Collection Agency VENT!

[Tine731]

A little background info...

My sister has been digging herself out of debt the past few years. Gone from being behind on most bills and maxed out credit cards to all bills paid up and now on time and cc paid down and manageable. She is now tackling the "cash advance" mess she got herself into. She has been paying on her bill every 2 weeks and only owes them around $500.

Well, that is not good enough. The collection agency called her place of employment, a large bakery, and ordered a cake to read ... "sisters name" does not pay her bills! on the cake.

How can they harass her like this especially since she has been paying her debt. She is upset, embarrassed and ANGRY. Is there anything she can do?

 

[Tina]

Unbelievable!!! I would be LIVID!

I just did a little googling and found this site: http://www.cardreport.com/credit-problems/collection-faq.html

A few excerpts:

Collection agencies can not legally make any kind of public announcements or disclosures concerning the debt, except to the credit bureaus.

Collection agencies can not legally get a debtor fired from his/her job.

Can collectors call the debtor's place of employment?
Yes, but there are limitations. For example, they can not legally tell your employer about the debt, or try to have you fired.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

It's legal for them to call and ask for this, I would think. It's also legal for the bakery to refuse to take the order. Or take the order, quote an extremely high price for the cake and let everyone -sis included - laugh all the way to the bank at the stupidity of the loan collector - and makes sure when the cake is delivered/picked up that the bakery and your sis had a good laugh at how the bill collector paid through the nose to be labelled a jerk and other non-DIS approved words by everyone who works at the bakery.

 

[MICKEY88]

I'd contact an attorney

 

[AllyandJack]

I'm a creditor's rights attorney.....from 2002-2004 and I recently went back as a consultant and this is the strangest thing I've ever heard.

We were only allowed to notify the employer of a debt if we were obtaining a wage garnishment. We could call their work and ask for them, we could call the work and ask someone else to have them call us, but couldn't say, "Hi, I'm from X&X law firm, looking for Mr. Y about the money he owes to (our client)." That wasn't allowed.

But, once I get a wage garnishment, then the employer obviously becomes aware of the debt situation.

I guess I'm not totally shocked. The collection agencies are our clients and they're rude to us. Some (not all...some of them are nice people) are just creeps.

Not to mention wasting $$ on a cake?? That's just silly.

The AG office in the state might be able to help if she wants to file a complaint.

Sorry she has to deal with that. I have some debtors who are real losers and even they wouldn't warrant that kind of humiliation.

 

[waltsgirl]

Did your sister take the order or did someone else? Was there an order form, name of who ordered? If there was she needs to get copies and find an attorney. Collection Agencies are not permitted to advertise your debt.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

Also I believe that if she contacts her state attorney general office they may relieve her of that debt due to the shady cake ordering of this collection agency.

what jerks!

 

[chell]

Please have her contact the Attorney General like others have suggested. That was just wrong of them to do.

I sure hope the bakery didn't make the cake or if they did, like someone else suggested, charged them through the nose!

 

[Tine731]

I found out that the amount she owes is now only $360.

She did not take the order. I doubt he comes to pick it up. The bakery only takes a deposit/payment if the cake cake is over a certain size or amount. So he is not out any money. Just trying to annoy my sister. Which he has done very well.

I agree about contacting a lawyer but emotions aside is that really doable. She only owes $360. I would think the time, energy and legal fees would not be worth it. I thinks she should do every thing she can to come up with the $360 and get them off her back.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

I found out that the amount she owes is now only $360.

She did not take the order. I doubt he comes to pick it up. The bakery only takes a deposit/payment if the cake cake is over a certain size or amount. So he is not out any money. Just trying to annoy my sister. Which he has done very well.

I agree about contacting a lawyer but emotions aside is that really doable. She only owes $360. I would think the time, energy and legal fees would not be worth it. I thinks she should do every thing she can to come up with the $360 and get them off her back.

the state attorney general does not charge. have her call may be worth her time.

 

[chager]

She needs to contact the Attorney General's Office like others said. She also needs to write a letter to the agency stating they are not to contact her employment.(I wonder if sending a cake with the message "DO NOT CONTACT MY WORK" would work. ) I believe she can ask not to be contacted period but that may not be much help. THe AG office can give her ALOT of information. Chances are there are already complaints on file about this agency.

 

[okeydokey]

I applaud your sister for all the hard work she has done to get her financial life back on track. She is doing a great job if all she owes now is $360. The collection agent is an a**.

 

[dawson5]

I would encourage her to call, $360 might not be much left to owe but what if their antics cost her her job? Maybe they have done this before and it's cost someone else their job or multiple people? She's paying, she doesn't deserve to have them targeting her and trying to humiliate her, no one does.

 

[RadioNate]

Is this a collection agency or the company that she took the loan with (like a cash advance place?)

The reason I asked is that collection agencies are governed by legal standards but the original lender isn't required to follow the same standards.

We have a friend who owes us far more than your sister owes. Wonder if I should start harassing him.