johnqcitizen
New Member
I had a credit card with a national electronics chain. I am disabled on SSI.
Because of my health, I fell behind in everything. By the time I started catching up, I got to the electronics chain to make an arrangement to pay off my back charges. The day I called they said they couldn't do anything because it had "gone into collection".
On my own I called the collection agency (I got the number from the chain).
Despit the fact that I'd just been put into collection, my calling to make an arrangement was met by "hardballing". First they wanted the whole amount, impossible of course. Then they agreed to "X amount" down and "x amount" each month thereafter. They gave me a very "hard sell" and "really wanted" a "good faith" payment, first by telling them the check number and checking account number. I said I don't have a checking account. Then they said I "had" to Western Union the money to them.
On the way to the Western Union I realized I had no written proof of this agreement. I sent them a certified letter recounting the conversation. I tracked the letter which lay unclaimed and was returned. I was sending a letter to the collection agency and chain the very day I got my letter back.
Oddly, the amount of the "good faith" down payment appeared as bill from the electronics chain. Nothing about the bill says it is an agreement or contract. Nothing about a monthly payment. I also continued to receive letters and calls from this collection agency. I recorded the last phone call. They showed complete ignornace of my first and second certified letters, and claimed the bill was just a statement of charges, and that the chain had already written it off. Not so, the chain is demanding payment, while the collection is demanding payment.
I told them both in the letters that I cannot play "phone tag" with them anymore and that all communication was to be done by letter. They of course continued to call. They continue call after they've been told not to call, and I have used "call trace" to log their hangups (no message) with the phone company.
The collection agency is rude, and downright harassing.
I called the NY Attorney General who said to send them copies of everything (including the phone call) but they only act as an arbiter.
On top of this, I do not know if I was really "late" in payments, since the bank that was accepting payment stopped doing so. The chain claimed they were receiving payments late, but the bank was getting the payments in on time. Oddly, both the bank, and the credit card from the electronics chain are the SAME bank. AND, my bank is the SAME bank as the the electronics chain credit card.
If I want to ruin my credit, I can tell the chain and the collection gestapo to both "hang", since, I believe that if I inform them via legal means that I am on SSI, and they cannot collect from me.
I wish to pay my debt though. How do I get this fixed????
Because of my health, I fell behind in everything. By the time I started catching up, I got to the electronics chain to make an arrangement to pay off my back charges. The day I called they said they couldn't do anything because it had "gone into collection".
On my own I called the collection agency (I got the number from the chain).
Despit the fact that I'd just been put into collection, my calling to make an arrangement was met by "hardballing". First they wanted the whole amount, impossible of course. Then they agreed to "X amount" down and "x amount" each month thereafter. They gave me a very "hard sell" and "really wanted" a "good faith" payment, first by telling them the check number and checking account number. I said I don't have a checking account. Then they said I "had" to Western Union the money to them.
On the way to the Western Union I realized I had no written proof of this agreement. I sent them a certified letter recounting the conversation. I tracked the letter which lay unclaimed and was returned. I was sending a letter to the collection agency and chain the very day I got my letter back.
Oddly, the amount of the "good faith" down payment appeared as bill from the electronics chain. Nothing about the bill says it is an agreement or contract. Nothing about a monthly payment. I also continued to receive letters and calls from this collection agency. I recorded the last phone call. They showed complete ignornace of my first and second certified letters, and claimed the bill was just a statement of charges, and that the chain had already written it off. Not so, the chain is demanding payment, while the collection is demanding payment.
I told them both in the letters that I cannot play "phone tag" with them anymore and that all communication was to be done by letter. They of course continued to call. They continue call after they've been told not to call, and I have used "call trace" to log their hangups (no message) with the phone company.
The collection agency is rude, and downright harassing.
I called the NY Attorney General who said to send them copies of everything (including the phone call) but they only act as an arbiter.
On top of this, I do not know if I was really "late" in payments, since the bank that was accepting payment stopped doing so. The chain claimed they were receiving payments late, but the bank was getting the payments in on time. Oddly, both the bank, and the credit card from the electronics chain are the SAME bank. AND, my bank is the SAME bank as the the electronics chain credit card.
If I want to ruin my credit, I can tell the chain and the collection gestapo to both "hang", since, I believe that if I inform them via legal means that I am on SSI, and they cannot collect from me.
I wish to pay my debt though. How do I get this fixed????
