No one is quite pushy as pushy debt collectors with their constant phone calls. However, these people were fed up and decided to fight against their aggressive behavior. Content has been edited for clarity purposes.
Who Would Lie About Death?
“My stepdaughter passed away at 22 due to complications from her Type 1 Diabetes. She had massive medical bills. We had insurance, but it only covered parts. So, let’s start by being harassed by a debt collector calling about someone that had passed away.
When the bills started coming, I called all the companies. 99% only asked me to send a copy of the death certificate. But, this one company, well, they were total slimeballs. The odd part was this was on a bill that was actually paid by the insurance in full. So, on the first call from them, I sent them copies of the paid-in-full notices and a copy of the death certificate.
A year went by, and I got a call from them again on the same bill. I told them about their error, and even sent a copy of the registered mail signed copy.
A week later, another call. This time I was hot and gave them an ear full.
A month later, the same thing. This time, the prick actually said, ‘We don’t believe she is dead.’
And they wanted to know how to reach her so they could sue her for the money. I gave them the address to the cemetery.
A month went by, and another call. Same thing: ‘We don’t believe you.’
So, I said, ‘Do what you got to do.’
And believe it or not, they actually sued her. I went to the office of the lawyer, with my lawyer, and a counterclaim on behalf of the estate. The lawyer wanted to drop everything right then. But, we took it to court. We made them play the recording of the agent telling me they refused to believe she was dead. The judge dropped the hammer on them. We won a $30,000 donation in her name to the American Diabetes Association.”
3 Guys And 1 Major Mistake
“I was 17, so still legally a minor. I was at home during a week’s school holiday. I was completing my UCCA forms (showing my age) and doing some A-level coursework. My younger brother was out with friends and my parents were at work.
Mid-morning there was a loud banging on the inner door and the doorbell ringing. I went to see who it was. There was a large transit van on the drive and 3 men. I opened the door and asked if I could help them. The smaller of the three shoved a card of some kind in front of my eyes and as I stepped back, he and the two others pushed their way into the house. As a rugby player, I wasn’t averse to standing my ground but the size of the other two dictated that discretion was indeed the better part of valor.
Me: ‘You guys better have a good reason for barging into my house.’
1st man: ‘I’m here to collect on a county court judgment for non-payment of some debt. Are you going to pay for it?’
Now this was news to me as far as I was aware we (the family) didn’t have any outstanding debts.
Me: ‘What are you referring to?’
Him: ‘You know! We’ve been chasing you for the last 2 weeks.’
Again, news to me.
Him: ‘Are you going to pay in full or do we have to remove goods to the value of the debt?’
Me: ‘How much?’
Him: ‘£2500 and will go up if we have to remove anything to settle it.’
I looked at the paperwork and said, ‘I’m not paying it.’
Him: ‘No problem.’
Then the two other gentlemen started inventorying the house.
I was still in the hall and the leader asked why I wasn’t paying it, could I not afford it?
Me: ‘I’m not the name on the paperwork.’
He scoffed and went, ‘Yeah… sure… they all say that.’
I advised him that I genuinely wasn’t the name on the writ and could prove it if we went into the dining room. But he wasn’t interested and his two colleagues came back with a list of things that could be sold to settle the debt, including TV, VCR, my camera equipment, my brother’s high-end racing bike, my dad’s fishing gear, our PC, and my mom’s jewelry.
I now took exception. Turned around whilst they were discussing the inventory, picked up the phone, and dialed the police.
‘Police please, I’d like to report a robbery.’
I was put through to the police and whilst I was halfway through the call, the leader came up and disconnected the call. Thirty seconds later, the phone rang and I answered it, it was the police calling back. I said the team leader had disconnected the call and he hung it up again.
They started loading their van and a police car pulled up. The leader approached them and started to argue about how he was executing a writ, but the police decided they needed everyone to stop, and go inside to have a discussion. Inside he asked to see the paperwork and spotted an error immediately. The address was wrong. They should have been on the next street along.
The name on the writ was wrong obviously. The policeman asked why I hadn’t challenged it.
I explained I’d told them the writ was nothing to do with me but he wasn’t interested. I got my driving license out and sure enough, the names didn’t match. The police officer was also interested in why they were executing a writ on a minor. ‘He’s only 17, so you’re getting further into the shit, all of you.’
Then I was asked if I’d been assaulted in any way. I was tempted but decided against saying yes.
The officer got them to unload their van, asked me to check for any damage, (there was, the disc wheel on my brother’s bike was cracked and one of my telephoto lenses was damaged) then arrested all of them on suspicion of burglary and called for a van to take them to the local nick. He took my statement and suggested I call the bailiff’s company to sort it out or get my parents too.
My mother was not happy when she got home. She rang the bailiffs and gave the management there a right bollocking including the threat of going to court unless they paid for replacements for the damaged items and suitable compensation. They settled quickly. My brother got a new disc wheel for his bike and I got an upgraded lens. We also got a decent extra chunk of cash on top.
The bailiffs were charged, convicted, and fired by their companies. They got suspended sentences, making them nigh on unemployable in debt recovery.”
Over A $400 AT&T Bill
“Once had a debt collector call my parent’s house every night at 11 pm, and again at 6 am for about 2 months, even after several attempts to explain I didn’t live there. After my mom threatened to call the state police and a lawyer, the man on the other end said he knew I lived there and then proceeded to spout off my birthday, social security number, and bank information for my car loan. He then said, ‘I know everything about your son.’
He continued, ‘By helping him remain hidden, you are an accomplice to fraud. Look, I’m just trying to help. If your son doesn’t call back within 24 hours, then the police will find him and both of you will be in jail for a year.’
All of this is because of a $400 cell phone bill that I refused to pay AT&T (in 2002) because they charged me for a disconnect and reconnect on a plan that was canceled 2 months earlier. When they bought out Cingular, they tried to re-activate me without my permission.
My mom sued them and after lawyer fees, she received like $3,000. I had the bill paid by them and removed from my credit report. They also had to pay me another $800 just because the judge wanted to make an example.”
Don’t Mess With Telemarketers
“I worked as a telemarketer. On my line, I had a debt collection agent call every day for some woman let’s call her, ‘Sue Menow’.
One day they made the mistake of calling me in the last 5 minutes of the day, The last five minutes of the day we didn’t make calls, because we didn’t want to be stuck on a call for twenty minutes after quitting time.
So the collector called: ‘May I speak with Sue Menow?’
‘Sure, hold on.’ I put him on hold and asked the room, ‘Anyone want to take a collection agent’s call?’
Naturally, most of the room volunteered. My first male co-worker took the call.
‘May I speak with Sue Menow?’
‘Sure, may I get your name?’ He asked for all the types of information an office normally would: name, company, return phone number, etc, and. then said, ‘Hold on.’
He put him on hold.
We passed the call around the office until he hit the fifth person. For some reason, he was getting upset. As it was one minute to five, we decided to end it and passed it off to a female telemarketer.
‘This is Sue.’
‘Hi Miss Menow…’ he went into his spiel about $10,000 dollars being owed to someone, blah, blah, blah.
‘Okay, but you do understand that I am above the law,’ she replied. ‘The concerns of puny earth banks have little bearing on me.’
He asked, ‘What?’
She replied, ‘You should bow down before the all-mighty Sue. And know that it is only by my divine mercy that you are allowed to breathe!’
He said, ‘Ma’am, this is no joking matter.’
She replied, ‘No, it is not! You earth creatures have not been worshiping me properly. If you do not change your ways, I shall unleash my vengeance on all living things on this planet, starting with you.’
He said, ‘Thank you for your time, Ma’am,’ and he hung up.
Oddly, he never called back.”
“Are You Threatening Me?”
“I had flesh-eating bacteria, so there were lots of medical bills. Whenever they came, we just turned them over to the insurance company. If we owed, we made payment plans with whatever wasn’t covered.
Prior to getting the infection, I had worked for a finance company. I made regular collection calls and made lots of ‘chase’ calls where I went and beat on doors, ready to repossess our security if need be. I knew collection laws inside and out. The primary one was you couldn’t threaten someone with physical violence.
Well, this one prick called me. I tried to make payment arrangements. But he wanted everything right now.
‘You don’t want me to come out there!’ he said.
‘Why is that?’ I asked.
‘It wouldn’t be pretty!’ he responded.
‘Are you threatening me?’ I asked.
‘Let’s just say you would pay up immediately if I did’ He said.
At that point, I dared him to come. Then I explained the collection laws and told him if he ever called me again, I would be filing charges against him personally for violating the law. He tried to argue that he could not care any less about some stupid law. At that point, I hung up on him.
They then sent me a letter, which I forwarded it to the insurance company. After the insurance paid, I owed them $25 or so. I waited until they would call me every month. Then I would send them a check for $1. It ended up costing them way more than what I owed. Idiots.”
