Got home today and found an message on my answering machine from debt collector
named Convergent Outsourcing. I googled the phone number they gave me (800-477-5451)
and found that it belongs to a debt collector by the name of ER Solutions which
turns out to be a former name Convergent Outsourcing. From what I can find online
this company has a poor reputation and it looks like it doesn’t mind scamming people.
My only outstanding debt that I can think of is a doctor I visited a few times about
3 months ago. I never received a bill for his services even after asking a few times
in person and over the phone.
What should my next step be? I’m thinking that this is not safe to ignore like other
obvious scams (for example, “You’ve won the Republic of Phartistan lottery!!!”).
Companies like this are often sold bad debts, not only from the original debtors but from other debtors.
Often your “debt” is nothing but a line on an Excel sheet that was bought for two cents on the dollar or less. Usually it’s piled in with hundreds or thousands of other bad debts.
Your name could be an error or it could be something legit, that was long cancelled, but not done officially, like a magazine or such.
Companies like this hope first, that they can get you to acknowledge the debt. Debt has a statute of limitations and once the time runs out, you still owe, but the debt isn’t collectable UNLESS you agree to restart the “clock.” By contacting them they will record you and try to get you to agree.
Second companies like this hope you don’t respond as they can sue you and you will fail to show up and they will win by default. In some states judgements are good for 20 or more years and can be renewed or sold.
I had this happend and I only knew when a post card arrived saying that a default judgment was entered against me. I was never served, though the cop swore in front of a judge he did, (funny as I was at work and had proof of it).
I had the original judgement quashed and then was able to successfully defend myself, though I had to pay more in court costs than the judgement was for. But I wanted to do it.
So if you want to contact them, make sure you never agree that you owe them money and INSIST that they send you written documentation of your debt and from that point on only talk to them via mail (return receipt / certified).
And keep checking your local court (hopefully they have online status) to see if you’re being sued. You’re supposed to be served, but too often the process server will just say the did it and the judge will take their word for it.
I have some experience with Convergent Outsourcing. They are known to invent debts and hound people until they pay out of desperation or because they have been persuaded to believe the debt is real. This is more likely to work with the elderly.
They will often take small debts way past the statute of limitations and inflate the amount enormously. This may serve to scare the unwary to pay up before it increases some more.
IOW, a thoroughly dishonest company. Safe to ignore? Yes, as long as you watch your ass, but it would be better to dispute any claimed debt if you think it is not legitimate. They talk big, but run away like a scared puppy if challenged.
Sounds familiar. I don’t know if it was the same company, but several years ago I got a similar series of calls regarding money I supposedly owed to PacBell or AT&T or whatever it was after I moved back from California. I was a bit panicked, as I’m wont to become. I ended up calling PacBell or AT&T or whatever and asked them if I actually did owe them any money and they said no … ignore the phone calls, so I did.
I didn’t actually ignore them. What I did was the next time the guy called I went up one side of his colon and down the other and for some reason after that they stopped calling.
I suggest you ask for details on the debt, including the originating document, to be sent to you by mail.
If you don’t recognize it, tell them you do not recognize it, and therefore will not pay it, by certified mail. If it is out of statute, tell them you do not recognize it as a valid debt.
We get debt collector calls all the time. In particular, one person apparently used our phone number all over the place so we get calls inquiring about her and her debt all the time.
Plus there are the ones just calling around people with similar names and such.
One relative got repeatedly harassed by someone trying to collect the debt of a child’s EX-spouse.
Just flat out don’t worry about this. The chances are incredibly high that this has nothing to do with you.
Our local large university hospital/medical comglomerate now routinely turns over to collections finalized (post-insurance reimbursement) bills older than 90 days. My daughters have been called twice over overlooked bills, including a $30 lab charge.
Call them back on Monday and see what they claim you owe. Don’t offer up any info.
I’ve had calls (never answered) from numbers that on checking online, turned out to belong to sleazy debt collection outfits.
I would ignore any phone calls from unknown people claiming you owe money. If it’s the real deal you should hear by mail.*
*and even then there are scammers. About a year after we moved to our current address we received a third party demand that we pay an alleged outstanding utility bill from our former address. I sent copies of our paid bills from the period in question. Never heard from these sleazes again.