Creditors Turn to Facebook for Payments

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You know that super hot chick that just sent you a friend request? She’s actually a debt collector keeping tabs on you.

Attorney Regina McConnell represents collection agencies in court. She tells 8 News Now, finding people on Facebook is the latest trend. It begins by companies posing as an attractive person.
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I fail to see how this doesn't fall under Section 807(10) of the fair Debt Collection Practice Act: [the following conduct is in violation of this section:] The use of any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer.
 
ryken said:
I fail to see how this doesn't fall under Section 807(10) of the fair Debt Collection Practice Act: [the following conduct is in violation of this section:] The use of any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer.
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QFT

This reinforces the fact that debt collectors are the one profession that make attorneys look good...
 
Met-AL said:
Yea, because having to pay your debts is just not fair.
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this has nothing to do with paying your debts - it has to do with the debt collectors following the rules. if you're being hounded by a creditor you have a right not to be harassed.
 
Steve said:
...and probably a dude.
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All "women" on the Internet should be considered middle aged, overweight, balding dudes living in their mother's basement until proven otherwise.
 
THRESHIN said:
this has nothing to do with paying your debts - it has to do with the debt collectors following the rules. if you're being hounded by a creditor you have a right not to be harassed.
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If you followed the rules and paid your debts, they wouldn't need those rules..would they?
 
THRESHIN said:
this has nothing to do with paying your debts - it has to do with the debt collectors following the rules. if you're being hounded by a creditor you have a right not to be harassed.
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Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
 
Trepidati0n said:
If you followed the rules and paid your debts, they wouldn't need those rules..would they?
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if everyone followed the rules we wouldn't need any rules now would we? :p
 
Dan_D said:
All "women" on the Internet should be considered middle aged, overweight, balding dudes living in their mother's basement until proven otherwise.
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I abide by a similar mantra: There are NO women on the internet unless proven otherwise.
 
Trepidati0n said:
If you followed the rules and paid your debts, they wouldn't need those rules..would they?
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My parents where getting called every weekend buy someone trying to collect a debt from Montgomery Ward. They wouldn't say who they where looking for. They didn't have a name only that it was from a town that my parents had lived in 15 years ago!
Places are buying old debt up and trying to scam people into paying for something that is to old to collect on or you don't owe at all. There are rules for a reason.
 
Not all debts are legit. Ive been fighting with Old Navy for over 10 years for bullshit charges. They call my cell phone, my work, and every time is a new person and I explain it all over again and they dont give a shit. The harassment never ends and every few years the collection agency just cells the debt to another. I think im on the 4th now.

Ive disputed the charges over and over and I just cant gain traction. Not all debt is legit.
 
Dan_D said:
Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
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Would it surprise you to know that creditors are now contacting people to remind them that their due date is approaching?

Payment isn't even late, and nine voicemails in 33 minutes.

Even calls to their place of employment.

And payment's not even due for another full week.

Creditors are not only disobeying the law, they're ignoring their own contracts with their customers.

Don't quite understand why we bailed these people out...

A little over a year ago I had an account that apparently I made a payment on too quickly. I received the bill, made payment immediately, but somehow I paid too quickly. For this I was hit with a late payment fee (huh?), and only became aware of the issue when they called me requesting payment.

While I did successfully argue against the late payment fee (they agreed I had already paid, ableit too quickly, although I would have just closed the account had they not...), this did not get the calls to immediately cease.

Apparently if you make your payment within a few days of your statement cycle date, banks don't automatically process it in your current cycle, but can process it in the previous cycle. What this means is you can make a payment immediately upon receiving your bill, but the bank can choose to not process it as being in your current cycle. If you're unaware this is happening, it can lead to late payment fees, over your credit limit fees, they can raise your rates, etc etc...

And since it means they haven't received a payment in two billings cycles according to their system, it goes into collections, and the phone calls begin...

And yeah, they'll even call your place of employment. My manager certainly thought they were "evil" when I explained what happened.

I guess the moral of the story is: even if you make a payment and the bank receives it, don't assume the bank will process it as you intended. If they can find a way to hit you with fees and increase their profit margins, they will!

The sad thing is you'll have no indication of what's occurred 'til it's already gone into collections... If you get your statement on the 2nd and you pay it on the 4th, what reason would you have to believe the bank will process that payment as being received on the 1st?

I was actually advised in the future to wait a few days or a week before I make a payment, to make sure it doesn't happen again...
 
Monkey God said:
Not all debts are legit. Ive been fighting with Old Navy for over 10 years for bullshit charges. They call my cell phone, my work, and every time is a new person and I explain it all over again and they dont give a shit. The harassment never ends and every few years the collection agency just cells the debt to another. I think im on the 4th now.

Ive disputed the charges over and over and I just cant gain traction. Not all debt is legit.
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I had my identity stolen two years ago. Person was using an account for a bank I was a previous employee of.

Checked that account every day. When I noticed fraudulent charges, I called the fraud line immediately.

Since the card that was being used to access my account was already closed and expired(!), they refused to do anything more, as the charges can't authorize and stick.

Next day, charges are sticking, and more charges are being authorized.

Call bank again. Now they agree to completely switch my accounts around.

But here's the rub: they made me fight the fraudulent charges as not being my own. Even though it was from a closed card that had expired over a year earlier. Even though it should have been impossible for anyone to have done this.

More rub: I even had to fight the charges done after I contacted them the first time and they refused to take any action.

I was treated like a criminal, even though I was a former employee.

Several months later, it finally got sorted out. And I received a long yet strangely vague apology letter from the bank, explaining it was a "bank error" that allowed my closed, expired card to be used for dozens of transactions.

(Still believe it had to have been an inside job. Even the fraud dept. agreed the card was closed/expired, which is why they took no action on the first call to inform them...)

BTW - yes, I closed all accounts with my former employer. It was clearly obvious my money's not safe there...
 
if it means I would get some hot friends on facebook I would stop paying my bills...
 
Dan_D said:
Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
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I would normally agree with you in most circumstances but have you ever watched a loved one get wiped out financially, emotionally and physically to a terminal illness like cancer? I hope you are never in that situation.
 
Dan_D said:
Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
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How about if you get caught speeding rolling through a stop sign the cops pull you out of your car and beat you silly. Shouldn't have been speeding or came to a complete stop and you won't get beaten.
 
to those saying ppl are being dead beats, many ppl are out of work in todays economy and the last thing you shouldever pay in that situation is a credit card bill. rnt and utilities and food comes first. Yes these companies are violating a federal lawandshould be smashed flat.
 
i think collection agencies are scum. They are not the original creditors but shady companies that buy off the debt from the creditors and use it as a license to do what every means to make money off of them, including stuff like trying to trick someone into making a small payment on a deceased family member's debt... once you make a payment they can stick the whole debt on you.

However, I hold no sympathy for people who irresponsibly racked up debt and then feel they are entitled to bail out their obligations to pay.
 
fdiaz78 said:
I would normally agree with you in most circumstances but have you ever watched a loved one get wiped out financially, emotionally and physically to a terminal illness like cancer? I hope you are never in that situation.
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I've known people who have gone through that. Yes. That's on extenuating circumstance in which I can understand someone defaulting on bills.

bacon said:
How about if you get caught speeding rolling through a stop sign the cops pull you out of your car and beat you silly. Shouldn't have been speeding or came to a complete stop and you won't get beaten.
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As far as getting pulled over goes, if you didn't violate the law (even through a simple error) then you wouldn't get pulled over. Everytime I was pulled over it was my fault. Everytime I was given a ticket, its because I did something wrong. (Knowingly or not.) As for getting beaten, I've never seen nor have I even heard of police doing something like this. In most cases where stuff like this supposedly happened the police were aggravated and provoked by the suspect. For idiots who mouth off to the police or fail to follow simple commands, I have no sympathy. Now, I'm sure there may have been circumstances where the Police went overboard with physical violence, but I'd wager your chances of being a victim of that are right up there with getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery.
 
Dan_D said:
Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
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so now that you've come down out of the clouds in your perfect world.....can we get back to the matter of the law in question?
 
eon said:
i think collection agencies are scum. They are not the original creditors but shady companies that buy off the debt from the creditors and use it as a license to do what every means to make money off of them, including stuff like trying to trick someone into making a small payment on a deceased family member's debt... once you make a payment they can stick the whole debt on you.

However, I hold no sympathy for people who irresponsibly racked up debt and then feel they are entitled to bail out their obligations to pay.
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They truly are. No argument there. Their harassment tactics are insane and they simply don't care. However I've paid my bills on time with few exceptions in my life and I've never had any problems.
 
Dan_D said:
I've known people who have gone through that. Yes. That's on extenuating circumstance in which I can understand someone defaulting on bills.



As far as getting pulled over goes, if you didn't violate the law (even through a simple error) then you wouldn't get pulled over. Everytime I was pulled over it was my fault. Everytime I was given a ticket, its because I did something wrong. (Knowingly or not.) As for getting beaten, I've never seen nor have I even heard of police doing something like this. In most cases where stuff like this supposedly happened the police were aggravated and provoked by the suspect. For idiots who mouth off to the police or fail to follow simple commands, I have no sympathy. Now, I'm sure there may have been circumstances where the Police went overboard with physical violence, but I'd wager your chances of being a victim of that are right up there with getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery.
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Hm, I'm hearing impaired and commute by motorcycle (obviously WITHOUT something to amplify sound stuck in my ears). If a cop pulled me over and immediately starting giving me instructions I'd have no idea what he was saying and therefore couldn't comply. I guess it's my fault for being born with hearing loss. Even if I was in a car & was wearing hearing aides, I only have 10% normal hearing ability when there is significant background noise (say I was pulled to the side of the road on a busy highway). I guess it's ok for him to whatever is necessary (violence?) to get me to comply no matter the situation...or no?
 
bacon said:
How about if you get caught speeding rolling through a stop sign the cops pull you out of your car and beat you silly. Shouldn't have been speeding or came to a complete stop and you won't get beaten.
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Howabout if you got a brain transplant and the doctor's Timex fell off his wrist during the operation and was sewed up in your head with your new monkey brain and now you hear a tick tock all the time? Now if you weren't such a dumbass to begin with, you wouldn't needed a brain transplant.
 
THRESHIN said:
this has nothing to do with paying your debts - it has to do with the debt collectors following the rules. if you're being hounded by a creditor you have a right not to be harassed.
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and they ought to follow those rules so nobody ever has to pay their debts! My brother hasn't paid his cellphone bill in probably well over 3-4 years and every few months just gets a new cellphone. Always the latest models too since anyone will sign up anyone for a cellphone. He's got like six different phones from Verizon which has to be a sign that they are not even checking for past due amounts or writing off amounts owed after a givn period of time like say 6-12 months.
 
WBurchnall said:
and they ought to follow those rules so nobody ever has to pay their debts! My brother hasn't paid his cellphone bill in probably well over 3-4 years and every few months just gets a new cellphone. Always the latest models too since anyone will sign up anyone for a cellphone. He's got like six different phones from Verizon which has to be a sign that they are not even checking for past due amounts or writing off amounts owed after a givn period of time like say 6-12 months.
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Thats their fault for not doing a credit check, you have to provide an SSN to get a phone, so wtf.
 
fdiaz78 said:
I would normally agree with you in most circumstances but have you ever watched a loved one get wiped out financially, emotionally and physically to a terminal illness like cancer? I hope you are never in that situation.
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There are these things called exceptions and rules. Most people I know being hounded by debt collectors deserve every ounce of crap they get from them.
 
THRESHIN said:
this has nothing to do with paying your debts - it has to do with the debt collectors following the rules. if you're being hounded by a creditor you have a right not to be harassed.
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This has EVERYTHING to do with paying your debts!! Debt collectors are only collecting on what you should have paid in the first place.... :rolleyes:

Dan_D said:
All "women" on the Internet should be considered middle aged, overweight, balding dudes living in their mother's basement until proven otherwise.
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haha +1 sigged!
 
quimby999 said:
to those saying ppl are being dead beats, many ppl are out of work in todays economy and the last thing you shouldever pay in that situation is a credit card bill. rnt and utilities and food comes first. Yes these companies are violating a federal lawandshould be smashed flat.
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Honestly it also means you should tighten you belt, I'm not talking food, but I'm talking other purchases. A cell phone is not a god damn utility, you're not using it to find work 99% of the time. Neither is cable/satellite tv, or a high speed internet connection.

While I agree debt collectors should follow rules, if you are purposefully going out of your way to avoid "being caught" then you're just as guilty. What not answering the phone? Oh I'm sorry someone went on your facebook to tell you to pay up, you obviously are having so much time updating your profile and "socializing" that you couldn't look for work.
 
Dan_D said:
Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
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Most Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck with no substantial savings.

All it takes is one ill event to cause a financial down slide that is very hard to recover from.

The average American is running at the back of the herd, and the debt collectors are the predators just waiting for one to fall down and get left behind...
 
wjogert said:
Most Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck with no substantial savings.

All it takes is one ill event to cause a financial down slide that is very hard to recover from.

The average American is running at the back of the herd, and the debt collectors are the predators just waiting for one to fall down and get left behind...
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That's their fault now isn't it? I'm sorry, I have no sympathy for people who consistently make bad decisions. When I make a bad decision, I suffer the consequences of that decision and learn from it. Otherwise I'm just doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again. Personal responsibility is the key. Something people in this country, and on this planet are lacking more and more.
 
Dan_D said:
Don't be a dead beat and pay your damned bills on time. Then you won't get harassed.
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Yeah, it's not like you could get a new cell-phone, pick a number from the pool of available ones, and start getting calls from creditors looking for whoever *used* to have the number. They always believe you when you say "No, that person doesn't live here, and I don't know them.", too, because it's not like the person who owes the debt would lie right?
 
Riftsaw said:
I abide by a similar mantra: There are NO women on the internet unless proven otherwise.
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Indeed... I as well. Mine's more of "Women on the internet are actually FBI agents waiting for someone to slip."
 
wjogert said:
Most Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck with no substantial savings.

All it takes is one ill event to cause a financial down slide that is very hard to recover from.

The average American is running at the back of the herd, and the debt collectors are the predators just waiting for one to fall down and get left behind...
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Most Americans also live beyond their means and wonder why they go paycheck to paycheck.

Ditch the cell phone, high speed internet, and 400 channel satellite plan and voila! You're in a whole new bracket.
 
DonInKansas said:
Most Americans also live beyond their means and wonder why they go paycheck to paycheck.

Ditch the cell phone, high speed internet, and 400 channel satellite plan and voila! You're in a whole new bracket.
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LOL. Genius! I think DonInKansas just solved the countries financial woes with one post on the internet.
 
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