Complaint Review: Alliance One - Eagan Minnesota

Third party collectors can call you at work unless you specifically tell them not to. They can also call your cell phone unless you specifically tell them not to. The FDCPA protects collectors more than it protects consumers. Trust me, I know, I was a debt collector. As for setting "reasonable" arrangements that is up to the agency and they do not have to accept anything other than the balance in full by law. Sad but very true.

Dave is also right about the cease and desists. You can tell them not to call you but they can still contact your neighbors, family, people with similar names, friends and associates and ask where you work, live, and for a phone number. Those are the only questions that they can ask by law. However if any of those people verify your address and place of employment just expect to that you will be served papers and a suit will be filed.

Debt collectors are encouraged to collect your debt in full and with a time frame. Usually within the first 40 days the account is in their office to avoid it showing on your credit report but after the first 30 days of listing so they get their percentage of the listing.

Collection agencies do NOT purchase dept in my experience. They have clients (usually the person you originally owed the debt to) and they either add a fee or take a percentage of the total amount. It depends on the contract they have with their client. Best bet is to BEG the original company you owe the funds to have the account returned to them. Settlements are usually only good for a lump sum and they will not split it over a few months in my experience.

I also let anyone who I have credit with or who I owe medical bills to know that I have worked for a collection agency and they will usually flag your account so it will never go to collections.

Also you can ask HSBC how much they sold your repossessed item for as that should be taken off of what you owe. The back interest is illegal; they can only charge interest from the day the account is placed in their office.
 

I needed to make some corrections to the previous post concerning the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) Below are the basics and there are regulations that also cover each, but this is a basic summary.

Calls can be made to the consumer from 8:00AM-9:00PM in the consumers time zone.

Calls can be made to the employer.

Family, friends, neighbors, and employers can all be contacted for the purpose of acquiring location information of the consumer.  Location information includes information such as the consumers address, home telephone number and place of employment.

There is no provision stating the consumer has the right to deal with the original creditor.  The collection agency does have an obligation to provide validation of the debt if the consumer disputes it.

A consumer can cease a collection agency from all contact.  however this will not prevent further collection efforts.  Even with a cease of communication the consumer can still receive a letter if the creditor is going to invoke a specific remedy such as bringing suit against the consumer.

A creditor is not obligated to take an offer that the consumer feels is "reasonable"

When a debt is turned over to a collection agency balance in full is expected.

First rule of dealing with any collection agency: Don't believe a WORD that comes out of their mouths regarding your debt.They don't care about you or even helping you, they're interested in the cut they'll get from the original creditor for pressuring you to pay. In some cases, they get a bonus if they get you to pay before a specific time frame too. You should have never trusted their word about "moving money around". That's NOT their job. Their job is to collect the money and process it to the original creditor. I'm not even sure they're allowed byu law to offer such a thing. It's also very odd that they would say that if you donf't pay more, they'll bump your debt back up to where it was before you paid them anything. At first blush, I'd say that kind of threat is highly illegal. If you MUST deal with these sharks, make a reasonable offer of repayment. they can't demand more than your ability to pay and they can't leave you with nothing to pay your essentials with. You still need to pay rent, basic utilities and food. they aren't really allowed to turn down a "reasonable offer of repayment", and if it winds up in court, they could very well being on the losing end if the judge agrees that your offer was reasonable and sets it in stone by court order or, even better, sets a LOWER payment to the collection agency if he decides they're being dipwads. Of course, you can always exercise your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Act, which lays down the rules for interaction between a debtor, a creditor or a collection agency. First, remember that they are NOT allowed to call you at work, between certain hours (7pm to 7am, I believe), they cannot call your family regarding your personal debt, they are not supposed to threaten you with any repo action, nor are they allowed to claim they represent any arm of law enforcement, like the sheriff's office. They may try to claim that you are legally obligated to discuss the matter with them, but let them know, in a polite but firm manner, that you KNOW that they're full of codswallop. They are required to treat you civilly, not yell at you, call you names, make derogatory remarks, etc. Of course, you must do the same. KEEP YOUR COOL. Under the Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCA), it is your right to say that you want to work out a resolution with the ORIGINAL CREDITOR first, and that you will not deal with any "third party collection agency" on the issue of your debt. Next time they call, inform them of this, get their full company name, mailing address and, if possible, a contact person (for example a front desk receptionist) and send them a cease and desist letter (there are many examples of these on the web). Be sure and send it via registered mail that will require a signature when received. In the letter, state that you do not have the money above and beyond what you've offered, thus you're willing to work something out with the original creditor ONLY, and as such, the collection agency is to cease any and all attempts at contacting you, and that any attempts to do so will be seen by you as harassment, in violation of the FDCA and thus the law, at which point you will file suit with your lawyer/Attorney General. Forget the BBB, they're pretty much useless. The registered mail I mentioned is so that they can't say to you; "We never received any such mail". You can come back with the date, time and (more importantly) who in their offices signed for the letter. If it comes down to legal action, they're going to look pretty stupid setting themselves up for perjury charges over a letter. However, if you show you know something about how collections and the FDCA works, they're more likely to comply. I hope you have proof of receipt for that $1400+ you say you laid out. You'll need it when you get back in touch with the original creditor once the collection agency gives the file back. You'll need to know if the creditor actually got that money or not to put towards your debt. If not, tell them you have proof of payment and offer to fax it or scan and e-mail it to them. If you have no proof, it's going to make it a lot harder. Be kind to yourself, look up the FDCA, get familiar with your rights AND your obligations, then exercise them. I see from your report that you know that you're responsible for your debt, and that you have the willingness to pay and take responsibility. That's the BEST mindset you can have about it, and that should serve you well... This YouTube channel may also help you with a "Cliff's Notes" version on how to handle debt collections etc, including the above. Hopefully it won't be "redacted" by ROR: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWarOnDebt

First rule of dealing with any collection agency: Don't believe a WORD that comes out of their mouths regarding your debt.They don't care about you or even helping you, they're interested in the cut they'll get from the original creditor for pressuring you to pay. In some cases, they get a bonus if they get you to pay before a specific time frame too. You should have never trusted their word about "moving money around". That's NOT their job. Their job is to collect the money and process it to the original creditor. I'm not even sure they're allowed byu law to offer such a thing. It's also very odd that they would say that if you donf't pay more, they'll bump your debt back up to where it was before you paid them anything. At first blush, I'd say that kind of threat is highly illegal. If you MUST deal with these sharks, make a reasonable offer of repayment. they can't demand more than your ability to pay and they can't leave you with nothing to pay your essentials with. You still need to pay rent, basic utilities and food. they aren't really allowed to turn down a "reasonable offer of repayment", and if it winds up in court, they could very well being on the losing end if the judge agrees that your offer was reasonable and sets it in stone by court order or, even better, sets a LOWER payment to the collection agency if he decides they're being dipwads. Of course, you can always exercise your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Act, which lays down the rules for interaction between a debtor, a creditor or a collection agency. First, remember that they are NOT allowed to call you at work, between certain hours (7pm to 7am, I believe), they cannot call your family regarding your personal debt, they are not supposed to threaten you with any repo action, nor are they allowed to claim they represent any arm of law enforcement, like the sheriff's office. They may try to claim that you are legally obligated to discuss the matter with them, but let them know, in a polite but firm manner, that you KNOW that they're full of codswallop. They are required to treat you civilly, not yell at you, call you names, make derogatory remarks, etc. Of course, you must do the same. KEEP YOUR COOL. Under the Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCA), it is your right to say that you want to work out a resolution with the ORIGINAL CREDITOR first, and that you will not deal with any "third party collection agency" on the issue of your debt. Next time they call, inform them of this, get their full company name, mailing address and, if possible, a contact person (for example a front desk receptionist) and send them a cease and desist letter (there are many examples of these on the web). Be sure and send it via registered mail that will require a signature when received. In the letter, state that you do not have the money above and beyond what you've offered, thus you're willing to work something out with the original creditor ONLY, and as such, the collection agency is to cease any and all attempts at contacting you, and that any attempts to do so will be seen by you as harassment, in violation of the FDCA and thus the law, at which point you will file suit with your lawyer/Attorney General. Forget the BBB, they're pretty much useless. The registered mail I mentioned is so that they can't say to you; "We never received any such mail". You can come back with the date, time and (more importantly) who in their offices signed for the letter. If it comes down to legal action, they're going to look pretty stupid setting themselves up for perjury charges over a letter. However, if you show you know something about how collections and the FDCA works, they're more likely to comply. I hope you have proof of receipt for that $1400+ you say you laid out. You'll need it when you get back in touch with the original creditor once the collection agency gives the file back. You'll need to know if the creditor actually got that money or not to put towards your debt. If not, tell them you have proof of payment and offer to fax it or scan and e-mail it to them. If you have no proof, it's going to make it a lot harder. Be kind to yourself, look up the FDCA, get familiar with your rights AND your obligations, then exercise them. I see from your report that you know that you're responsible for your debt, and that you have the willingness to pay and take responsibility. That's the BEST mindset you can have about it, and that should serve you well... This YouTube channel may also help you with a "Cliff's Notes" version on how to handle debt collections etc, including the above. Hopefully it won't be "redacted" by ROR: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWarOnDebt

First rule of dealing with any collection agency: Don't believe a WORD that comes out of their mouths regarding your debt.They don't care about you or even helping you, they're interested in the cut they'll get from the original creditor for pressuring you to pay. In some cases, they get a bonus if they get you to pay before a specific time frame too. You should have never trusted their word about "moving money around". That's NOT their job. Their job is to collect the money and process it to the original creditor. I'm not even sure they're allowed byu law to offer such a thing. It's also very odd that they would say that if you donf't pay more, they'll bump your debt back up to where it was before you paid them anything. At first blush, I'd say that kind of threat is highly illegal. If you MUST deal with these sharks, make a reasonable offer of repayment. they can't demand more than your ability to pay and they can't leave you with nothing to pay your essentials with. You still need to pay rent, basic utilities and food. they aren't really allowed to turn down a "reasonable offer of repayment", and if it winds up in court, they could very well being on the losing end if the judge agrees that your offer was reasonable and sets it in stone by court order or, even better, sets a LOWER payment to the collection agency if he decides they're being dipwads. Of course, you can always exercise your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Act, which lays down the rules for interaction between a debtor, a creditor or a collection agency. First, remember that they are NOT allowed to call you at work, between certain hours (7pm to 7am, I believe), they cannot call your family regarding your personal debt, they are not supposed to threaten you with any repo action, nor are they allowed to claim they represent any arm of law enforcement, like the sheriff's office. They may try to claim that you are legally obligated to discuss the matter with them, but let them know, in a polite but firm manner, that you KNOW that they're full of codswallop. They are required to treat you civilly, not yell at you, call you names, make derogatory remarks, etc. Of course, you must do the same. KEEP YOUR COOL. Under the Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCA), it is your right to say that you want to work out a resolution with the ORIGINAL CREDITOR first, and that you will not deal with any "third party collection agency" on the issue of your debt. Next time they call, inform them of this, get their full company name, mailing address and, if possible, a contact person (for example a front desk receptionist) and send them a cease and desist letter (there are many examples of these on the web). Be sure and send it via registered mail that will require a signature when received. In the letter, state that you do not have the money above and beyond what you've offered, thus you're willing to work something out with the original creditor ONLY, and as such, the collection agency is to cease any and all attempts at contacting you, and that any attempts to do so will be seen by you as harassment, in violation of the FDCA and thus the law, at which point you will file suit with your lawyer/Attorney General. Forget the BBB, they're pretty much useless. The registered mail I mentioned is so that they can't say to you; "We never received any such mail". You can come back with the date, time and (more importantly) who in their offices signed for the letter. If it comes down to legal action, they're going to look pretty stupid setting themselves up for perjury charges over a letter. However, if you show you know something about how collections and the FDCA works, they're more likely to comply. I hope you have proof of receipt for that $1400+ you say you laid out. You'll need it when you get back in touch with the original creditor once the collection agency gives the file back. You'll need to know if the creditor actually got that money or not to put towards your debt. If not, tell them you have proof of payment and offer to fax it or scan and e-mail it to them. If you have no proof, it's going to make it a lot harder. Be kind to yourself, look up the FDCA, get familiar with your rights AND your obligations, then exercise them. I see from your report that you know that you're responsible for your debt, and that you have the willingness to pay and take responsibility. That's the BEST mindset you can have about it, and that should serve you well... This YouTube channel may also help you with a "Cliff's Notes" version on how to handle debt collections etc, including the above. Hopefully it won't be "redacted" by ROR: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWarOnDebt

First rule of dealing with any collection agency: Don't believe a WORD that comes out of their mouths regarding your debt.They don't care about you or even helping you, they're interested in the cut they'll get from the original creditor for pressuring you to pay. In some cases, they get a bonus if they get you to pay before a specific time frame too. You should have never trusted their word about "moving money around". That's NOT their job. Their job is to collect the money and process it to the original creditor. I'm not even sure they're allowed byu law to offer such a thing. It's also very odd that they would say that if you donf't pay more, they'll bump your debt back up to where it was before you paid them anything. At first blush, I'd say that kind of threat is highly illegal. If you MUST deal with these sharks, make a reasonable offer of repayment. they can't demand more than your ability to pay and they can't leave you with nothing to pay your essentials with. You still need to pay rent, basic utilities and food. they aren't really allowed to turn down a "reasonable offer of repayment", and if it winds up in court, they could very well being on the losing end if the judge agrees that your offer was reasonable and sets it in stone by court order or, even better, sets a LOWER payment to the collection agency if he decides they're being dipwads. Of course, you can always exercise your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Act, which lays down the rules for interaction between a debtor, a creditor or a collection agency. First, remember that they are NOT allowed to call you at work, between certain hours (7pm to 7am, I believe), they cannot call your family regarding your personal debt, they are not supposed to threaten you with any repo action, nor are they allowed to claim they represent any arm of law enforcement, like the sheriff's office. They may try to claim that you are legally obligated to discuss the matter with them, but let them know, in a polite but firm manner, that you KNOW that they're full of codswallop. They are required to treat you civilly, not yell at you, call you names, make derogatory remarks, etc. Of course, you must do the same. KEEP YOUR COOL. Under the Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCA), it is your right to say that you want to work out a resolution with the ORIGINAL CREDITOR first, and that you will not deal with any "third party collection agency" on the issue of your debt. Next time they call, inform them of this, get their full company name, mailing address and, if possible, a contact person (for example a front desk receptionist) and send them a cease and desist letter (there are many examples of these on the web). Be sure and send it via registered mail that will require a signature when received. In the letter, state that you do not have the money above and beyond what you've offered, thus you're willing to work something out with the original creditor ONLY, and as such, the collection agency is to cease any and all attempts at contacting you, and that any attempts to do so will be seen by you as harassment, in violation of the FDCA and thus the law, at which point you will file suit with your lawyer/Attorney General. Forget the BBB, they're pretty much useless. The registered mail I mentioned is so that they can't say to you; "We never received any such mail". You can come back with the date, time and (more importantly) who in their offices signed for the letter. If it comes down to legal action, they're going to look pretty stupid setting themselves up for perjury charges over a letter. However, if you show you know something about how collections and the FDCA works, they're more likely to comply. I hope you have proof of receipt for that $1400+ you say you laid out. You'll need it when you get back in touch with the original creditor once the collection agency gives the file back. You'll need to know if the creditor actually got that money or not to put towards your debt. If not, tell them you have proof of payment and offer to fax it or scan and e-mail it to them. If you have no proof, it's going to make it a lot harder. Be kind to yourself, look up the FDCA, get familiar with your rights AND your obligations, then exercise them. I see from your report that you know that you're responsible for your debt, and that you have the willingness to pay and take responsibility. That's the BEST mindset you can have about it, and that should serve you well... This YouTube channel may also help you with a "Cliff's Notes" version on how to handle debt collections etc, including the above. Hopefully it won't be "redacted" by ROR: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWarOnDebt