreed' on the report.
Good luck!
Kaylee

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Are you trying to settle with them or with a 3rd party collection agency after it's sent out? The general rule I would go by is to keep them hungry enough for it but not let them completely forget that soon you'll have a large sum of money for that collectors commission !

By the way Cease and Desists and Remove from Phone list template letters both work for Capital One...

I used a firm called DS Financial and they got the phone calls to stop and settled all of my debt for less than 25 cents on the dollar. They can be reached at 866-833-6398.

^^ i swear the words DS Financial need to be on the banned list.

can we just find where that DS financial guy is and guillotine him in front of everyone that's a member here? We can do it at my house.

to be completely honest to the OC, it is an autodialing system calling you, maybe there is a first party collector assigned to your account, but more than likely its different people calling you every time. What is said, whether you are nice or mean, really means nothing. In the end this comes down to money. Just don't put too much stock in how you treat them affecting settlement, because some of them get on the phone and try to play on your politeness. Just don't put too much stock in what they say, and get everything on paper.

If you're going to settle these in 3rd party I wouldn't even speak to them at all, I could see it possibly being helpful if you plan on settling with the original creditor. But the nicest conversation isn't worth a penny..

I do think overall it is better to put out nice energy into the world but I have seen people get tied up and confused about their own settlement/ budget plans when they speak to the corporate interest too much. JMO

Kaylee,
I'm afraid I was in so much shock when I found out about the amount of debt my husband acrued that I just hid. I did make a few calls at first and then I went to a BK attorney and he said to not pay anything to the creditors and so I just avoided them. I wish I would have come here first.....I believe that some of my accounts were closed early and some were sent further along the process because I did not communicate. I had no instruction except from the attorney. So I agree with Jabb and Dan that this is the way to go.....communicate. I don't believe you have to take every call ....and it helped that we had changed our contact # to my husband's cell. Hope this helps!

BOA the snake /fia calls our home like crazy..we have 3 cards with them, 2 mine, 1 hubby's. i kept the accounts at 1 month past due until this month (june no payment on them). i last answered and spoke to them about 2 1/2 weeks ago and for the 12 or more time, repeated the same story. that kept the phone quiet for only a few days, then it started again. they start at 8:30 am and ring it til 8:30 pm. it always shows unknown caller or toll free number. i do not answer. if it shows boa or fia, i will answer- but it never does. today they called 10 times, most of which i was still asleep and didnt hear phone or i was away for therapy appt. i feel like answering the "unknown" or toll free # call just one time and quickly saying "if you make your company name available on my caller id, i MIGHT answer the phone and speak to you"... boa is the only bank out of 5 that would not work out some sort of hardship payment for us. therefore, they now get no money, as there is none left to pay. a couple of others that we have been on hardship pay with, will stop getting money in july. we hope to be able to pay citi (0 % and payments were cut in half until nov & dec) until we can get settlement offers and pay the others off. we owe citi nearly 40k and even at 25% we can not come up with 10k. we are still considering the bedreaded bk. i am still hoping my ssdi claim will be approved within the next few months and i can just settle with all the banks and stay away from bk.

ah, but boa is the easiest to settle with...and that is why we are here.

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