Should I be worried? *?*?

Dec 042011
 

I work for a fairly large company in the steel industry. We have divisions in Ohio, Florida, South Carolina, Minnesota, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, Alabama, Pennsylvania…among other places.

Last month, they closed on of our divisions, sending all of their work to the division I work for. Now, people are quitting left and right here. My department has lost one employee, the supervisor and now the manager is leaving. The shop (where my husband works) is bringing home 1/3 of what they were making a year ago this time. Our stocks have dropped over $ 6 in 3 months.

Would you be stressed or would you just hang on for the roller coaster ride?
Yahoo suggested this go in the Newborn & Baby category.

Odd.

CA refusing to mail settlement agreement, need help

Jan 142011
 

I had an account with Chase/WaMu that has gone to collections with Equable Ascent Financial. As I understand it, they have hired Tate & Kirlin to collect on the account. Today I got a call from them, and have finally decided to go ahead and pay them. They had offered to settle with me for 60% in the past, and I asked about that. The guy on the other end said that there was another option, that I could “make an offer” and he would see if they would accept it. The original debt was about $2200, 60% was about 1350. I asked him if they would be okay with $1200, which is about what I actually charged on the card before all the interest accumulated on it. They agreed to this, verbally, and so I asked them if they would be able to put that in writing, and that I also wanted it in writing that the remainder that I owed would not be sold to another company or something else like that, and that I wanted it in writing that it would be reported to the credit bureaus. This is the first email that I got back:

 

Tate & Kirlin, Associates, a professional debt collection company, has
   contacted our client and they have agreed to accept $1200.00 as
   settlement in full on the above referenced claim. Payment is due
   in our office by 01-13-11

   Please make your check or money order payable to Tate & Kirlin,
   Associates, and use the self addressed envelope provided.



   Sincerely,


   JOE BROWN

 

I told them that this was not what I had asked for, and told them that I would be more than willing to get them a money order in the mail today if they could send me an email that would state what I had said. They came back at me, and said that once I paid, that I would get a receipt sort of thing from them stating as much. (I’m not stupid, and I’m not going to give them $1200 when I don’t have the assurances that I need). I continued to pressure them (nicely, not once did I get upset or raise my voice), and then they said they would call me back in about an hour.

 

I wait, and they do call me back about an hour later. I told them that I had gone over my finances again, and that I didn’t know that I could do the 1200, I have other people I have to pay too, would they be able to do 1000? That is almost immediately shot down (can’t blame a guy for trying, right?) and so we go back to talking about the 1200. I asked them if they had the letter, and this time they tell me that they can’t do that. I ask them “So you can’t give me anything in writing saying that you aren’t going to sell the remainder of the debt to someone else?” They say that they have computerized letters and aren’t allowed to change the wording on them, and that I should be “thankful” for the “favor” the guy did me by accepting less than 65% (65%, I think? Wasn’t it 60% originally??). We run around in that circle for a bit, and I ask him, “is there any way I can get a letter stating that upon payment they wo  n’t sell the remainder of the debt?” and I think I’m getting somewhere – they then send me this useless piece of vagueness:

 

 THIS LETTER WILL CONFIRM THAT UPON FUNDS CLEARING OUR BANK
   THE ABOVE REFERENCED ACCOUNT WILL BE SETTLED IN FULL.
   SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO
   CONTACT MY OFFICE.





   SINCERELY,


   JOE BROWN

 


 

Now, what bothers me is that this is signed by a “Joe Brown,” but the email is from a “Zac Bradley.”

 

I again tell them that this isn’t what I wanted to see, and that I am  more than willing to pay the amount we agreed upon as soon as they can get me a letter that states that they won’t sell the remainder of the debt to someone else. The guy I am talking to is getting upset, saying that he can’t do that, he can lose his job if he changes the wording of the letter. It doesn’t make sense to me, so I ask him if i can talk to someone who has the authority to change the letter. “There is no one,” I am told. I ask him to clarify – There is no one that can change the letter? – No. I ask him if I can talk to his supervisor – He again tells me ‘No.” Then he goes on to tell me that I have gotten two more letters than anyone else, “including doctors and lawyers.” and that he has been doing this for seven years. I tell him that I haven’t been doing this for seven years, and I don’t mean to be hard about it, I’m jsut trying to protect myself.

 

Anyways. We go around for a while longer, and I finally agree that this is okay. Then I ask him ‘Is it possible I could have these mailed to my physical address?” “I’m not going to do that, sir. There’s no way i’m going to do that.”

 

WAIT. WHAT?!?!

 

He says that he’s tired of dealing with me and that he’s pulling the $1200 agreement. I tell him that I’ve already got that agreement in writing from his office – And he retorts with “WEll, that’s fine, if you can get the money to us by midnight tonight.” I had missed the part where it was dated 1/13/2011. :(

 

he tells me that they are willing to accept a “check on file” and extend the date out – this means that I have to provide them my bank account and routing information (AS IF!). i tell them I’m not comfortable giving that information out, and the guy says “Well then I’m going to have to wish you a good day, sir.” And then he hung up on me. I’m not kidding – this guy hung up on me. I’ve NEVER heard of that happening. I have all of this recorded, and have uploaded it on rapidshare:

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/442477890/tateandkirlincall1.ogg

 

 

Is this something I should be concerned about? Do I have any sort of grounds for FDCPA violations or anything like that? I am going to call EAF tomorrow to find out their side of the story. Everything I have read about tate and kirlin is very discouraging, as well. Their hold music is also just them putting the phone in front of the radio, which is troubling to me.

 

Additionally, are these two letters substantial enough to take care of my settlement agreement, and could I reasonably expect to be hounded for the $900 difference in the future?

Weird phone call

Dec 032010
 

OK, here’s the deal. a few days NCO representing an elec co put a “public notice” on my credit report. (I’ve had them removed a year ago), but they came back when the flags went up after I applied for a auto loan.  so tonight I get a call from Mr..******** who says he is giving me a “courtesy” call before he serves me tomorrow between 4-Pm with an affidavit. The reason he is calling me is to give me an opportunity to save myself from embarrassment by calling the 877 number he provided me with as well as my case#  to get a ”stand down” order from the person having me served and try to settle this before he has to come to my work place, ask to see my supervisor and show his ID and cause me all sorts of embarrassment at my work place. When I told him I was self employed and did not have a work place per se he paused and stammered and went right back to the saving me embarrassment at work speech. What do you think? CA ploy? Vie never heard of being called to let somebody know theyll be served the next day,let alone a chance to not be served……Any input???

Collection not deleted after PFD aggreement

Nov 172010
 

Hi all. I have reached a PFD aggrement with CA, I have the letter aggreing to remove the collection with the supervisor signature. On the letter it says that it could take up to 45 days to have the collection removed. Today is the 50th day. I contacted the CA they said they sent the request to delete a month ago. What do you suggest I do? I need to have this collection removed asap. Thanks.

Judgment Deleted very next day after dispute!

May 242010
 

I have a judgment on my credit report that I have been trying to pay for. I called the court house last week trying to find out who I pay, they gave me the number to to (collection agency) lawfirm that sued me I suppose. That lawfirm has no records of my case… They can’t even lead me in the right direction to pay it, so… Here are my questions. How the heck do I pay this? Should I pay this? Should I dispute it since they have no records, and can’t lead me in the right direction? I was never served that I can remember either, it was for 2006.

 

Ok about directv and Oxford Collection company.

 

I was given an alert via Myfico that my credit score dropped a little over 50 points… I was like WTH? So I check it out and it was from Oxford collection agency (directv bill I had). I called Oxford and they told me to pay them, I said nope… So I called Directv once a day for a week. I told them the truth, I requested my address and phone number be changed 3 times since I stopped using Directv, but everytime I called them it was the old address, so I was never getting my damn equipment return box. So finally I got ahold of a Supervisor (supposedly) I got her employee ID number as well as her name. After changing my address and phone number yet again I started telling her about how I have been trying to return this equipment but they keep sending the box to the wrong place, at which time I found out I could have just mailed it out myself. She started telling me how this was all my responsibility (which she was prob right), and that’s when I told her I was recording the conversation… She hung up.

 

I found the President of the Directv email address and emailed him. I got a phone call back within 2 hours. I believe it was a collector type person in his area or office. I proceeded to tell him how I have been trying to take care of this, and how I am not responsible for the damn 300. Early disconnection fee after 3 years of service. He told me yes I am, that when I upgraded to a HDTV box I was under a new 2 year contract, so I was responsible for 940. if I didn’t return the equipment which I have been TRYING to return for months. I asked him if he could please find where I signed that I agreed with this so called contract and send me the copies so I could present it to my attorney with the Fraternal order of Police (my union attorney), and that I was going to call the State Attorney General, BBB and let them know how malicious Directv is with adding sneaky fraudulent charges to peoples bills. He asked me if I could hold so he could gather those papers, I said sure… about 4minutes later he returned on the line and said “Ma’am if you send the equipment back then we will contact the credit bureaus and have the Directv reports removed by Directv, and I will not owe them anything else, to include my late payment, 300. Disconnect fee.

 

By the way I did give them the lady that hung up on me’s employee ID# letting them know how she claimed to be a Sup. even though she wasn’t and how she hung up on me.

 

Interesting. I did get his Employee ID# for verification and am sending the equipment out with a verification of delivery.

 

In case anyone needs this, it’s the list of Presidents and Vices for Directv (emails)

http://dtv.client.shareholder.com/officers.cfm

taking the plunge – medical

Apr 142010
 

Hi guys – thanks to reading this site and seeing so many inspiring stories, I am FINALLY taking the plunge.

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