Collection agency harrassment?

I have been dealing with a collection agency over a credit card debt. I have been more than willing to work with them to get my debt paid and have offered to start paying immediatly. The agent told me the ONLY option that I had was to have the balance of the credit card transfered to my Sears card. I had lost my Sears card months ago and I never used it so I didn%26#039;t call to get a new one. The account has been paid off and is no longer active. The agent at the collection agency has told me that my husband and I will be in big trouble if we have closed the account just so that we wouldn%26#039;t have pay this debt. He also has somehow obtained all the info on the account such as : available credit (which there is not any because the account is not active) the card number and he also claims to have talked to Sears without my husband or my permission. I called Sears and they say they cannot give out our info to anyone other than us. I think this agent is a lying scum bag.

Collection agency harrassment?

This sounds like a load of cr*p. Don%26#039;t deal with collection agents at all. If you WANT to pay the bill, deal directly with the credit card company (and make SURE it is the credit card company you are dealing with, not a collections agent pretending to be them).

If the company won%26#039;t deal with you and the debt has already hit your credit report, just don%26#039;t bother with it at all--it can%26#039;t get any worse.

If they threaten to take you to court wait until you have at least two letters from a REAL attorney (investigate whether the law firm that sends you the letters is legit or not) and then offer to settle with them for 50% of the funds due.

Collection agents will lie, cheat, and steal just to get you to talk to them, don%26#039;t deal with them at all! No honest person becomes a collection agent... or if one does, they soon lose all aspects of humanity they once had.

Good luck!

Collection agency harrassment?

This guy is full of bologna. He wants you to transfer to balance so he can charge you fees and hike up your interest rate. I dont think sears has its own financial bank. It just sells its name and gives access to its customer base to other banks. So it is possible that one bank issued your first card and your sears card. That is how he got your info.

I know Household Bank does this with best buy credit cards. (HSB)

If the debt is about 2k you can blow him off. It will effect your credit but you can wait to make payments when you can better affored to. Thats what I do. Just tell them they ran the interest up too high on you and you have decided not to pay. Then he will want to negotiate possible options.

Collection agency harrassment?

You are right, the collection agent is a lying scum bag as you put it. What they are doing is harassment and it IS illegal. You do not have to transfer any debt to any card, that is complete BS! Next time they call tell them that you are willing to pay such and such a month, PERIOD. If they argue with you just tell them that %26quot;they are harassing you and that they are to no longer call you. That from now on all correspondence it to be by mail.%26quot; Send them a check for the amount that you are willing to pay month. If they cash it and then try to sue, the judge will see it as them accepting your offer for payment and they%26#039;ll be ordered to abide by it. Good luck to you, and do not allow them to get away with harassing you any further. Also, it is illegal for them to talk to anyone about your debt but you, especially not your daughter and they absolutely cannot harass her. I would suggest that you talk to a lawyer to get some advice!