Collection Agencies: What are the rules?

[I_bRAD]

Lately, I've been getting calls from a collection agency informing me that I owe some money (only 50 bucks, but it's principle here) to a company called Clearview Communications that I've never heard of, and never done business with.

Is this some sort of scam? Are they hoping I will just pay it to make them stop calling or because I'm worried about my credit rating?

What legal requirements regarding billing etc must the collection agency have to make this a valid claim?

As it stands now, I told the woman that I'd never done business with them, she is incorrect and not to bother mailing me an invoice. At this point she became quite snarky and informed me that she would continue to call me.

 

[Musical Rush]

Just a wild guess here I would give the Better Business Bureau a call just to see what they have to say. Maybe it is a scam.

Just to add if the bitch calls back maybe mention the BBB just to see how she acts.

 

[TaCk OnE?]

somebody started calling me a year ago claiming that I owed them 120 bucks from an under age drinking ticked from 1995.

oh, ok voice on the phone, sure thing let me just send you some money then ten years later. they weren't able to prove it, and I don't remember it (LOL) so I just hang up on them.

they've been calling or like 8 months, fuck them...couldnt care less...I'll never pay, and it doesn't show up on my credit.

 

[Vise]

We were getting called daily (sometimes 3-4 times per day or more) but I got it to stop finally. My wife owes Telus $100 and refuses to pay them on principle... she moved to Rogers with one month left on her contract and they hit her with a $100 cancellation fee. When she called to talk about it they were total assholes so she told them to 'Go fuck themselves and good luck collecting' (direct quote).

Anyways, we were getting autodialer calls forever and they would leave the same automated message every day. Eventually a couple months back they called at night and I answered, I told them to stop calling because my wife and I got divorced and she moved out of the country. Seems to have worked so far but we'll see. Either way my wife is happy as she is positive they have spent more than $100 on invoicing/collection agencies over the past 2 years or so.

 

[Eclectic]

company called Clearview Communications that I've never heard of, and never done business with.

Clear View Communications Canada - Telecom and Billing Solutions

 

[MoFo]

We were getting called daily (sometimes 3-4 times per day or more) but I got it to stop finally. My wife owes Telus $100 and refuses to pay them on principle... she moved to Rogers with one month left on her contract and they hit her with a $100 cancellation fee. When she called to talk about it they were total assholes so she told them to 'Go fuck themselves and good luck collecting' (direct quote).

Um, that puts your wife in the wrong.

 

[jocelyn dee]

I would order a copy of your credit report from Equifax and a Trans Union.

TransUnion Canada: Consumer Support: Contact Us

https://www.econsumer.equifax.ca/index_en.html

If any debts have been assigned to you (even fraudulently/incorrectly) it will show up on your credit report.

If you see a debt from Clearview on your credit report then you will have to contact Equifax and Trans Union yourself to clear it up - otherwise it will affect your credit rating

trust

I was a victim of identity fraud and it took me over a year to clear somebody else's debt off of my credit report...

 

[Liability]

You can request that they stop calling you and only correspond via mail. There are restrictions in place to stop collections agencies from making harassing phone calls. Although, I am not sure who you complain to if the calls do not stop.

The wife just got a call last week for a photo radar speeding ticket in BC from 10 years ago. The collections agency had no supporting documentation and the guy was a real douche. She put a call into the provincial body to check and see if the ticket was valid, which it was. I would say to confirm with the original organization the money is owed to and see if they can provide you proper documentation.

 

[Dr. Grinch]

Collections is no doubt a shitty job, but the attitude of the people doing it is what makes my blood boil.
My one experience with a collection agency obliterated any respect I could have ever had for people who do this job.
I did some reading into it, and it turns out that the schtick they use is pretty consistent throughout the industry. They call you up and it's always, "This is MR. so and so from fuckface collections". Immediately try to put themselves in an authoritative position, talk down to you, etc.
I don't enjoy Jr. Psychology hour, especially delivered from some puss-faced fuck working in a call center.

Anyways, you can always haggle the price down for whatever they want. They buy your debt, and usually you can go as low as 30 cents on the dollar.
Fucking wankers.

/rant

 

[H2Whoa]

Lately, I've been getting calls from a collection agency informing me that I owe some money (only 50 bucks, but it's principle here) to a company called Clearview Communications that I've never heard of, and never done business with.

have they given you a copy of the original invoice?

 

[Vise]

Um, that puts your wife in the wrong.

Yeah no doubt but she doesn't give a fuck.

I even offered to pay it for her and she said hells no.

 

[MissBlu]

oh gawd.

i had one freaking bill that went to collections, and i was going to pay it with money that was owed to me (money that i will probably never see). anyway, i paid it realizing that i was probably never going to see teh cash...

they called my parents house twice a day for months, even after making the payments, and this thread has reminded me that i should probably inquire about my confirmation that its been cleared.

 

[Tahoe]

What's the verdict with these free credit report sites? I clicked on one of the google ads because I'm curious about my credit and it's asking me for my credit card information which I'm hesitant to provide for a 'free' service.

 

[I_bRAD]

I would order a copy of your credit report from Equifax and a Trans Union.

I just recently requested a copy of my credit report from both places (I'd sent them information regarding my new address as I moved last year) I've received one of them, still waiting on the other. The one I have has no mention of any outstanding debts.

 

[I_bRAD]

have they given you a copy of the original invoice?

No, They suggested they mail me the invoice, but they had my old address and I wasn't sure if I wanted to give them my new mailing address as that would just give them more information to hassle me with.

Do you think I should get them to send me the invoice? What would I do with it at that point?

 

[Hi i'm God]

tell them to fax it.

 

[I_bRAD]

What's the verdict with these free credit report sites? I clicked on one of the google ads because I'm curious about my credit and it's asking me for my credit card information which I'm hesitant to provide for a 'free' service.

If you send it in by mail you won't need to give them your CC info. You will need to send them a photocopy (front and back) of two pieces of ID so they have proof it's actually you asking for the report. It took about a month to recieve mine back in the mail.

 

[I_bRAD]

tell them to fax it.

Where would they fax it to? 1990? I don't have a fax machine!

 

[Hi i'm God]

lol you can efax to email addresses. I don't fax much either but i'm sure it's not hard.

 

[MissBlu]

lol, the people i had to deal with asked why i didn't fax the paperwork and i informed them that i didn't have a fax machine, and he asked why i didn't go to the library, so i just repeated everything back to him until he "found" an e-mail address.

they're so unbelievably rude.

 

[H2Whoa]

perhaps they could email it to you if you create a temp account. i hear you on not giving them anymore info. the invoice would at least serve as some type of proof and then you can make your decisions from there.

 

[Bumbaclat]

Where would they fax it to? 1990? I don't have a fax machine!

I'm 90% sure you can send it to the fax machine at a kinkos for a very smal fee.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Collections is no doubt a shitty job, but the attitude of the people doing it is what makes my blood boil.

I hear you, and I agree. In fact I often wonder, what is it about these people and about their jobs that gives them such a terrible attitude? Why are so many of them such assholes?

Then I read something like this:

We were getting called daily (sometimes 3-4 times per day or more) but I got it to stop finally. My wife owes Telus $100 and refuses to pay them on principle... she moved to Rogers with one month left on her contract and they hit her with a $100 cancellation fee. When she called to talk about it they were total assholes so she told them to 'Go fuck themselves and good luck collecting' (direct quote).

And it becomes very clear.

Not to advocate on behalf of collection agencies, but imagine the fucking bullshit they have to deal with on a daily basis. So many people are ignorant and rude, with a giant sense of entitlement and chips on their shoulders.

Now take the deadbeat segment that defaults on their debts? And multiply that tenfold.

 

[I_bRAD]

Well in my case I don't actually owe them money and now I have a big hassle to sort out because of them.

I just went through this with my business recently, they said we owed bell a bunch of money which we didnt and I had to spend well over an hour on the phone with them, gathering documentation, writing letters etc to sort it out... and I really wouldn't be surprised if they try to collect again!

 

[The Peej]

I had an old roommate talk me into allowing him to finance a bed under my name from sleep country. It never got paid off on time (I assume part of the blame) and went to collections. For YEARS I've been trying to find out the name of the company I owe the money to so I can get it cleared... to no avail.

Equifax won't give me a credit report because I don't have a credit card to verify who I am?!


Sleep Country's financials were handled by Citi Financial. No amount of phonecalls, e-mails, voicemails, or endless dances with an IVR have led me to the company I owe the measly 200 bucks too.

I've been able and willing to pay it off for YEARS and can't get anywhere with it. It's started to really throttle my life.