Complaint Review: Northstar Location Services Llc - Internet

Although IamGood is correct on a few points he is way off base in his assertions.  He is correct in saying you should always defend yourself in court.  You should start by denying the debt and force the agency to prove the debt is yours and document that you actually signed up for the alleged debt.  

He also infers that if you lose in court you are done.  Actually you can get an attorney and go back to court and have the judgement vacated.  This happens every day.

Actually Sister companies, etc can ge brought up in court and what hs states is "having it both ways"  A company can not claim that they are affiliated with the agency that previously lost in court while trying to claim court costs incurred by the other agencies.  The truth is that so called interest charges, court fees, etc are not counted or awarded in most states as part of the debt and subsequent judgement.  This is because the agency does not have a contract or agreement with the alleged debtor outlining any interest, fees or costs.  

It is refreshing that a debt collection troll admits that they use Harassment.  This is the stuff that the FDCPA can award you damages from.  Most bottom feeding agencies violate the FDCPA daily because most consumers fall for their tactics generating them far much in revenue then the courts award to victims of their harassment.  

The bottom line is be vigilant, know your rights and don't help the Collection Agency.  Most agencies will not go to court unless they positively ID'd the consumer's contact information is correct.  If you know the debt is out of SOL you actually should not respond to dunning letters.  Doing so only speeds up the agency taking action.  Also never admit it is your debt as the clock on SOL can start again in many States so it's not just payments that can trigger a fresh SOL.

If you truly want to pay the debt contact the original creditor and settle directly with them.  They will ask for pennies on the dollar along with getting concessions from the OC.  I have helped many negotiate that the OC will report the account as "Paid as Agreed" on credit reports as part of the settlement.  Once this happens you can work at getting the Collection Agency "Collections" status deleted but it takes a little work. 

I have been recently dealing with Northstar locaitons for an old credit card. The lies that came out of their mouths were unreal. First, they siad they were the only collection company that Chase will deal with... I had just settled another chase account with First Source advantage. Then, we would talk about a settlement and the next day they would call back and want to reference that settlement, but it was always more than the previous day. The lies go on. My smart phone records all conversations. This one nut job was so rude I really started thinking he was mentally challenged and I should not make fun of Gary at Northstar service Locaitons.  They said they were in Jersey, but I don't see that from the company. right now they are at about 20% settlement of the original debt. Do I have any recourse from the lies I continue to hear? Are these cons held to any standard? The guy from Galveston seemed to be a peon telemarketer who regurgitates what he he is told by his phone manger on smoke break or while waiting for the bus. If he is higher up on the chain, he would have never got on this forum. That is why he is and will continue to be in the position he is in now. A peon. Let's refrain from addressing a letter as "Dude."

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Mainly it's bad advice because it automatically assumes that someone who gets a letter like that HAS 2000$ or whatever money to just throw at it so it'll go away. For most people that I know... hahaha... yeah right. Where they getting that kind of money at in this economy?

Secondly, the ripoff part only comes into play here because, "The original company with the debt gets nothing."

It's completely different if you have the company you owe a debt too calling you up to settle the debt. If the company now making calls passed money back to the original company (other than a pittance for buying a bad debt) then that would be different too. Any company doing it for their own pockets and unrelated to the original debt makes a ripoff.

Oh, and actually I was amused by the thing you said about it wont stop they keep selling it.

If the consuumer in question sends them a cease and desist and proof of the age of the debt (which is usually obtained from a detailed credit report) then further communication about the debt is a violation of the FDCPA
Misrepresenting the amount of debt "originally" defaulted on is also a violation.
Taking a matter to court after proof of age, violation.
Even mentioning the possibility of legal action after proof of age, violation.

Oh well. I did seek some legal advice anyway (just the free phone consult kind you can get from a debt place) and was told to send off a letter with delivery confirmation containing the paperwork I have that shows the exact date the original company decided to file it for collections, also also the date they changed it's status to "Closed/Noncollectable" 6 years later. So that's what I'll be doing.

We tried for over a year to get the original company to settle for a payment plan and reducing some penalty fees and they refused. They asked (or actually threatened rather) court and we said sure. Then they apparently decided phone harassment was better than court till we turned that line off.

I've probably got at least 10 of these collection letters from random companies during the first 4 years. Waited each time for court because at the time the money would have gone at least partially back to the original company and I was ok with.

But good grief, not well after it expires and they get nothing.

Dude:

They can still sue you, and cause you many months of inconvience, and grief.  I work for a collection agency, and in any state where wage garnishments, and home seizures are allowed, we always sue.  Want to know why?   Because 1/2 of the people we serve think the same thing as you, that the debt is uncollectable, and they dont show up in court because they think the judge will automatically throw out the debt.  

For the people who do show up in court,  We will sell the debt to another one of our sister agencies (which you will never be able to prove the agency is associated with the original agency)  for pennies on the dollar, and the process starts all over again, and there is nothing you can do about it. 

Eventually you will end up getting sued multiple times, and you will have to show up in court multiple times.   We had one debtor who owed the original creditor 500.00.  BGy the time the original agency bought the debt, interest charges, and fees increased the debt to over 2000.00.  The Debtor got sued by 4 of our sister agencies, and the 4th time was the charm for us, because he ignored the suit, and failed to show up.  By the time the 4th agency got the debt, the amount due was   4000.00  We ended up garnishing 25% of his wages.    WE WON. 

Bottom line is Collection Agencies use harrassment to get people to pay their bills.  We have learned to start using the courts to harrass you into paying.  It only costs us 200.00 to file a lawsuit in small claims court.  So we paid 800.00  for 4 courts, but we ended up collecting a 5000.00 judgement because of all our court costs.

You are right, making a payment will restart the statute of limitations.  You get a letter from the collection agency before any payments are made, stating this will pay off the debt in full, and no other payments can be collected after that.

Making ANY payment on a debt that is past it's statue of limitations automatically reopens the debt in most states and removes the statute, starting you all over.

I do not owe 4700$ and never have. The passing between debt collection agencies has inflated the number so severely its more than 4 times what was owed.

Also, settling would be a bad idea as it re-opens the debt. Not to mention that as the original company has marked it off they would not actually recieve anything from the settlement.

This is nothing but a company trying to collect money for it's own profit only and has nothing to due with the original debt.

dude:

A debt you incurred that is now beyond the statue of limitations means that if the Agency who purchased your debt decides to sue you, when you show up in court after being served, you can petition the judge to dismiss the debt.  And you will be successful.   However,,,

This does not mean that the Agency who owns your debt cannot legally contact you regarding payment.  In order to stop the phone calls, and letters from the agency, you will need to send them a cease, and desist letter.  Just a complaint on their web site is not sufficient.  Send the notice certified mail, so you have proof they received that letter.  So far the collection agency has done nothng to violate the FDCPA.  If you do send the letter, they will have the right to sue, they wont win, but they have the right to sue.

Beware dude, because sometimes these collection agencies will sue.  The do so in the hopes you will not show up in court, and they win by default.  A judge will not look at the age of the debt, and throw out the law suit, unless you are in court to petition him/her to do so.

If they do decide to sue you, it will be very inconvient for you, because you will  have to hire a lawyer to represent you.  Going to court without a lawyer could be very costly to you, because sometimes the Statute of Limitations can be a very tricky item.

I would offer them 20%, and get a letter from them saying debt paid in full.  I figure hiring a lawyer, and having to travel to a different city to attend court may cost you more than 2000.00.

But dont be soo smug, it is a rightful debt, you just ignored it for 4 or more years.  You owe the money, and you should pay it back.