MRS ASSOCIATES INC. contacted family members of mine about my debts. They had asked me several times if I had friends or family who could help me pay and I explained that I did not and was not close with my family. Thats when they went behind my back somehow found family members phone numbers and began calling them. I called and complained about it and they tried to deny that they had done it. Cherry Hill New Jersey
Im 21 years old and an account of mine was sent to mrs associates inc. which is a debt collection agency based in Cherry Hill New Jersey. I would recieve sometimes many many phone calls a day from the company. I would answer the calls and cooperate with the people explaining to them that my intentions were and are to pay off my debt but at the time I wasnt in the best financial situation and I was trying my hardest to figure something out.
On a few occasions I tried to offer to make payments of what I could as I could untill I could find a way to make larger payments. This was no good for mrs associates, they would just tell me that doing that would not do anything and unless I could pay in full or large amounts at one time they could not help me.
Every time they would give me an amount of money they would accept for payment it would be more than I could afford, several times the amounts they wanted were more than my income and almost half of my income on other occasions. I explained that to them and also that I had to pay rent and for the things I need to live such as medications and there was no possible way for me to afford what they were asking for.
After a while they somehow found phone numbers of family members of mine who I do not even speak with and then started calling them about my debt. A few times they had asked me if I had any family members or friends who would help me pay off my debt. I told them no and explained that I am not close with my family and do not have friends who could help.
To my complete shock a few months ago I recieved a phone call from an aunt of mine who I have not seen or even talked to since I was a child in elementary school. She explained to me that mrs associates had contacted her about my debt, and collecting it. She was very mad, I mean we don't even speak with eachother. I have no idea how mrs associates found her phone number and knew she was a family member, nor does my aunt.
I called mrs associates a few days later to speak with somebody about the situation. They stated that they did not unlawfully call my aunt and tried to say that the place who referred my account to them had said that I listed my aunts name and number on an application for a refference or something.
Now I know this is not true, like I said I dont speak with my aunt at all for years. I myself did not and do not now know her phone number. The last time I spoke with her was when she called about the harrassing phone call she recieved about my debt. I told mrs associates that I did not ever use my aunts name for a refferance on anything and I let them know that even though I was young that I know its illegal to call relatives about my debt. I expressed that I would contact a lawyer if I had to.
Annonymous
altoona, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.