They are a fly by night collection agency. Do your homework know your rights and don't be pushed around by them. They are threatened by knowledgeable consumers. My advice to anyone contacted by a collection agency is to:
Answer the phone and immediately inform them that they do not have your permission to record you and hang up. The longer you stay on the phone the more you are being and agreeing to be recorded. Most states have single consent recording laws. If you are in New York and they call you, they are in NJ so the only person on the call located in NY is YOU. They need your permission to record you, just say " I'm sorry I do not consent to be recorded" and hang up.
Spend the few dollars at the post office and make sure you at least pay for tracking. Courts will allow delivery tracking and no signature as proof of delivery, trust me they aren't investing the $6.00 to make you sign, you dont have to either.....
The absolute #1 advice EVERYONE should know is while any collection agency will offer and want you to take a settlement, you are going to still pay a lot of money depending on how much the original debt is. If you owe let's say $10,000 and you settle on half that and pay $5,000, you are NOT close to done.... the original company is going to file that other $5,000 with the IRS as a loss and guess waht???? the IRS is going to come after you to pay full taxes on that money, as income. This is critical to anyone in say low-income housing, food stamps or any other government program. If you make $25,000 a year, that 5K you thought was a break could screw you far worse... take your chances in court, don't agree to a settlement. Consult an attorney, or accountant if you question this.... its the one thing no one will tell you until you ask.
While technology and consumer protection laws, have progressed the mindset of the debt collector is still 1980's. They think consumers are too lazy to do homework, they think you are hiding under the bed in fear of them. Truth be told in court they have to do all the work, you just have to show up and deny owing anything... read more