Phyllis
El Cajon,#2Author of original report
Thu, December 27, 2007
CCA is a collection agency for defaulted student loans. When I checked them out on the Internet and called them, I got someone almost as nasty as this Tony B___ . These collectors seem to enjoy lecturing people on how they owe the money, they can get sued, etc. I worked hard at not applying my experience with Tony to all of them, and eventually, I talked to a couple of people that acted all right. One sent me a form for the doctor to fill out for disability, but with my luck, the person who was supposed to do it, lost it. Several months passed, and they were supposed to send another one, but never did. What is so ironic about being treated like this is that the Idaho Student Loan Fund really worked to get students to take out these loans with promises that we could consolidate any time we wanted to (NOT!), and how the interest rate was so low. What they did not bother to point out is that they planned to refuse to consolidate, get plenty of money in payments, and then maybe consolidate. In my case, I naively fell for their persuasive techniques and trusted their word. When a contractual employment failed to materialize, I was unable to pay $50 on each of nine loans every month for 3 or 4 months! (I was supporting 4, then 5 children on temporary employment.) In the meantime, I continued to go to school to get licensing in my new state, the Idaho Student Loan defaulted my student loans WHILE I WAS ATTENDING UNIVERSITY FULL TIME!!! How is that for the beginning of this rip-off? They personally knew I was telling the truth about attending the university because they spoke to a financial aid clerk at the new school and confirmed it. I got their paper work back to them late, so they defaulted them even though their office (which was quite small then) knew full well I was a student and should have had my loans deferred. In the meantime, as I continued to raise my kids, work, and deal with my health problems, they sicced many collectors on me. Again and again, I would tell them I wanted to consolidate so there would be only one payment instead of nine. They claimed there was no way to do this. That I must pay all of them for several months and then try again to consolidate. I have since found out this was a lie. There were government programs available just for people in my situation -- poor, single disabled mom. HMMMMPH! Then they started rolling over big chunks of the erroneous interest onto the principal. My principal has multiplied over 4 times now!! Some of the persons who contacted me were especially onerous. I have been accused of hiding from them when I CALL THEM TO UPDATE MY ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER. Good grief. I was trying to do what little I could to maintain my integrity and at least let them know where I had moved. This has gone on for twenty years. The most disgusting collector I had to deal with, tried to get me to sign into a special program for aged and disabled debtors by signing the inflated amount away to the US government. I told him I would be very happy to apply for the program if they would just adjust the amount to straight principle and straight interest. I told him that if I did not want to get ripped off, I certainly did not want my government to get ripped off. HE TOLD ME I WAS TALKING ABSOLUTE NONSENSE. Yes, that is where these birds really take it. You talk about honesty and fairness, and they insult you. Is it any wonder that our taxes are so high? I had not even asked them again to review that old decision in 1991 to default my loans while I was a paying student -- which is the real rip-off. Idaho Student Loan Fund wants all the money it can get from the United States Government AND the students. Regardless of what the circumstances show would be right and fair. The collection agencies like CCA want to keep the amount as high as possible because they get a full 50% of the amount PLUS collection fees. THIS IS THE BIG RIP OFF OF THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PERPETRATED ON THE US CITIZENS -- you, me, and all our friends and relatives who pay taxes. I am very sorry I ever got those loans except the first one, which covered a used car for me. I let my desire to have my kids in decent clothes with decent food on the table get the best of me, because although it would have been hard, if my pride had not got in the way, we could have done alright with less. It is not that we had luxuries, but we were at least comfortable. Well, it was not worth the sleepless nights, the guilt, and the self-recrimination. I advise all students I counsel to stay away from all loans. This version has been spell checked.
Phyllis
El Cajon,#3Author of original report
Thu, December 27, 2007
CCA is a collection agency for defaulted student loans. When I checked them out on the internet and called them, I got someone almost as nasty as this Tony B___ . These collectors seem to enjoy lecturing people on how they owe the money, they can get sued, etc. I worked hard at not applying my experience with Tony to all of them, and eventually, I talked to a couple of people that acted alright. One sent me a form for the doctor to fill out for disability, but with my luck, the person who was supposed to do it, lost it. Several months passed, and they were supposed to send another one, but never did. What is so ironic about being treated like this is that the Idaho Student Loan Fund really worked to get students to take out these loans with promises that we could consolidate any time we wanted to (NOT!), and how the interest rate was so low. What they did not bother to point out is that they planned to refuse to consolidate, get plenty of money in payments, and then maybe consolidate. In my case, I naively fell for their persuasive techniques and trusted their word. When a contractual employment failed to materialize, I was unable to pay $50 on each of nine loans every month for 3 or 4 months! (I was supporting 4, then 5 children on temporary employment.) In the meantime, I continued to go to school to get licensing in my new state, the Idaho Student Loan defaulted my student loans WHILE I WAS ATTENDING UNIVERSITY FULL TIME!!! How is that for the beginning of this rip-off? They personally knew I was telling the truth about attending the university because they spoke to a financial aid clerk at the new school and confirmed it. I got their paper work back to them late, so they defaulted them even though their office (which was quite small then) knew full well I was a student and should have had my loans deferred. In the meantime, as I continued to raise my kids, work and deal with my health problems, they sicced many collectors on me. Again and again I would tell them I wanted to consolidate so there would be only one payment instead of nine. They claimed there was no way to do this. That I must pay all of them for several months and then try again to consolidate. I have since found out this was a lie. There were government programs available just for people in my situation -- poor, single disabled mom. HMMMMPH! Then they started rolling over big chunks of the erroneous interest onto the principal. My principal has multiplied over 4 times now!! Some of the persons who contacted me were especially onerous. I have been accused of hiding from them when I CALL THEM TO UPDATE MY ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER. Good grief. I was trying to do what little I could to maintain my integrity and at least let them know where I had moved. This has gone on for twenty years. The most disgusting collector I had to deal with, tried to get me to sign into a special program for aged and disabled debtors by signing the inflated amount away to the US government. I told him I would be very happy to apply for the program if they would just adjust the amount to straight principle and straight interest. I told him that if I did not want to get ripped off, I certainly did not want my government to get ripped off. HE TOLD ME I WAS TALKING ABSOLUTE NONSENSE. Yes, that is where these birds really take it. You talk about honesty and fairness, and they insult you. Is it any wonder that our taxes are so high? I had not even asked them again to review that old decision in 1991 to default my loans while I was a paying student -- which is the real rip-off. Idaho Student Loan Fund wants all the money it can get from the United States Government AND the students. Regardless of what the circumstances show would be right and fair. The collection agencies like CCA want to keep the amount as high as possible because they get a full 50% of the amount PLUS collection fees. THIS IS THE BIG RIP OFF OF THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PERPETRATED ON THE US CITIZENS -- you, me, and all our friends and relatives who pay taxes. I am very sorry I ever got those loans except the first one, which covered a used car for me. I let my desire to have my kids in decent clothes with decent food on the table get the best of me, because although it would have been hard, if my pride had not got in the way, we could have done alright with less. It is not that we had luxuries, but we were at least comfortable. Well, it was not worth the sleepless nights, the guilt and the self-recrimination. I advise all students I counsel to stay away from all loans. recrimination
Phyllis
El Cajon,#4Author of original report
Mon, March 26, 2007
Using the advice from a respondent, I also put a report on another collection agency watchdog's web page: budhibbs.com. Then I contacted the FTC and filed a complaint on their site. Here is some of what they said, The "Fair Debt Collection Practices Act" (FDCPA)generally applies only to third party debt collectors "collecting consumer debts." I can file a dispute within 30 days of notification and demand verification of the debt during which time the collector must cease all efforts to collect the debt. "The Act also specifies that the debt collector inform you of this requirement at the beginning of the collection process. If you were not so informed, the collector violated the law." Of course "CCA" did not notify me, they would not even tell me what CCA stands for. Also, I can write them a letter "demanding that the debt collector cease all further collection efforts." If they call again, I will point out the FDCPA notification requirement and ask for an address to write to. I will send it "by certified mail, return receipt requested, and keep a copy". Now I am preparing to "File a (detailed) complaint with" my "state or local consumer protection office." If I ever find out who they really are, I can file a suit alleging violation of the FDCPA and hopefully "receive actual damages, attorney's fees, and additional damages up to $1,000." Sounds good to me! Rip off Report is trying to help protect us from "some collection techniques" the FTC says are legal but are "unpleasant or distasteful": 1)Contact third parties solely to determine where you are, so long as the collector does not disclose the existence of your debt. 2) Contact you at work if the debt collector has no reason to believe that your employer prohibits the contact (and you have not filed a cease-communication request). 3)Use a rude or angry tone on the telephone, if the overall communication with you cannot truly be characterized as abusive or harassing. 4)Threaten consequences of non-payment that are truthful. For example, debt collectors may threaten to sue if suit will, in fact, be the result of non-payment. They also may threaten to report your debt to a credit bureau if, in fact, they intend and are legally able to do so. It is to your advantage to know the probable result of withholding payment, if it is accurate. 5)Accept or solicit a post-dated check, if the collector does not deposit it before the date on the check. 6)Refuse to accept a partial payment for a debt (even if you had such an arrangement with the creditor). If there is more than one debt, the collector must credit the account that you designate. I HAVE ISSUES WITH NUMBERS 2,3,5,& 6. 2) I think ANY EMPLOYER would resent the fact that you are taking up time he is paying you for to talk to these people. 3)They write a report if we are loud or rude to them. They will also hang up. I think we should have the same rights. 5) In some states (ca), it is illegal to write a post dated check for any reason. And, from personal experience, I know companies will send such checks in early and keep sending them back while bounced check fees deplete the account that I put the money into as agreed. We each need to resist such efforts from collectors and complain to our legislators about this one. 6)Refusal of partial payment is just plain crazy. If I am trying to pay, they should accept whatever I can give them. I had a landlady who did this to me when I got behind in the rent, then they filed an eviction, but since I of course moved, cleaned and paid, they did not even show up to court. But the credit bureau picked up the dismissed case and refused to remove it from the credit bureau report. Grrr. Refusing money to pay a debt probably should be documented and reported back to the credit bureau in detail. Finally, I will be checking with the credit reporting bureaus to see if anything negative has recently been added to my report, because, "the FCRA requires that the credit bureau pass your dispute to the debt collector, along with all relevant information you provided. The debt collector must investigate the dispute (which includes a review of the information you provided) and report what it found to the credit bureau within thirty days after you first disputed the item to the credit bureau." If it is there, I wll write a dispute to the credit bureau. The FTC thanked me for my report and assured me that "we are always interested in reports of law violations. If we cannot act immediately to remedy them, we will retain whatever you have provided for possible use in future enforcement actions." Of course, I will keep copies of what I sent them in case I have to add to the original report on CCA.
Tammy
Quincy,#5Consumer Suggestion
Thu, March 22, 2007
I recently had a run in with this company. Each time they called I asked what the charge off date was and then inform them the SOL expired and I wasn't going to pay it and have a chuckle.I told them I would be sending the cease communications letter. I then decided to play there game. So I called them over and over and over again. Each time I would tell them I was calling about a message and then they would start to say about the debt from 12 years ago and I would say im not paying it. One collector said you have a moral obligation to pay this HA and I replied there is not incentive for me to pay. I called so many times rubbing it in there face that I knew my rights they told me to stop calling. I told them to send me a certified letter. The best conversation I have ever had.
Tammy
Quincy,#6Consumer Suggestion
Thu, March 22, 2007
I recently had a run in with this company. Each time they called I asked what the charge off date was and then inform them the SOL expired and I wasn't going to pay it and have a chuckle.I told them I would be sending the cease communications letter. I then decided to play there game. So I called them over and over and over again. Each time I would tell them I was calling about a message and then they would start to say about the debt from 12 years ago and I would say im not paying it. One collector said you have a moral obligation to pay this HA and I replied there is not incentive for me to pay. I called so many times rubbing it in there face that I knew my rights they told me to stop calling. I told them to send me a certified letter. The best conversation I have ever had.
Tammy
Quincy,#7Consumer Suggestion
Thu, March 22, 2007
I recently had a run in with this company. Each time they called I asked what the charge off date was and then inform them the SOL expired and I wasn't going to pay it and have a chuckle.I told them I would be sending the cease communications letter. I then decided to play there game. So I called them over and over and over again. Each time I would tell them I was calling about a message and then they would start to say about the debt from 12 years ago and I would say im not paying it. One collector said you have a moral obligation to pay this HA and I replied there is not incentive for me to pay. I called so many times rubbing it in there face that I knew my rights they told me to stop calling. I told them to send me a certified letter. The best conversation I have ever had.
Tammy
Quincy,#8Consumer Suggestion
Thu, March 22, 2007
I recently had a run in with this company. Each time they called I asked what the charge off date was and then inform them the SOL expired and I wasn't going to pay it and have a chuckle.I told them I would be sending the cease communications letter. I then decided to play there game. So I called them over and over and over again. Each time I would tell them I was calling about a message and then they would start to say about the debt from 12 years ago and I would say im not paying it. One collector said you have a moral obligation to pay this HA and I replied there is not incentive for me to pay. I called so many times rubbing it in there face that I knew my rights they told me to stop calling. I told them to send me a certified letter. The best conversation I have ever had.
J
Lakewood,#9Consumer Suggestion
Wed, March 21, 2007
C.C.A. is possibly collection america The owner is a lawyer Philip Scott Lowery, there address is 4500 cherry cheek drive so. suite 700, Denver Co. 80246. This firm is the lowest of low, google bud hibbs and you can read all sorts of stuff on this company and you'll find plenty here. If the call wasn't blocked when they called you try whocalled.us, just follow the direction there and it should be able to give you a name with the number. If a collection agency is calling, then check your credit report and thats another sorces of finding out who these people are Never, if at all possible speak with a collection agency on the phone, never agree to anything until, they prove who they are and whom there collection for, as well as debt validation. another good place to look for information on how to deal with collection is creditinfocenter, they placed alot of good information on this site. good luck