Conference quark::human_relations-v1

    
    Good Luck to you and your daughter with this situation.  Please keep us
    posted, I would like to know what happens for future reference.  I have
    a friend in a similar predicament (Credit cards charged up to limit &
    receiving harrasing phone calls).  Your story is a very interesting
    one.
    
    Good Luck
    
    Debby
    

This is very interesting, but I don't think really a subject for this
conference.  I'd suggest LYCEUM::CONSUMER instead.

There are a number of laws regulating what a collection agency can and
cannot do, you should learn them.  Consumer Reports is a good source of
information.  And you are correct - post-dating checks is no guarantee
against their being deposited immediately.

On the "human relations" side, you may want to consider how your efforts
might be "enabling" your daughter to continue her irresponsible behavior.

				Steve

    
     Look in the phone book for a group called Consumer Credit Couseling
    Service. These people will organize all of the debts, contact the
    companies to whom money is owed, and arrange financial reconcilliation
    with all the companies. The debtors financial state of affairs is
    evaluated and a repayment schedule is outlined. All payments are made
    to CCCS and they disbuse all the funds to the creditors on a regular
    basis. They can also arrange to have the accounts frozen so that no
    more interest can accumulate.
    
    Tony
    

    Citibank called me one night well after 9pm, and I read them the
    riot act, even though I really did forget a payment that month,
    and I knew it.  RI law says no business calls after 9pm or before
    7am at a person's home tel #.

    I got the lady's first name and number, her extension, and her
    supervisor's tel # and then I hung up on her.

    They called me at work the next day and someone with an important
    title was very apologetic and spoke so nicely to me that I felt
    like a shmuck for what I put the person through the night before.

    When the ones who call on the phone get annoying, ask to speak to
    their boss ... guaranteed their tone will change in a wink. When
    they get abrasive, you can cool their heels for 'em in a hurry.

    The toll-free 800 number for CCCS (Consumer Credit Counseling Service)
    is:
    
    1-800-338-2227.
    
    
    I urge your daughter to call them.  When I was totally overwhelmed with
    medical bills and behind in bill payments, these people saved me from
    filing for bankruptcy.  They are a non-profit, very courteous and
    helpful.  If only more people knew about this organization ...
    immediately after CCCS took over my payments I stopped receiving
    harrassing phone calls.  They take care of everything for me.
    
    Tammi
    

    Tammi,
    
    I have a question for you.  After CCCS helped you out by causing you
    not to have to file bankruptcy, did you still have to continue to pay
    all of your debts?  The reason that I ask this is because it usually
    costs far less to file bankruptcy then to pay off your existing debts. 
    Yes, your credit is scarred for 7 years (more or less), but you are
    free of the debts that you have.
    
    Lori B.

    I too was asked by a collection agency to send 5 post dated checks--he
    was very slimy and smarmy up until the point I said "No, you can cash
    them all at once."  He got extremely nasty and informed me he'd be
    pretty stupid to do that.  Then he started becoming threatening---these
    people get a percentage of the amount they collect.  They care not one
    iota whether your bank account is overdrawn or what promises they made
    to you.  They need a large amount so they'll get a bigger chunk of it.  
    
    I used to work for a collection attorney---the only difference between
    him and a collection agent was he still had a few ethics.
    
    The best way to deal with these people is hang up.  Then send them
    $1.00 a week.  At least they can't say you aren't paying anything.

    I was a collection agent for years.
    
    There are 2 key factors in dealing with them...
    
                 1. Know your rights. Read MGL 93-A. (If in MA)
    
                 2. Don't let them jack you up.
    
    
    Edd
        

    These credit card companies make credit cards too easily available for
    anyone to get.   I would tell her to find another source of income to
    pay off the debt instead of you helping her. Second get a scizzor and
    cut the card and never use it again.  Those things are the ruination of
    a lot of people and it takes FOREVER to pay off a debt with such high
    interest rates.  Take it from a gal with experience ;-)
    
    Lynne

    Lori:
    
    Yes, they pay off your debts for you, slowly.  If you talk to anyone
    within the world of finance, they will tell you it is much better to
    pay debts off slowly over the course of two-three years, than to cancel
    all your debts by filing for bankruptcy and having problems with your
    credit for 7-10 years.  If you pay the debt off slowly it is called
    "slow pay", which is better than "no pay".
    
    Bankruptcy to me is a huge stigma and after seeing what my brother went
    through when he had to file, I never wanted to go through it.  CCCS
    takes everything you owe, negotiates how much per month will be paid
    towards a certain creditor, and then makes the payments for you.  $2.00
    out of the amount you give them each month goes towards postage and the
    like.  They are not out to rip anyone off, they are a non-profit
    
    TAmmi.

    While not attempting to speak ill of CCCI of those who have sought 
    their services, your should bear in mind something...
    
    When your loan gets far enough behind, the bank or other lending
    institition writes it off as a bad debt with an outstanding balance
    of whatever you owed them. This "charge-off" becomes part of your 
    record.
    
    Eventual payment of the balance thru CCCI or otherwise, doesn't
    necessarily have the effect of wiping the slate clean. You may find
    that you still have the charge-off on your credit file, but with a
    $0 balance. This is certainly better (in the eyes of a lender) than
    having an outstanding balance, but just having paid them off
    "eventually" isn't the same as paying them off "on time"...
    
    Edd

Part of the deal when working with CCCS is that they negotiate with your
creditors the amount and rate of payback.  They don't just arbitrarily decide
who gets what and when.  Since they are funded by companies which grant credit,
and who therefore have a vested interest, their efforts receive cooperation 
from almost all creditors.  

Also, I learned from experience, having those slow pays on our record did 
not affect our ability to get a large mortgage once the bills were paid.  We 
simply explained to the lender, who appeared  to be impressed that we took 
our responsibilities seriously enough to honor them.

    I tried the 800 number (from Massachusetts) for CCCI and it did not
    work from this area.  I looked in the phone book and they were not
    listed.  Is this agency only available in certain geographic areas?  
    Also, what is their full name?  I have a feeling if they ARE available
    in Mass., that they are definitely NOT non-profit.  
    

    Found in the SELP-HELP GUIDE of my phone book:  Consumer Credit
    Counseling Services of Eastern Massachusetts (617) 426-6644
    
    Roberta