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How Bill Collectors Locate You

By Debt Prison on January 12, 2009

Thanks to the internet it’s easier than ever for bill collectors to locate your whereabouts. When you apply for credit or register to vote you are updating your information that collectors will use to find you. Initially a collection agency will review the file they receive from the original creditor. Within this file they will attempt to discover your most recent place of employment or a relative. They will then call your employer and ask to speak with you directly. If you no longer work there… they will inquire of your old co-workers if they know where your new job is. I once witnessed an employer give the State of Mississippi a previous employees whereabouts so they could collect child support. See also all of my articles on Collection Agencies.

**Disclaimer – Debtprison.net does not administer legal or financial advice. The contents of this website are my opinions on collection agencies and how to deal with them. Nothing on this website should be interpreted as legal advice or council. No opinions on this website should be used to replace the advice of your financial advisor or your legal council.

Relatives and Neighbors

A relative can provide an abundance of information to collection agencies. If they aren’t careful, they will volunteer your place of employment, your assets, and perhaps even your current bank. A bill collector would love to get their hands on any of that information. This weekend I observed my father answer his phone to a polite bill collector. The collector was attempting to collect on a debt that belonged to someone my father knew. Being the nice guy he is, Dad simply told them the debtor had no phone and no job.

According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act it is legal for a debt collector to call your neighbor to try and dig up some information about you. However, they are not allowed to tell them they are attempting to collect on a debt. A collector will use a directory to search for your next door neighbors. They will then call them, if they find a phone number, and ask them if they know where you are. They may just say that they are an old friend trying to locate you for an upcoming high school reunion.

Using a Database to Search for You

If the above method turns up nothing the collection agency will submit your personal information into a database to see what turns up. I’ve even personally used some of the free online database sites to see what information it displays for me. For fun try running a search for your name and state at http://intelius.com. It shows my birth year and month… as well as my relative’s names and previous addresses. Collection agencies use a similar database but will get a better deal on the pricing than you or I. Moving to a new state will result in a new Driver’s License and this change will be documented in the government’s database.

Digging Through Your Credit Report for Information

When you apply for any new credit…. your credit report is updated with the information you provide on the credit application. Also, your credit report will show a bill collector other creditors to whom you are currently making payments. The collection agency will contact these creditors and attempt to get information from them to update your file. The credit report will also indicate your last known employer, the name of your spouse, and any public record information such as judgments or tax liens.

Limiting Your Information

If you have any outstanding defaulted debt you have no business applying for new credit. Applying for new credit will also signal the bill collector that you have enough money to make payments. Hence this may prompt them to pursue legal action to collect the debt. Inform any friends or family not to give any information (of any kind) to anyone over the telephone regarding you or your whereabouts. Lastly, conversations with debt collectors are best held on paper – so write registered letters and don’t answer their phone calls.

Discuss this article and meet new people at Debt Prison Forums.

Related Articles

* What is a Junk Debt Buyer?

* Restrictions on Wage Garnishment for Debt Collection.

* The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

* Reasons not to file Bankruptcy or Settle Your Debts

* Can you go to jail for not paying your debts?

* How to settle your debts on your own

* How to deal with collection agencies

* Sample Debt Validation Letter

How To Stop Bill Collectors From Harassing You

By Debt Prison on December 1, 2008

A reader at Sample Debt Validation Letter asks how to get a collection agent to stop harassing her. Of course the quick and easy solution is to pay them! But if you find yourself unable to pay, there are a few things you can do to make life easier for yourself. Always keep in mind, that no matter what they say or how they say it, the goal of a debt collector is to get YOU to cough up some cash. And often they’re willing to do and say anything to accomplish this task.

I had a lady from a collection office call me and harass me about a credit card I have. She even called my cell phone and left me a very rude message saying that she hoped her attorney sued me for every dime I had. She then sent another message on my cell saying she was giving me 24 hours to call her back.

Who can I report her to? And how do I get her to quit harassing me? The debt is an old credit card and has a balance of 2800.

Rhonda

Stop talking with these people on the phone.

First of all, once you enter the world of defaulted credit card debt - what good is it doing to talk to these people on the phone? If you had the money you’d pay them (right?). But since you don’t have the money… discussing your personal crisis with these bill collectors… will leave you angry, embarrassed, or scared. And possibly all three. Therefore, when I defaulted on my credit card debt I wrote them registered letters (kept the receipts) and explained to them my situation. Here’s how the phone calls work.

“Hello”

May I speak with Barry?

This is him.

Mr. Barry this is Jahid Patel calling from Citibank.. you are 60 days past due on your account. Can you make a payment today over the phone and get this balance up to date?

Nope

Well Mr. Barry… can you make any payment today… how about $100

Nope

Well Mr. Barry how about $50 could you afford to pay that today?

Etc, etc, etc”

Now bear in mind this is an extremely civil example of how the conversation would go. Once I had a collector call me at my job (damn I gave them my number when I got the credit card). She asked me if I could make a payment right now. I said no that I was at work and preferred to discuss this matter through the mail. Within about 10 seconds she proceeded to tell me that this was going to their ‘legal department’… which I promptly told her “Great.. get on with it” and that was that. It never went to their legal department.

The point I’m trying to make is that if you don’t have any money to pay them with.. write these bill collectors a letter (registered) and don’t talk with them on the phone. The only purpose it serves is for them to get you on the phone and proceed to tell lies and intimidate you. Being in Debt Prison is difficult enough without these types of conversations further ruining your day.

Should you change your phone number?

Changing your phone number may not be a bad idea if you have multiple creditors with whom you’re defaulting on. This way you’ll force them to deal with you via snail mail. However, if your particular phone number is important to you then there are other options.

If you have a home phone and a computer there’s a little trick that you may find beneficial. I had a desktop computer that I left on all day. I also had a phone line plugged into the back of it. I downloaded phone tray for free. Phone tray is a free caller i.d. and call blocker combined into one. Once a bill collector calls you, you can program their number into phone tray and then select how you want their call to be blocked. I always gave them the “We’re sorry, the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.” Phone tray has a variety of audio cuts that you can use. The only problem I encountered is that the phone would still ring once if it was a bill collector. So if the phone rang more than once, I knew it was actually someone I wanted to talk to.

Cease and Desist

You can also write a collection agency (not the original creditor) a ‘Limited Cease and Desist’ letter. This informs them to only contact you by snail mail. Keep a copy, send the letter registered, and attach the usps receipt to your copy of the letter. Keep all correspondence within a folder under lock and key.

I would also like to request, in writing, that no telephone contact be made by your offices to my home or to my place of employment. If your offices attempt telephone communication with me, including but not limited to computer generated calls and calls or correspondence sent to or with any third parties, it will be documented, considered harassment, and I will have no choice but to seek a legal course of action against your office. All future communications with me must be done in writing and sent to the address noted in this letter by USPS.

You can also throw in the kitchen sink and write a Debt Validation Letter. I recommend the kitchen sink if you feel that the collection agency isn’t treating you fairly.

Other options for Rhonda

1. Call her back and tell her you’re broke because you had to wine and dine her husband.

2. Tell them to get a judgment if they can because you are ready to shut them down in front of the local Judge who happens to be your brother.

3. Tell them at every dime they wouldn’t be getting much cause as a woman in the USA you only earn 60% of wages of fellow male co-workers.

Now on a serious note… talking on the phone with bill collectors is usually a bad idea 90% of the time.

Don’t call her back unless you can pay all of the debt back in one final swoosh.

If it goes to court you can go and represent yourself (not as scary as it sounds) in which case the judge may declare you owe the money and you can pay a little each month until the judgment is satisfied.

But there’s not much you can do about her rude manner. She’s got your number and it’s her job to call and push and push until they get a payment. Put yourself in their shoes… how would you collect money from people who didn’t or couldn’t pay? The other option is to record the conversations if it’s legal in your state. Inform the collection agency that you have a recording of their violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. And that you are prepared to file suit against their company if these violations continue.