# Bill collectors can kiss my ass! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-collectors-can-kiss-my-ass/52662 "2001-02-01T02:43:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![71-Hour\_Achmed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/57b2e6/32.png) [@71-Hour\_Achmed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/71-Hour_Achmed)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-collectors-can-kiss-my-ass/52662/21 "2001-02-06T02:07:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AuntiePam \* > **Kricket, is there a Consumer Credit Counseling agency in your area? They can get your creditors off your back. They’re free, they can help.** Be aware that calling these places ALSO goes on your credit record, and is viewed very negatively. It’s one of those little gotchas that they don’t bother to advertise. ---
**Author:** ![Kricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kricket)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-collectors-can-kiss-my-ass/52662/22 "2001-02-06T16:57:23Z")
She just fucking called back!!! I asked her just what would happen if they took us to court and she said that they would find us a fault, put a lean on our home and our car, and any credit cards we might have, garnish our wages, and then we would be responsible for the court cost ours and theirs. Can I just crawl in a hole and die yet? She asked if why we couldn’t afford it did we sign up for it. That is when I explained that we both had good jobs at the time, and that nobody foresaw my son getting hit, my heart attack, and my losing my job. She had the nerve to tell me that we should of thought of that before we signed. How in hades were we supposed to know all that would happen? Okay, I have been know to be fairly precognitive at times but please. How in the hell do I get out of this fucking contract? Will filing bankruptcy help? ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-collectors-can-kiss-my-ass/52662/23 "2001-02-06T17:39:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kricket \* > I asked her just what would happen if they took us to court and she said that they would find us a fault, put a lean on our home and our car, and any credit cards we might have, garnish our wages, and then we would be responsible for the court cost ours and theirs. Sure, but they’re not going to take you to court unless the debt for this is really outrageous. Do you still have the contract for the camp? Look at it for information about termination of the contract. You may not even owe much money. Has the collection agency sent you a written statement of the debt, as they are required to do under the FDCPA? Finally, _write a letter_ to the collection agency. Tell them that pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you hereby notify them that they are to cease communicating with you, except for any notices permitted under section 805© of the Act. Once you have sent the letter, the correct answer to every phone call, as soon as they identify themselves, is “I have notified your company in writing that they must stop calling me. This call is in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and I will notify the Federal Trade Commission of the date and time of your call.” Then hang up. Write the statement down and tape it to the phone, so you can read it verbatim after every call. Keep a log of the calls, and do notify the FTC (you can do it on their web site). They don’t have any right to do this to you, and you don’t have to let them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-collectors-can-kiss-my-ass/52662.md?page=1)