Collection Agencies Earn Their Reputation
I have a PDA/cell phone through work that I use for email. I don’t use the cell phone on the PDA and I don’t even have a monthly voice plan for it, but the phone is still there. The device is in my company’s name and I’ve had it since December 2005 with probably less than five phone calls total in that time, all wrong numbers.
Well, today I got another one of those wrong numbers. I didn’t get to the phone in time to answer it but I looked up the phone number on Google to determine it was a collection agency. Fabulous. Just what I need is some collection agency calling the phone.
Then the phone chimes to let me know I have a voicemail. After finally remembering the passcode for voicemail, I listen and it sounds like background noise. No one was talking into the phone so I didn’t get anything from that. Then the sound cuts out and it’s a very long dead silence, about 15 seconds. A recording then comes on to tell me that this is an attempt to collect a debt and that by listening to this message, I am confirming that I am indeed the person they are looking for. I now have to call them back.
You have got to be kidding me. I’ve gotten collection calls many times previously because my name is close to another family member’s name. Also, when I worked in Florida, I inherited collection calls from a coworker who had my office and phone number for many years pre-dating my time with the company.
What I’ve learned from all of this experience is that debt collectors make up crap. They lie. They can and will assume that if you answer the phone or they leave a message, the debt is yours. That’s their job to prove, not yours to disprove.
The Federal Trade Commission has some info on Fair Debt Collection. If you’re being pursued for a debt, it’s definitely worth checking out. Browse around their site. They are the source for debt collection and your rights. If a company violates one of their rules, make sure you let the FTC know.
Related Posts: