My Neighbor's Keeper ( a rant ) - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

melra · 08-18-2005, 12:50 PM

I just needed to vent, but if anyone has any comments or suggestions on this, I would appreciate it.

I got a call last night from a young sounding man who said he was worried b/c he couldn't get ahold of my elderly widowed neighbor and it was urgent. He said he was out of town and had tried to call her often for the past few days. I barely know her really, but I said I could jot down a note and see if she was okay. Then he sounded relieved and after I got his name and number I asked if he wanted me to note anything else and he said "Just that her business has gone to pot." Creditor. A Creditor! I felt so stupid! I was worried that I was going to knock on my neighbor's door and find a passed out old woman on the floor and it's a creditor!

Now, I am all about personal responsibility. It's one of the reasons I came to a board like this because I am holding myself responsible for my weight and health. But I don't understand why my dinner gets interrupted ( my very sensible dinner, btw ! ) to do a favor for a creditor. I looked them up online and they are a loan company that specializes in high risk "everyone approved" "bankruptcy okay!" high interest car loans. Predatory. And now I know too much about this little old lady's finance problems.

I called the guy back and told him in no uncertain terms that I thought it was repugnant that he would not only try to deceive me about the reason for his call but also that he would even try to get me to volunteer to help his business do their business. I also told him that because I have great credit and no business with him, he should have no business with me. He called me rude and hung up on me. I'd like to send him a bill for my time.

btw-I have spoken to her and I referred her to a local nonprofit debt counselling org.

Apparently I am not the only one on the block this company has called. I've tried to look up a few sites on fair debt collection, but since I'm not the one with the debt, nothing really pertains to me. I was steaming mad last night!

Does anyone have any experience with this? And does anyone else know if there is anything else I can do? Sorry this post was so long--thanks!

yume · 08-18-2005, 01:01 PM

actually such practices are not uncommon...esp with other companies buying out loans and going so far as to make threats to people who do not pay up

not sure if you want to help your neighbor anymore, but i would start by filing a report to the FTA (federal trade commision)

I work for a federal office and they actually usually do take complaints seriously, especially if this loan company has other compaints on file

http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

melra · 08-18-2005, 01:34 PM

yume~ thank you for your post and the link! So do you have to deal with yappers like me all day? yeesh!

On the one hand, I know there's probably very little I could accomplish on this, but on the other...grrrr...
I was trying to figure out if this in any way pertains to the do not call registry. Probably not, since they weren't actually soliciting anything.
thanks again!

KarenH · 08-18-2005, 03:49 PM

Wow. Deception does not sit well with me. Especially when he led you to believe she was in danger. I'd be livid, and calling whomever I could find to call about it!! I doubt his supervisor will be of much help, since he's probably the one who did the training

. The FTC sounds like a good start!

HamSandwich · 08-18-2005, 10:09 PM

"(b) COMMUNICATION WITH THIRD PARTIES. Except as provided in section 804, without the prior consent of the consumer given directly to the debt collector, or the express permission of a court of competent jurisdiction, or as reasonably necessary to effectuate a postjudgment judicial remedy, a debt collector may not communicate, in connection with the collection of any debt, with any person other than a consumer, his attorney, a consumer reporting agency if otherwise permitted by law, the creditor, the attorney of the creditor, or the attorney of the debt collector."

taken from: http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm

You should also go here: http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs27plus.htm and get familiar with your state laws on the subject.

HamSandwich · 08-18-2005, 10:15 PM

Actually, it doesn't look like Kansas has a state law regarding debt collection. I assume that's where you are based on your profile.

melra · 08-18-2005, 10:40 PM

Well, maybe. I mean, my neighbor and I are in KS, but this company is based in Minnesota, so I'll have to figure out which state statutes apply. Thanks a lot for that link, though. I'm definitely going to read through this. I'm hoping that I actually have a legit complaint and that I'm not just being witchy, which I'm kinda inclined to be when I get annoyed

. I'm probably going to write a letter anyway and then call that guy back to get his address so I can send him a copy. That's nice, right?

I feel bad that my neighbor can't manage her finances, but I know you can't just ignore this stuff, either. I'm printing out a couple of articles for her--I hope she doesn't get offended, but she did seem sort of desparate when I talked to her.

HamSandwich · 08-19-2005, 05:12 AM

You're welcome.

She's not alone. I think most Americans are in debt these days- myself included. It only takes a couple of events you aren't prepared for to get you in the hole.

barbygirl43 · 08-19-2005, 04:10 PM

OMG I would be livid as well and would've done exactly what you did. Of course by that point I wouldn't have had my head about me and would've called back and asked for a manager.

She should also have some recourse as well. I'm sure this is embarrassing to know that now her neighbors know her financial business. You might also direct her that FTC info you get.

kykaree · 08-19-2005, 05:18 PM

OMG (again!) do you not have a data Protection Act in the US??? In UK or Australia if a financial company disclosed details like that, they could be imprisoned!!!

What an awful situation, which you handled with aplomb, might I add.

I am still a bit dumfounded, and well done you for giving the old lady some help with debt counselling. I don't think many people would have done that.

diamond_girl · 08-23-2005, 09:51 AM

Doncha Love creditors... I have them calling MY Number because the people in our HOUSE before us owe something. I get their mail from creditors (which I put back as no longer at this address, but the coup de gras was when they called my NUMBER!!!! (which they must have looked up via the address) and asked for these person. I told them that No one by that name was living here, bu they insisted saying they really needed to talk to them. I explained that again there was no one by that name living here and that we had been here with this number and address for two years. I guess they thought I was lying.

Argh, why should I be bothered by someone elses credit problem, so I know exactly what your going through.

I think that you can go to BBB and report them because that cannot be legal.

mauvaisroux · 08-25-2005, 02:19 PM

I would give the other people on your block that link too and all of you should report that company.

They have no right to try to enlist you to do their dirty work or to involve you in someone else's personal business. It's in a dirty trick to pull on you and an invasion of privacy for that poor lady.