Debt Collection

“Worthless Scum”

That’s what they want you to think of yourself. That’s what they think. You know who I’m talking about.

The debt collector who left this comment on my blog, for one:

Alternatively, you could try paying your bills and then you wouldn’t have this problem in the first place.

Why shouldn’t a collector ring you. You owe someone money and have either refused or ignored all other requests for payment.

Oh, sorry I forgot that everyone in debt is a victim.

(I deleted it, as I do all spam and any comment designed to harass or intimidate my readers.)

Of course, no one ever said debtors = victims. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’m pretty big on personal responsibility. Those (few) clients of mine that found their way into bankruptcy due to overspending (the vast majority get there thanks to catastrophic events outside their control, as is true of most bankruptcies nationwide) are told up front by me, at the first consultation, that they’re going to exit the other side of this process with more information, and much better habits, and if they’ll let me, I’ll help them shake that victim mentality and start to create true financial independence.

No, the “debtors are victims” crack is a favored ploy for debt collectors. Because you don’t think of yourself as a victim but instead worry about others thinking you’re trying to get preferential treatment - in short, you don’t want anyone thinking of you as a victim - this comment is designed to elicit your shame.

Did it work? I hope not. I hope my blog is helping educate people about creditor tactics and dirty tricks, and maybe even persuading debtors to stand up, stop hiding, and start taking control of their financial lives by fighting back against the creditors who engage in those dirty tricks. That, of course, was what the post that prompted that comment was all about - violations of the FDCPA.

So - let’s see if I can answer the question, as inartfully phrased as it might have been: Why shouldn’t creditors call debtors in violation of the FDCPA? How about because it’s against the law? Or, if that’s not enough for you, how about because it’s a shameful way to make a living - harassing and intimidating others for pay?

Creditors and bill collectors who skate on the thin ice of FDCPA violations have to take the position that the only reason you’re not paying your bills is because you’re a deadbeat. Otherwise, what would be the justification for their existence? If you really just don’t have the money, then there’s no point, right? It’s a numbers game, and they play it for the odds. You have the right not to be harassed in your own home, at your job, among your neighbors and family members. Not the privilege - the right.

And that’s why they shouldn’t violate the law, Anonymous Commenter.

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