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DEBT COLLECTORS
Your guide to dealing with unscrupulous debt collectors from a former debt collector

If your experience with a debt collector has been a positive one, good for you-- you are one of the lucky ones. For the majority, their experiences have led them here seeking hope and a way out of the harassment. Yes, if you owe a debt, they have the right to collect that debt but at what cost? Many consumers' have suffered health and emotional problems after dealing with the likes of some debt collectors who find shear pleasure in the chase of collecting a debt. In my years of being a debt collector, I was constantly amazed how some of my co-workers treated people. Telling people such things like "You know you incurred this debt with the intent to commit fraud right? Because your not paying it!" In reality, that had nothing to do with why the debt went unpaid. Their job was to collect not counsel a person. 

It was not until I transferred over into the credit union field that I began to see real respect for the debtor. I was fortunate enough to work with very caring professionals who looked at everyone as a member, not a debtor. Before I got into the credit union field, I worked and trained at numerous collection agencies, attended the seminars and meetings and do you know what the topic always was? What method a collector used to trick a person into paying or what illegal act they committed just to find the person!  The collectors' would stand in the hallway of the seminar and trade stories back and forth about how they took a persons phone number home with them and continually called the debtor through the night! I was disgusted and felt guilty for being a part of it. 

Now, lets make one thing clear. This was not internal debt collectors at banks or loan companies but third party debt collectors working for collection agencies. It's their job to get results and it's a tough job. A collector at a bank or loan company works for salary and does not live on commission. Their job descriptions are broad and involve customer service. A debt collector at a collection agency is hired for that specific job. Their pay is based on quota and they make commission for what they collect. If you don't hit your commissions then you are not affective. My experiences were not limited. I faced this at every single collection agency I worked for or consulted at. That is when I began to see a real problem. To this date, I deal with collectors on a regular basis and even I still face those who are unwilling to listen and have stereotyped every person as a debtor.