No that is okay i found out the information I needed thanks, i used the link that you posted and did some research. Is there any collection agencies that are honorable? Thanks for the help Ottawa

Janet,

Debts are either assigned or sold to agencies, and each agency has different business models for the type of debts they take on. That said, if you go to MJR's website, you'll see that they work with both assigned accounts, and they also purchase accounts. On top of that, they offer payroll services, too..

Debt buyers are goverened by a different set of rules. In MJR's case, it could very well be that they are obligated to follow one set of rules for assigned accounts (Ontario: Collection agencies act http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90c14_e.htm#BK25), and perhaps the looser set of rules for purchased account. Exactly which law governs 'debt buyers' is slipping my mind right now though. I have this in my notes for the Debt collectors Act http://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-d4/latest/), but it doesn't appear to be the full content - It only discusses the Penalty for issuing imitations of court forms (like the ones Deanna Natale sends out with the Red Seal in the upper right corner).

Humm... I don't think I'll be digging into this area tonight, but maybe by the end of the weekend if time permits.

O.C.

is that with any collection agency or just mjr? so all collection agency buy the debt so once it goes to a collection agency the debt has been bought and can not really be collected or is there a time frame on that or is that just after the statue of limitation is off.

This company is a debt purchaser so it is important that you know who your original debt was with. Most likely MJR 'bought' the debt for 4-7cents on the dollar and the lender doesn't care any more about their debt. As far as the lender is concerned that account is closed.

So companies like MJR are not into client relationship management - they could care less. And they could care less about the rules. Additionally, they will charge you interest exorbitantly (interest they don't have a right to charge), they will collect on accounts past the statutes of limitations, they will lie to credit bureaus, they will enhance the debt amount artificially - far beyond the orginal amount - sometimes 2 to 3 times the original debt amount and charge inflated interest and fees on top of that, they will google you and seek you out on social network sites where they will webpublish that they are a collection agency and you are not responding to them after linking up with you or with someone in your network in an attempt to embarrass you publicly but legally, they will tell your employer that you are deadbeat, they will find your friends and family and tell them the same, they will call you at midnight and on weekends, they will call you on holidays, they will attempt to find all your phone numbers and call you on all of them, they will be rude and harassing, once they know your employer they will call random phone numbers or the main switchboard and leave messages that you are not returning their calls for a debt that you are trying to avoid paying or a business deal that you are reneging or on child support that you should be paying even if you don't have a child. They could care less about spreading lies about you.

My advice is not to answer any call from them at all and to block their number if you can do that. If you were unfortunate to make contact with them, ask them for proof that you still owe a debt. They won't have any of that since they bought the debt which means they only bought basic data from the lender, nothing else. So if they threaten to sue you, tell them to go ahead - they have no proof that you owe them any money and the original lender isn't going to be bothered since they sold the debt and to them the account is closed.

I would get a telephone recorder and record your calls. The agency should get the hint that your family member no longer lives with you. If you know where your family member lives; I would give the collection agency their address and telephone number. This debt is not your problem and you should not being getting harassed.

I have been receiving harrassing calls from MJR for a debt that belongs to another family member. My address was the last address this person had, but has since moved out...on bad terms. I have requested that they please take my name off the file, that the debt is not mine, but they continue to call. Today I had a person called Erin Smaller call from this agency who was so rude he just infuriated me! When I attempted to call back to the receptionist and ask for his supervisor, I was put on hold and then forwarded to voice mail. I attempted to call this Erin person back as well and was again forwarded to voicemail. I am not saying that this family member should not have to be responsible for their own mistakes, but truly this loan should never have been allowed in the first place. I was not called then for a reference, but now it is okay to harrass me because they cannot get payment. Why do creditors not have to be responsible when giving these loans in the first place?

That's the stuff that makes me so angry.. when people are trying legitimately to pay off their debts, taking it seriously ,and they're still taken advantage of.. geez..

Sorry about the situation, too, Amanda.

They won't give you a letter of release. They took your money and applied as a payment. The only way you’re going to get a letter of release, if you give them some more money and next time get that in writing before you hand over the money.

Shorty - plain and simple. They didn't settle. You may have been told that they would settle but without a settlement offer in writing previous to your payment being received (and proof it was processed) they don't have to keep up any verbal agreement.

Yes I know they said they will settle or "make it go away" if you made that larger payment but this a classic scam a lot of collectors use to try and get people to pay quicker. The message stating "your payment was received" is just that... a message stating your "payment" was received. Sorry.

I have two fax confirmations showing my payments as well as two receipts from the bank. The last amount they gave me was a very specific amount as well, right down to cents. How can i get them to give me my letter of release? I also have proof on my answering machine telling me they received my payment and nothing else about needing more.