Debt collector horror stories
Debt collector horror stories
Sure, you're behind on some bills, but nobody deserves to be treated like this.
Badgering phone calls and threats, insults and outright lies -- these are just a few of the unfair and illegal tactics that some debt collectors unleash on consumers. These rogue collectors don't represent the entire industry, but they are not uncommon.
"It's just threats and intimidation, but you keep it vague," says Michael Flannagan, a former debt-collection supervisor in Tacoma, Wash. "A lot of things bill collectors do are downright dirty and illegal."
Third-party collectors, agencies hired by creditors to collect unpaid bills, are some of the most abusive.
Just ask Angela M., a mother of two, in Denton, Texas. She fell behind on four credit card bills in late 2001.
"When it went to the collection agencies, it turned really personal," Angela says.
"They called me a deadbeat. They called me a criminal. I had perfect, spotless credit before this happened."
Angela's roughly $40,000 in overdue debt stems from a small business. She opened a children's boutique in 1998.
One debt collector accused her of running up her credit card balances with no intention of paying.
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posted by Creditwrench at 9:32 AM
