greydoe (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} greydoe) wrote,@ 2003-06-20 12:04:00 |
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telemarketers and other species of pond scum
I had a bit of a shock last week when I met with my mom, sister and nephew for my mom's birthday dinner. When I asked what Brian, my nephew, was doing lately, he stated he got a new job (not at all unusual, I've never known him to keep a job longer than a few months). When I asked what he's doing "now," he proudly beamed "I'm a collection agent, like Cindy!"
My niece, Cindy, is also a collection agent.
What did I do wrong?
Granted, neither of them grew up around me, as they were raised in Arizona, and I lived in Chicago until a little over 6 years ago. But still, I was hoping *one* of them would grow into someone I'd like - perhaps even someone I could relate to. How about someone I could at least respect?
I must have been one kinda bastard in a former life. They are both people, I hate to admit, that I distinctly don't like/don't trust, and don't respect. For the grace of his parents, Brian isn't on the other end of his harassing phone calls. They've bailed him out all his life. He'll be 30 in August. Not terribly bright, but surely even he can do something better with his life than interrupt peoples' dinners with phone calls. Right?
I know, I know - people should pay their debts! One shouldn't buy something they can't pay for - yadda yadda. Well folks, here's the thing. You set a society up so that it's extremely difficult to survive without credit cards and going into debt, and then you're surprised when something like 85% of the population is living paycheck to paycheck. Ummm - duh?
Just for the record... I was offered, and accepted, a VISA card when I entered college. I hear this is very common, to be offered a credit card two weeks after applying for college. Anyway, I quickly charged up around $200.00. I was cool shit - had a credit card! I *was* in school, and I was also working. But it took an entire paycheck to make the car payment (on, of course, my NEW car), and another paycheck to pay rent at home (I paid rent to sleep in my bedroom and otherwise live in a very uncomfortable situation with my stepdad - more on that sometime). I had trouble with that VISA. Anyway, I paid it off in time and cut the card up. I was 17. I'm now nearly 50. Until last year I didn't have a single credit card. Last year I got a Macy's card (with my sister's urging - she works there) and a Sears card. I've used each one exactly once. I don't owe anyone anything, except the bank for my house.
So my dislike of collection agents isn't that I've had a lot of run-ins with them. But I have had two. One for a bill I didn't owe (a medical bill that my insurance owed), for a whopping $50.00. Another for $100.00 to the local hospital. The story on that one is just ridiculous. The original bill was for over $4,000.00, of which all but $300.00 was covered. I got the bill (from Chandler Regional Hospital - I want everyone to know how they handle things for sick people), and immediately paid $50.00 on it. That's what I could afford. The next month I got another bill - for $250.00. I again paid 50.00. And so on, until the bill was down to $100.00. Then I got a phone call.
"Is this Ms. Curtiss?" (oh oh - I hate phone calls that start that way)...
Apparently Chandler Regional didn't like it that I was paying $50.00/month, and thought I should pay the whole thing at once. Well, why didn't they say that four months earlier? Not that it would have happened anyway, but at least I'd have had warning.
This collection agent was particularly nasty. I told her the story I just recalled above, and she said "You will pay the entire amount or I will keep calling you." That got my hackles up. Sounded like a threat to me. This over a bill that would have been paid entirely the following month. I was livid, and called the hospital. Their billing department was equally nasty. So I ended the conversation with this...
"Do you realize how stupid this is? The bill *was* being paid at a rather quick rate, and would have been entirely paid off next month. Instead, I get harassed by a collection agent, and then talked to as if I'm a dipshit by you. Well guess what? Chandler Regional will never see that lousy $100.00 - and if I could reverse the other $200.00 I already paid, I would." (slam)
Ignorant assholes seem to be everywhere these days. Tell me (rhetorically) - does being nasty *really* get these folks anywhere? 'Cause if it does, then I at least understand it. If it does, I blame the people who cave in to the nastiness.
Yes, that lousy $100.00 will probably be reported to a credit bureau, and I might have to someday pay it if I want a CREDIT CARD (fat chance, that), but I highly doubt a lender is going to refrain from lending to me because of $100.00.
In fact, the only other time I was bothered by a collector, was that $50.00 the insurance company owed. He said "You understand that you will never be able to buy a house if I report this?" I told him to "read my lips - you will NEVER see it." I recall even telling him it isn't because I don't have the money - it's because I didn't owe it and he was nasty. Anyway, three months later, when I applied for a 100k loan for a house, and was approved, I called him and gave him the bank's phone number. Actually, the bank didn't want to give me the loan because I have "no visible means of support." There is no employer to call. So I told the bank officer that I was buying the house, anyway. It's just a matter of them making 7% off of me, or not. He called my stock broker, and the loan went through the next day. My broker called me before the bank did, and said "What in the hell did you tell that guy?"
When they got a credit report, that lousy "loan-stopping" $50.00 wasn't even in it. So not only do they call you at dinnertime, they lie too.
And of course, if they could *get* a better job, they would. Low-lifes.
Anyway, my other bitch today is about telemarketers. It will probably be my nephew's next job... 'cause I think they're a step down on the food chain from collection agents. I guess everyone needs a job - even dumbfuck pond scum. So I don't really blame those who work as telemarketers, I blame THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY BUY THINGS FROM THEM.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Now that's stupid. It's like the AOLers who click on internet ads. They ARE the problem, because if this shit didn't work, advertisers wouldn't do it. In fact, I downright REFUSE to buy from any company desperate enough to harangue people on the phone OR put up popup ads online. They should all go right out of business and need to file for bankruptcy when they can't pay the sites for their ads.
Good news there, folks - slowly, people are figuring out not to click on internet ads! And lately - just lately, I hear a lot of talk from people who refuse to visit sites that accept such ads. Yeah, yeah "these games are free, thanks to our sponsors!" - I know. But there are non-obtrusive ads. The ones I find particularly sickening (literally), are those that popup, yes, but worse - those that FLASH harsh colours at you. They give me a headache and I have left a few sites that insist on putting them on gaming pages (pages you have no choice but to look at while playing a game). I'm sure they set off epileptic fits, too. Hope someone falls from their desk chair, hits their head, and sues the shit out of the sponsors who propagate such ads.
Here's more good news: Starting next month, there will be a gathering of peoples' phone numbers to be put on a national (USA only) "Do Not Call" (DNC) list. Telemarketers are required, starting in September, to get this list, and to update it every 90 days. If they call someone who is on the list, and are told not to call, and then they call again, it's an automatic $11,000.00 fine!
Yay! Chalk up one for peace and privacy!
One last thing...
For those of you who might be reading, and by chance are being bothered by collection agencies, here's what you do...
You send them a certified letter telling them to stop contacting you. Have a return receipt signed for the letter. I guarantee they won't call you again. Too scared of being sued. According to federal law, they must stop contacting you, unless something changes - for instance, they are still allowed to send a letter stating they've reported your debt to a credit bureau. But that's all they can do. Not enough folks know the law. You do NOT have to be bothered at home. And as of September, you don't have to have telemarketers calling, either.
I do what I can....
Until next time, have a few gripes on me.
I had a bit of a shock last week when I met with my mom, sister and nephew for my mom's birthday dinner. When I asked what Brian, my nephew, was doing lately, he stated he got a new job (not at all unusual, I've never known him to keep a job longer than a few months). When I asked what he's doing "now," he proudly beamed "I'm a collection agent, like Cindy!"
My niece, Cindy, is also a collection agent.
What did I do wrong?
Granted, neither of them grew up around me, as they were raised in Arizona, and I lived in Chicago until a little over 6 years ago. But still, I was hoping *one* of them would grow into someone I'd like - perhaps even someone I could relate to. How about someone I could at least respect?
I must have been one kinda bastard in a former life. They are both people, I hate to admit, that I distinctly don't like/don't trust, and don't respect. For the grace of his parents, Brian isn't on the other end of his harassing phone calls. They've bailed him out all his life. He'll be 30 in August. Not terribly bright, but surely even he can do something better with his life than interrupt peoples' dinners with phone calls. Right?
I know, I know - people should pay their debts! One shouldn't buy something they can't pay for - yadda yadda. Well folks, here's the thing. You set a society up so that it's extremely difficult to survive without credit cards and going into debt, and then you're surprised when something like 85% of the population is living paycheck to paycheck. Ummm - duh?
Just for the record... I was offered, and accepted, a VISA card when I entered college. I hear this is very common, to be offered a credit card two weeks after applying for college. Anyway, I quickly charged up around $200.00. I was cool shit - had a credit card! I *was* in school, and I was also working. But it took an entire paycheck to make the car payment (on, of course, my NEW car), and another paycheck to pay rent at home (I paid rent to sleep in my bedroom and otherwise live in a very uncomfortable situation with my stepdad - more on that sometime). I had trouble with that VISA. Anyway, I paid it off in time and cut the card up. I was 17. I'm now nearly 50. Until last year I didn't have a single credit card. Last year I got a Macy's card (with my sister's urging - she works there) and a Sears card. I've used each one exactly once. I don't owe anyone anything, except the bank for my house.
So my dislike of collection agents isn't that I've had a lot of run-ins with them. But I have had two. One for a bill I didn't owe (a medical bill that my insurance owed), for a whopping $50.00. Another for $100.00 to the local hospital. The story on that one is just ridiculous. The original bill was for over $4,000.00, of which all but $300.00 was covered. I got the bill (from Chandler Regional Hospital - I want everyone to know how they handle things for sick people), and immediately paid $50.00 on it. That's what I could afford. The next month I got another bill - for $250.00. I again paid 50.00. And so on, until the bill was down to $100.00. Then I got a phone call.
"Is this Ms. Curtiss?" (oh oh - I hate phone calls that start that way)...
Apparently Chandler Regional didn't like it that I was paying $50.00/month, and thought I should pay the whole thing at once. Well, why didn't they say that four months earlier? Not that it would have happened anyway, but at least I'd have had warning.
This collection agent was particularly nasty. I told her the story I just recalled above, and she said "You will pay the entire amount or I will keep calling you." That got my hackles up. Sounded like a threat to me. This over a bill that would have been paid entirely the following month. I was livid, and called the hospital. Their billing department was equally nasty. So I ended the conversation with this...
"Do you realize how stupid this is? The bill *was* being paid at a rather quick rate, and would have been entirely paid off next month. Instead, I get harassed by a collection agent, and then talked to as if I'm a dipshit by you. Well guess what? Chandler Regional will never see that lousy $100.00 - and if I could reverse the other $200.00 I already paid, I would." (slam)
Ignorant assholes seem to be everywhere these days. Tell me (rhetorically) - does being nasty *really* get these folks anywhere? 'Cause if it does, then I at least understand it. If it does, I blame the people who cave in to the nastiness.
Yes, that lousy $100.00 will probably be reported to a credit bureau, and I might have to someday pay it if I want a CREDIT CARD (fat chance, that), but I highly doubt a lender is going to refrain from lending to me because of $100.00.
In fact, the only other time I was bothered by a collector, was that $50.00 the insurance company owed. He said "You understand that you will never be able to buy a house if I report this?" I told him to "read my lips - you will NEVER see it." I recall even telling him it isn't because I don't have the money - it's because I didn't owe it and he was nasty. Anyway, three months later, when I applied for a 100k loan for a house, and was approved, I called him and gave him the bank's phone number. Actually, the bank didn't want to give me the loan because I have "no visible means of support." There is no employer to call. So I told the bank officer that I was buying the house, anyway. It's just a matter of them making 7% off of me, or not. He called my stock broker, and the loan went through the next day. My broker called me before the bank did, and said "What in the hell did you tell that guy?"
When they got a credit report, that lousy "loan-stopping" $50.00 wasn't even in it. So not only do they call you at dinnertime, they lie too.
And of course, if they could *get* a better job, they would. Low-lifes.
Anyway, my other bitch today is about telemarketers. It will probably be my nephew's next job... 'cause I think they're a step down on the food chain from collection agents. I guess everyone needs a job - even dumbfuck pond scum. So I don't really blame those who work as telemarketers, I blame THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY BUY THINGS FROM THEM.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Now that's stupid. It's like the AOLers who click on internet ads. They ARE the problem, because if this shit didn't work, advertisers wouldn't do it. In fact, I downright REFUSE to buy from any company desperate enough to harangue people on the phone OR put up popup ads online. They should all go right out of business and need to file for bankruptcy when they can't pay the sites for their ads.
Good news there, folks - slowly, people are figuring out not to click on internet ads! And lately - just lately, I hear a lot of talk from people who refuse to visit sites that accept such ads. Yeah, yeah "these games are free, thanks to our sponsors!" - I know. But there are non-obtrusive ads. The ones I find particularly sickening (literally), are those that popup, yes, but worse - those that FLASH harsh colours at you. They give me a headache and I have left a few sites that insist on putting them on gaming pages (pages you have no choice but to look at while playing a game). I'm sure they set off epileptic fits, too. Hope someone falls from their desk chair, hits their head, and sues the shit out of the sponsors who propagate such ads.
Here's more good news: Starting next month, there will be a gathering of peoples' phone numbers to be put on a national (USA only) "Do Not Call" (DNC) list. Telemarketers are required, starting in September, to get this list, and to update it every 90 days. If they call someone who is on the list, and are told not to call, and then they call again, it's an automatic $11,000.00 fine!
Yay! Chalk up one for peace and privacy!
One last thing...
For those of you who might be reading, and by chance are being bothered by collection agencies, here's what you do...
You send them a certified letter telling them to stop contacting you. Have a return receipt signed for the letter. I guarantee they won't call you again. Too scared of being sued. According to federal law, they must stop contacting you, unless something changes - for instance, they are still allowed to send a letter stating they've reported your debt to a credit bureau. But that's all they can do. Not enough folks know the law. You do NOT have to be bothered at home. And as of September, you don't have to have telemarketers calling, either.
I do what I can....
Until next time, have a few gripes on me
