Consumer Law

Ex-Debt Collector Confessions Part 2

By M. Stan Herring

CNNMoney.com has posted an interesting article where 10 former debt collectors were interviewed to share their experiences in the collections industry...and why they chose to leave it.

Bob Cook was a debt collector for 16 years and says he quit due to the high stress; he says he would even sometimes become physically sick at the thought of going into work. He also was dealing with things like people chasing him in the street and finding a pit bull tied to the motorcycle he was sent to repossess.

Another time, Cook says he was speaking to a man who was 6 months behind on payments on his mobile home, was recently divorced and also had lost his job. Cook says he was being "perfectly reasonable" and reminded the man that he couldn't live there for free. He also told the man to enjoy the upcoming Christmas holidays and not stress about finding a place to live until January. The man ended up going home and shooting himself; Cook quit the collection agency afterwards.

An anonymous interviewee spent 16 years as a debt collector and witnessed many different methods of consumer harassment in that time. This person says that a fellow collector in a nearby cubicle would call debtors and claim to be a legal counselor and then ask several personal questions, all the while reminding the debtor constantly that they were, allegedly, under oath. This person also says that collectors called people with the "intent of harassing and intimidating them." If someone hung up on the collector, they would call back immediately. If a debtor asked to speak to a supervisor or manager, the higher-up would also be just as obnoxious and "abrasive."

Our friend Anonymous says that collectors can get away with harassing people because consumers "just don't know their rights." This person was dismissed from the collection agency for not being "aggressive enough."

If you have had issues with debt collection companies and have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

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Full post as published by Alabama Consumer Blog on August 14, 2010 (boomark / email).