Thanks a lot, Mom!

[KellyHabersham]

*Just for the record, this rant isn't about bill collectors doing their job, and I definitely intend to get things paid off, just that my mom would've been pissed if I'd done this to her*

Just a few minutes ago, someone called regarding my Macy's account, and because the number showed up on caller I.D. as a local number, my mom answered it and handed the phone to me. The woman whom I spoke with was very nice and polite, but I cannot afford to make a large payment like they want me to (not without wiping out half my paycheck), nor do I feel comfortable with allowing a post-dated check and giving them access to my bank account

And my gripe is, if I had handed the phone to my mom when it was a bill collector calling for her, she would've gotten irritated with me......this speaking from past experiences. (plus, the fact that I have to keep reminding my mom that I am NOT using the credit card anymore gets old)

[HYHYBT]

...nor do I feel comfortable with allowing a post-dated check and giving them access to my bank account...

Don't do it!

[KellyHabersham]

Don't do it!

Oh, I definitely don't intend to - had to explain to my mom that this is what the collection people call about, and why I'd rather mail in a check than talk to them on the phone.

[Andara Bledin]

Even if you can't make the payment they want, make a payment. Even if it's a pittance. And keep sending them pittances if at all possible.

Bill collectors hate stonewalling and complete lack of payment/contact most. Any sign that you do intend to pay (even if it's not nearly as fast as they'd like) is welcome, even if it can be a bit annoying.

At least, that's my take as the A/R clerk for the company I work for.

^-.-^

[KellyHabersham]

Well, I do have to admit that another reason I prefer to avoid speaking with collection agencies on the phone is that I've had problems in the past with getting phone calls from companies whom I've never heard of/had any contact with regarding bills, and I just had no way of knowing whether they were legit or scam artists. (one example being a place identifying themselves as "Fort Knox" - I had NO idea who they were, but they kept calling my mom's house wanting to talk to me, and she couldn't figure out why I wasn't all eager to call them back)

[blas87]

Hey, you have a right to worry. Some collection agencies are total scams and companies aren't even always aware who they are partners with.

If it wasn't for me being paranoid and overly diligent, I would have owed this collection agency several hundred more dollars that they were trying to say that I didn't pay but actually did. I did complain to the clinic, but they could care less because they finally got their money.

That and a year or so ago, there was a huge scam involving a company pretending to be with AT&T's billing department. The only problem was that my mom truly hadn't paid the bill and AT&T shut us off, but at the same time, I'd gotten a call from the scam company, they left me an automated message asking for my credit card info right over the phone and telling me I'd be shut off if I didn't. Ironically enough, the real AT&T billing company had called my mom's phone, but I had told her it was a scam and to ignore it.

AT&T wasn't very sympathetic and we still had to pay extra to get turned back on. It was one of the many, many, many, many reasons we did not renew our contract with them.