is this a collections company calling me? help me figure it out

[Young Grasshopper]

so i broke up with my ex about 5 months ago. so this morning i get a call from someone at a 954-302-xxxx number on my way to work. i ignore it as i dont know who it is and they left me a voicemail. the caller states 'my name is xxxxx from affirmative finance, i am calling for xxxxx xxxxx(my ex name), please give me a call back thank you'. so i call the lady back and she tells me that my ex left my number as a contact. she tried calling my ex at work(leaving messages that were never returned), tried calling my ex's supervisor and leaving messages there as well. when i asked who she listed as her supervisor he was her co-worker not her real boss. anyway im trying to get more information as to what is going on any she says its confidential and she has some important information to give to my ex otherwise she is going to 'close the case'(not sure what this means). again i asked what her company does and she cant say.



i actually tried looking the company up on the internet, and looking the phone numbers up but couldnt find anything. i also called the number back later this evening to see if it would go to some recording but someone answered with "customer service this is xxx". anyone know what this sounds like? i am dying to find out but dont really know what it is

 

[QueBert]

it sounds like your ex applied for some sort of loan or credit card and used you as a reference. Since than she's decided to stop paying and the account went to collections. Was she responsible with money? Sounds like she owns a company money and they're trying to track her down because she's ducking them.

 

[George P Burdell]

As long as you are not involved, why bother?

 

[Baked]

If you didn't co-sign anything w/ your ex, just move on, it's not your business to care about somebody else's problem, especially not your ex's.

 

[Epic Fail]

https://www.annualcreditreport.com

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
As long as you are not involved, why bother?

Well here's the problem, if she does own a collection agency money and is avoiding them. A lot are complete assholes and will call the OP every day, sometimes 2-3 times. They tend to believe "this fucker has to know where she's at" they don't care if he says "she's my ex, I haven't seen her in years" So they might not leave him alone for a long time, it can be annoying to deal with and hard to stop.

some of the people who work for those places are the scum of the earth and their methods to try to get money out of somebody seem to borer on illegal.

 

[Young Grasshopper]

Originally posted by: Baked
If you didn't co-sign anything w/ your ex, just move on, it's not your business to care about somebody else's problem, especially not your ex's.

it is my business if they're going to keep calling me.

 

[moshquerade]

tell them to take your number off her contact list.

 

[slag]

i believe credit services and debt collection places like that have to by law identify themselves when asked who they are.

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: slag
i believe credit services and debt collection places like that have to by law identify themselves when asked who they are.

They can't, unless they are talking to the person who owes the debt. It's illegal for them to disclose to others that they are trying to collect a debt.

 

[PokerGuy]

It's a collection company, and you should tell them to stop contacting you and leave it at that. Don't provide them with anything or they will hound you.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: kranky

Originally posted by: slag
i believe credit services and debt collection places like that have to by law identify themselves when asked who they are.

They can't, unless they are talking to the person who owes the debt. It's illegal for them to disclose to others that they are trying to collect a debt.

Exactly.
The OP needs to say clearly. " This number does not belong to So & So. This is notice that you are not allowed to call this number anymore, pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Any further communication MUST be in writing. Good Day, Sir !"
Either this will do the trick (99% effective) and they will obey the law or, they will call back.
If they call back, tell them you need their address to send them the money. Send them instead a USPS Certified with Return Receipt letter stating the same as in the paragraph above, and the date and time of their last unauthorized calls, then let them know you will be sueing in Small Claims Court for "Willful Non-Compliance" of the FDCPA, unless they cease and desist and remove you from their data base.
Then , Get all the paperwork , letters, phone logs together in a file and wait. That should do the trick, and they will hunt her down eleswhere.
IF, you're on the card as an additional user, they will hound you until it's paid off.

Good luck wit dat.

Creditinfocenter.com

 

[Old Hippie]

A lot are complete assholes and will call the OP every day, sometimes 2-3 times. They tend to believe "this fucker has to know where she's at" they don't care if he says "she's my ex, I haven't seen her in years" So they might not leave him alone for a long time, it can be annoying to deal with and hard to stop.

Yep, I just went thru this because of a SIL.

OP, if your EX doesn't take care of it, think about changing your number.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

OP, if your EX doesn't take care of it, think about changing your number.

Nope, don't change your number, it's a chance to make money. Aliencraft's post above pretty much layed it out correctly. Up to $1000 for each infraction.....

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

A lot are complete assholes and will call the OP every day, sometimes 2-3 times. They tend to believe "this fucker has to know where she's at" they don't care if he says "she's my ex, I haven't seen her in years" So they might not leave him alone for a long time, it can be annoying to deal with and hard to stop.

Yep, I just went thru this because of a SIL.

OP, if your EX doesn't take care of it, think about changing your number.

When you get Asshole Collection Agency on the phone, THE FIRST THING out of your mouth should be "This call is being recorded for COMPLIANCE with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. You must agree for this call to proceed. Any otyher response will predicate all communication being in writing. Do you Agree to these terms?"
Just turn it back on them. And get the gear to record them, it's a beautiful thing to hold their feet to the fire for a change.

 

[Bryophyte]

If they call again, tell them not to phone you again. If they persist, try to get them to give you their mailing address and send them a certified letter telling them to leave you alone.

 

[imported_apocalypse]

Originally posted by: PokerGuy

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

OP, if your EX doesn't take care of it, think about changing your number.

Nope, don't change your number, it's a chance to make money. Aliencraft's post above pretty much layed it out correctly. Up to $1000 for each infraction.....

Haha, collecting from the collection agency. Oh, the irony.

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: PokerGuy

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

OP, if your EX doesn't take care of it, think about changing your number.

Nope, don't change your number, it's a chance to make money. Aliencraft's post above pretty much layed it out correctly. Up to $1000 for each infraction.....

All these suggestions are well and good..and I tried them...and they may work after awhile.

But, let me tell how it went in the my real world.

Your local collection/money lender agency is a small spoke in a very big wheel. You will get seperate calls from seperate local numbers, then seperate state affiliates, then national affiliates. You can explain your position/yell/threaten to the first one and the next day do the same to a different person.....and on and on and on...........

If you're willing to take the time and effort for AlienCraft's solutions for every seperate caller, that's fine and dandy, but believe me, these people know what they're doing and have been there before.

YMMV, but after having recently had a real world experience with these people and consulting with a lawyer about this situation, the easy thing is to change your number.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

Originally posted by: PokerGuy

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

OP, if your EX doesn't take care of it, think about changing your number.

Nope, don't change your number, it's a chance to make money. Aliencraft's post above pretty much layed it out correctly. Up to $1000 for each infraction.....

All these suggestions are well and good..and I tried them...and they may work after awhile.

But, let me tell how it went in the my real world.

Your local collection/money lender agency is a small spoke in a very big wheel. You will get seperate calls from seperate local numbers, then seperate state affiliates, then national affiliates. You can explain your position/yell/threaten to the first one and the next day do the same to a different person.....and on and on and on...........

If you're willing to take the time and effort for AlienCraft's solutions for every seperate caller, that's fine and dandy, but believe me, these people know what they're doing and have been there before.

YMMV, but after having recently had a real world experience with these people and consulting with a lawyer about this situation, the easy thing is to change your number.

I guess it depends which state you live in. In TX for example the small claims court verdict isn't worth anything. In other states the verdics have teeth, and it doesn't take much effort at all to confirm that 1) you sent them communication telling them to stop contacting you, and 2) that they subsequently did anyway.

I understand what you're saying though, it might not be worth the hassle, but my best friend made $2000 from a collector that way.

 

[Old Hippie]

but my best friend made $2000 from a collector that way.

I'm all for that! :thumbsup:

If you had the same people calling over and over, it might be a little easier to win.

In my situation most of the affiliates were actually from different companies but probably under somekinda main umbrella. I'm assuming since they weren't from the same company and didn't know that I had already been contacted by another person :roll: each call would be the initial contact.

Before I moved (hence the number change), I had 17 different numbers from five states in @ 45 days.

BTW, a lot of calls came from Texas.

 

[sactoking]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

but my best friend made $2000 from a collector that way.

I'm all for that! :thumbsup:

If you had the same people calling over and over, it might be a little easier to win.

In my situation most of the affiliates were actually from different companies but probably under somekinda main umbrella. I'm assuming since they weren't from the same company and didn't know that I had already been contacted by another person :roll: each call would be the initial contact.

Before I moved (hence the number change), I had 17 different numbers from five states in @ 45 days.

BTW, a lot of calls came from Texas.

The collections company is acting as an express or implied agent of the principal. The agency relationship dictates that if you give the agent notice, it is implied that the principal has been given notice. If the principal has notice, then all agencies under the principal's control are also assumed to have notice.

In other words, even if Target hires 100 collection companies to go after your mother for the $5 she owes on her Target card, giving JUST ONE of them notice is sufficient to provide ALL of them notice, as well as Target.

 

[Old Hippie]

In other words, even if Target hires 100 collection companies to go after your mother for the $5 she owes on her Target card, giving JUST ONE of them notice is sufficient to provide ALL of them notice, as well as Target.

There's some nice info that may pan out in real life!

It's just a PITA and sometimes things look good on paper but in all actuality you'd be better off wiping your ass with it.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: sactoking

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

but my best friend made $2000 from a collector that way.

I'm all for that! :thumbsup:

If you had the same people calling over and over, it might be a little easier to win.

In my situation most of the affiliates were actually from different companies but probably under somekinda main umbrella. I'm assuming since they weren't from the same company and didn't know that I had already been contacted by another person :roll: each call would be the initial contact.

Before I moved (hence the number change), I had 17 different numbers from five states in @ 45 days.

BTW, a lot of calls came from Texas.

The collections company is acting as an express or implied agent of the principal. The agency relationship dictates that if you give the agent notice, it is implied that the principal has been given notice. If the principal has notice, then all agencies under the principal's control are also assumed to have notice.

In other words, even if Target hires 100 collection companies to go after your mother for the $5 she owes on her Target card, giving JUST ONE of them notice is sufficient to provide ALL of them notice, as well as Target.

Rare is the Collections Company attached to a retailer's finance / Credit Card carrier. Typically delinquent accounts are sold en masse, and the buyers of these accounts then try to collect what they can.
UNLESS the Collection agency is a direct subsidary of the Company needing collecting for, they are an independant company governed by a different set of Collection Laws.
Most of the time, the required documentation is NOT exchanged between companies, and they (CA) depend on the ones that pay without hassle to make their money. IF, you demand Validation of the debt, and they cannot produce the required documentation, they cannot collect it, or report it.
This is the law, and it's all we've got.
Use it, or lose it.

EDIT: I've been challenging past paid debts on my CR and they have been removing them and I've been repairing my credit score this way.
Furthermore, That Creditinfocenter.com link has served me well. The letter templates WORK.
I just sent out two "demand for removal"letters today and am anticipating the corresponding boost in credit score within 45 days.