Mandy,

I am confused, maybe you can link to the specific resource, law or act you are quoting that compels collection agencies to furnish any recordings of conversations they have of the debtor.

Citing the specific portion of the act would be helpful to readers of this post.

Not true about the phone call copies.

I'm afraid the consumer is, in fact, entitled to any recorded conversations involving themelves - if they exist. At the very least, all collection agencies use electronic tracking logs or note files on the contents of every conversation you had with them. Even if you call and just hang up or try to block the call.

1) You are entitled to the following documents within 30 days with a registered letter to the financial institution or collection agency:

2) All their electonic AND hard copy notes on you as well as any information they received from the original creditor.

3) Any recorded telephone conversations

4) All credit reports they received on you

5) Incoming or outgoing correspondence on your file with other companies or agencies.

Global Collections is in Ontario, but they must also follow all BC provincial laws when collecting in BC such as the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act and BCBPA.

http://www.leg.bc.ca/37th5th/1st_read/gov02-1-pt07.htm

What is the point of all this? In itself, nothing really. Whether it's PIPEDA or Consumer Protection, all these government agencies are more or less shell organizations with employees sending out out endless reams of useless letters and forms. The same with the "compliance" officers at collection agencies and even the credit bureaus. Their real purpose is to ensure the credit industry runs efficiently. And it only does that when people pay their bills.

Even debt settlers and consumer lawyers are part of the enforcement team. A marked example, pointed out by Footloose, is that the Ontario Registrar of Collection Agencies, himself, used to be in collection enforcements. As well, so many individuals in the other credit fields and occupations started out in collections.

So don't be surprised at the evasive treatment you've gotten. Instead, be surprised if anyone in credit is upfront with you. Compliance officers from collection agencies like Global and Pomer & Boccia (and just about any other agency) are all sham positions. They are in the business of collecting debts and making huge commisions, not filling out useless information forms. Footloose discovered the same was true with compliance officers at the credit bureaus. They, too, are in the business of collecting massive fees from selling credit files to creditors and collection agencies, not complying with what for them are nuisance laws.

The real personal benefit to you of tying them up with obtaining file disclosures is obtaining proof that your initial payment was supposed to be payment in full on the account. Otherwise, they'll be hitting your credit file with hard inquiries for years to come in an effort to force you to pay.

this is what I wrote...(didn't demand, but requested...)

GLOBAL International Inc.
1490 Denison St.,
Markham, Ontario L3R 9T7

Attn: Compliance Officer

Re: Reference # ***** and #*****

I am hereby requesting a hard copy of any files pertaining to the above mentioned reference numbers, including all tracking notes on file and phone call records, mailed to me at the above address within 30 days from receipt of this letter.

Please accept this as notice that, pursuant to item 12.1 of the Harmonized List of Prohibited Collection Practices, you cease all further telephone communication with me regarding the collection of the above-noted debt. All future communication should be directed to me through written correspondence only at the above address. Your failure to honor this request may constitute a violation of the Collection Agencies Act and you are hereby notified that if you do not comply with this request, I will immediately file a complaint with the Registrar.

Yours truly,

__________________________

*********

Cc: Department of Justice Canada

Re: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act

Legislative Services Branch
284 Wellington Street, SAT-3
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8

Why do you think Global needs to give you a recording? How do you even know if they recorded the conversation?

If you demanded then you will not get what you want in 30day.

I demanded my file within 30 days of receipt of my letter and have cc'd it to the Dept. of Justice and mentioned PIPEDA. I also told them to only contact me by mail. I am so upset I really thought I would be debt free but this has totally screwed me up. And how convenient that I cannot reach a live agent to talk to when I'm calling them, but they can call me up to 3 times x day!!

I hope you have months to spare to get any answers, if any.

I was only able to reach a voicemail system, so I have decided to send a registered letter demanding a hard copy of my file. I will cc this to PIPEDA...thanks again...

Thank you for your reply I am going to phone them on my lunch break...I just don't know how they can get away with this!

Before you do anything further, call the compliance officer at Global (Manny Veligman it used to be, I don't know if he still is) and tell him they've got 30 days to give you a copy of the file they have on you including the tracking notes on the phone calls. They'll surely give you the runaround and do everything to avoid complying, but you've got to stand firm and send in a registered letter complaint to PIPEDA in Ottawa if they fail to follow the Federal law on this.

It may have been Natale Law Offices you were dealing with at the time - hard to say. But collectors will usually tell you anything you want to hear when it comes to earning their commission.

Irregardless, don't pay them any more money until you get your hands on a copy of your file from them, whatever threats may follow. Hopefully, they haven't altered it.