http://lycos.globe7.com/goldmember.php

I saw this on Clark Howard's website but it was more in regards to bill collectors calling your cell phone repeatedly to get you. Apparently some legislation is about to pass to allow them to do this. Since more and more people are tossing the landline they are giving out their cellie and are being tracked down. This is free and you can get a number to give to anyone and check your messages via email. Spiffy.

Very cool. But I like telling people (clerks and so forth who have no right to want my number anyway) that I don't have a phone. The look on their faces when they think they've offended some poor guy is worth it all.

In my house we all have cellphones, even the 13yr old. The landline is telemarketers, doctors, etc. We just never answer it and check the messages once a day. It works out nice :)

Only cell phone here, Telemarketers for teh suck!!!!

I saw this on Clark Howard's website but it was more in regards to bill collectors calling your cell phone repeatedly to get you.

Um.. There's a really easy way to get them to stop calling. Pay the bill. I'd love to never have to call people to make their payments. Unfortunately not everyone makes their payments when they are due. :(

What I get really tired of, is bill collectors calling me even after the bill has been payed, or about money I don't owe them. I've had three sets of debt collector's call me, every time it was something that had been payed for awhile and even after I showed them proof I didn't owe them money they kept harrasing me. I'm still waiting for one of them to sue me, so I can counter sue and own their company.

Fuck collection agencies and their bullshit. There are rules, and they *almost* never follow them.

Um.. There's a really easy way to get them to stop calling. Pay the bill. I'd love to never have to call people to make their payments. Unfortunately not everyone makes their payments when they are due. :(

I don't doubt that but....It doesn't have to be just bill collectors it's people trying to sell me shit or FOP or <insert fund raiser of the week> trying to sell me crap. You took my post out of context Nano ;)

Bill Collectors for teh Suck too.

:P

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm

Can't count the number of times I've had people on the phone with me violate this trying to get me to pay a bill I payed six years ago.

As a consumer you have rights, but as long as the collection agency follows the rules, they can screw you pretty hard. The second they don't they're fucked.

Elemak, just document and if possible record the conversation, and boom you got em by the short curlies. Find out where they are located, find a lawyer in that state/city, and you can file suit not having to wait for them to file against you. You won't find many financial institutions violating the Fair Debt Collection Act, but they will sometimes 'sell' the debt to a collection agent/agency and then anything that is recovered is split 50/50 depending on the agreement they have in place. These agents will sometimes violate the Act hoping that the debtor doesn't know that they are protected from being harassed, by these pests. I still get calls at my house for an uncle of mine because our first names start with a 'D'. Once I figured out about the law protecting me I told him to not call here any more and if he did I would report him under the Fair Debt Collections Act. I don't think he knew what it was. He started arguing with me about it that I couldn't do this or that. I just told him don't call again or you will be getting a call from my lawyers, possibly the Feds. Never heard from him again. Wonder if he every checked out the Act? :D

Fild. I think I got the jist of your post. I just started working my collections list for the week and I think I was venting more than anything. :) I wasn't trying to say or insuate anything, just trying to point out the obvious. This will sometimes evade many people. Like the bandaid guy in the pet peve thread.

Yeah, I havent heard from them after sending a cease and desist letter spelling out everything they did to violate it, and thankfully in the state of Alaska it's legal to record a phone conversation without telling the second party.

Basically they claimed to not be a debt collector and that they were a law firm. Called me repeatedly during my work hours, refused to send me information regarding the debt. And threatened me, tried to extort the payment from me by threatening my credit rating.

All this over a $23 check that bounced because of a bank error 6 years ago, nevermind when I clled the bank, and then the place that I wrote the check at and they had ru nit a second time and it went through. Oh, and the collections agency wanted $250 for the check to settle the debt. (Which didn't exist)

After googling the company, found that many other people had similar situations with them, sent them the letter and told them to suck it. I'd go ahead and sue them, but really unless they get dumb and try suing me first I just dont feel like wasting my time.

But the point of it all is, you have rights, they have to follow the rules, that being said, if you owe the money pay it. They have to offer you a way to pay it as well, they can't demand full payment up front, you have the option to make payments. With the caveat that it will be on their terms i.e. interest etc. And if you fail to pay them after all that, then you're fucked and they have you by the short and curlies.

and thankfully in the state of Alaska it's legal to record a phone conversation without telling the second party.


Actually, the majority of states don't require both parties be aware the conversation is being recorded. Only one party must be made aware. Meaning, if you are recording the conversation, you meet the "one-party" required law and can lawfully record.

Most people think both must know and it's just not the case.