I was harassed for 7 years and stopped using the phone in my house - it was for someone other than me and even though I told them and mailed them to say there was no such person they harassed me - I contacted Collection Stoppers.com after no local agency would help - the case was settled in 3 months .

I had a medical debt, I was paying a $50.00 a week on. They kept harrassing me for more money, so since I was not court ordered to pay a certain amount, I started paying 25 cents a week. It did not take long until they agreed that $50.00 a week was enough.

I was nasty with my debt collector and that worked. So, do not let them get to you. Most ppl don't mean to be in debt, but sometimes you just don't make enough money from your job. But, hope u do come out of debt soon.

This is a tragic story that should not have happened. I am not familiar with the buzzards that harass people on mortgages, I am familiar the slime balls that harass people around cell phone bills, credit cards, etc. The solution is to tell them you have X amount of money to send them, send them what you can, and if they call you again, just hang up. Don't talk to those leeches, it's their job to make you feel poor, unsuccessful and a person not paying bills because you are just a bum. You pay what you can, they will cut your service or access, but you know that anyway. NEVER let those people hurt your heart or soul, they have no respect for you dignity or you health. When I was in that problem, I just refused to talk to them and sent what money I could. I eventually resolved the problem. Those creeps will never make me uncomfortable for a second.

Get a Job!

Several things here...1) Some people need to be reminded of the money they owe....If they were not reminded they wouldn't pay and when some kind of legal action would be issued they would say they didn't understand or know why..... 2) Most people have some money to pay...A dialogue and payment arrangement needs to be mutually agreed upon..there are many Consumer Counseling companies out there to assist financially strapped consumers. 3) Most bill collectors are nice and instructed to be educational to debtors. My motto is and has always been you get more bees with honey. 4) The collectors and agencies that go too far should be prosecuted--but the debtors that owe the money and have no intention to pay and continue to live the "Good Life" should also be prosecuted. I am open to all debates and positve feedback. Thanks

Here's an idea, PAY YOUR DAMN BILLS!!!!! If you can't pay them don't acquire them!!!! Or just don't answer the phone the rest of us will pick up the tab as always!

My bald head hit rock bottom too. It put a gash in the B-9 mole right above my brow and now my head won't roll as smoothly down the lanes on league nite!

I am a bill collector. Granted, I'm also polite and explain the situation in nonaggressive terms. I don't do it because I like "the power", but because it's a decent way to help pay for my college. Not all debt collectors are good for nothing low lifes like you seem to describe. Most of us actually obey the rules, speak cordially to the people we need to death with concerning their debt, and follow manners and protocol.

People like this, mentioned in this article, make me sick. And while I am not neccessarily proud to be a debt collector, it is people like the ones mentioned that leave the general public to hate us when we're just doing our jobs.

I couldn't agree more, debt collectors are the lowest form of life on earth, bunch of bottom feeders.

I'm sure that's how the debt collectors feel about the people they're calling. That they are vermin who take money from other people and then absolutely refuse to pay them back. Instead, they hide in their little houses cowering and hoping the collectors will go away.

In fact, debt collection helps to keep our interest rates low on our own credit cards, mortgages, & loans. A certain amount of "bad debt expense" is assumed by all creditors. They also factor in the amount of money they'll be able to offset by selling some of that "bad debt" to collection agencies. The amount the creditor has to take as true "bad debt" gets lumped into all of our interest rates.

If collection agencies truly become ineffective business entities, as these laws seek to create, then all of the "bad debt" will be assumed by the initial creditors and interest rates will rise and credit restrictions will tighten. Meaning, we could see a one percent or more interest rate increase and creditors will raise the credit rating threshold, as they will be less likely to gamble on an applicant with a lower credit score. After all, somebody's got to pay for it. And that somebody will always be the consumer.

Then again, it is way more fun to sue everyone...so have at it you litigious society.

I'm sure debt collectors feel that the lowest form of life would be someone that borrows money from someone and then absolutely refuses to pay them back. Instead, they hide in their little houses cowering and hoping the collectors will go away.

These comments are all typical complaints. We all hate debt collectors when we owe money, we hate the cops when we get a ticket, we hate retail stores when they won't take our returns, we hate the I.R.S. when we're being audited, etc.

My advice to avoid these situations is to pay your debt, don't speed, don't have the audacity to try and return a product outside of a return policy and keep all your tax information filed for seven years. If you consider yourselves adults then you should act like adults.

I have done collections for a living, and I was good at it. I, however, was not aggressive, never used profanity or derogatory terms, and NEVER EVER threatened anyone. They paid me because I was willing to work with them and see them as fellow humans who hit a rough patch. Articles like this infuriate me.

Yoy appear to be missing a very important point or two here - If everyone paid thir bills like they agreed to when they applied for credit in the first place; there would be no need for these debt collectors by what ever name you wish to call them. They did not cause this debt or your circumstances; granted I do not think they should or should be allowed to abuse the debtor in any way - what they could do is contact the debtor, attempt to collect the debt in a civilized manner and when that fails, let the court decide what action should be taken. What property could or should be attached;any garnishment that is applicable, etc. But I think that would make you angry as well. We all have bad times, crisis, unexpected expenses; most of us have been there; but it is not the debt collector's fault that these things have happened to us. And we can't expect all debts to be forgiven just because these things have happened. Remember you might not have known you were going to have these hard times now, but neither did the company that fronted you the money or merchandise; else you could have called them all those names for not doing business with you to start with.

Obviously, you are not "debtfree" if you know all this. Pay your bills losers!!!!

9-Debt Free........did you go to school to learn to talk all that crap? That is pitiful language!!!!!

LOL! These anti-bill collector comments are hilarious. Poor you, you don't plan well for the future and spend money that you can't actually afford to spend, and then you spew your bile about having to pay what you owe. Are there some bad apples? Yes, but I worked as a bill collector for a number of years and I can say that 99.9% of us follow the correct protocol. All we want to know is: What is your situation, why have you been unable to pay? Can you commit to a date to pay part or all of what's owed? How much and when? Aside from that we just try to educate people on the consequences of their poor decision making and explain what is going on with their accounts.

You call us vultures and slimy rodents when we're just trying to make a decent living? Well I think the same thing about people who live beyond their means and then act like they're the victim. I don't care if you lost your job, had unexpected medical expenses, had to fix your car, whatever. You should have planned for the worst, always. Not to mention it's the people who lived beyond their means who are responsible for a lot of this financial crisis mess.