They don't care about sending them detailed reports of their calls.. trust me.. they swap callers, use different numbers.. even send your file to different provincial offices they have set up. They are relentless to the uninformed and will drive you crazy.. I know.. they did it to me..

Then I found out how to stopped them dead in their tracks.. without so much as a phone call.. guaranteed.

http://collectorblock.ca/

I have read a number of complaints from people that have collection agencies calling them about debts belonging to other people and trying to get them to stop calling. It was forums like this that helped me figure out what to do to stop them. So here is what I did:

1. First I communicated to the collection agency when they called that the person they were seeking was not at this number. I did that on two occasions. They kept calling anyways;

2. Out of frustration I started researching forums to see what others did and I contacted my provincial consumers protection agency and filed a complaint as suggested in one of the postings.

3. Consumer Protection sent back instructions on what to do to contact the collection agency to verify I was not the person owing money as per provincial regulations. The collection agency needs to somehow confirm you are not who they are looking for in the province I live in. That is the law in the province I reside.

4. I then allowed the calls to continue for the next 14 days. I recorded the time, telephone number, and date of every call. I received 3 calls a day, every day, except Sunday.

5. At the end of 14 days I contacted the collection agency and asked for their legal department.

6. A collection officer answered, I asked for their fax number, the name of the collection officer and legal counsel, and e-mail address. When he asked what it was about I communicated a legal matter. I said nothing else.

7. I then sent a e-mail outlining all calls, times, and dates to the collection officer and their legal counsel. I then stated the person that they were looking for was not at this number, that I did not subscribe to their clients services (they also called looking for someone else), and all calls were to stop immediately.

8. I then informed them unless I received a e-mail indicating that the calls would stop, the only communication they would have with me is through the provincial consumer affairs department or legal counsel.

9. I then went to Staples and faxed the e-mail to the collection agency and got confirmation that they had received the fax.

10. I went home and sure enough there was another call.

11. I went back onto the internet and found the Presidents name and then found his e-mail.

12. I sent him a e-mail informing him that I received another call, I had spoken to a representative of his company, I attached the entire e-mail history from the point of making my complaint to the Consumer Protection Agency to the e-mail to his Collection Officer. I informed him I knew the fax was received and I was proceeding with the complaint because I received another call. They were given enough notice and one additional call was one call too many.

13. Within 20 minutes I received a very polite and professional e-mail back from the President indicating all calls would be stopped immediately and that it was a priority.

14. Through every step I copied Consumer Protection and the President copied them on his response.

I have not received a call since and I thanked the President for his follow-up. If you are professional, do a little research on the internet, do what your provincial consumer protection agency says, they will go away. No need to really talk to them at all. Simply tell them once or twice you are not the person, file the complaint, do what Consumer Protection tells you, and document.

After receiving the information from Consumer Protection I was able to do everything else in less than a day. I started at 12:30 p.m. and had the e-mail from the President by 7:00 p.m. the same day. Just takes a little patience, and persistence.

Thank you to all those persons that posted comments on what they learned. Those comments helped give me the information to resolve this problem.

Hey Thaiboxer,,

Thanks...
At one time I went to the YMCA 3-5 days a week and had a personal trainer there.
Over a 3 year period I gained 25 lbs doing that..
It's more stress related than working out...

I'm cutting out alot of stress even as we speak... alot of stress = weight gain.

Montee,

Find a Muay Thai Gym in your area. I've seen guys lose 50 pounds in a few months with the right diet. No word of a lie. Martial arts are the way to go about losing weight.
I have sweat out 5 pounds in an hour.
What city are you in again? I can find you a good gym there.

PB.

Raymond,

LOL,

Sitting in front of a computer 7 days a week is not optimum for a person's weight.

I'm hoping to change all that with my new life simplification process!!

More money + less work = work out at the gym more.

Ray,

Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?

PB.

OK Monty, fair enough - the camera added 50 pounds to your picture. I believe you; but where did that other 50 pounds come from?

Ray

Angella,

Maybe you haven't read my other posts so don't know what I’m all about.

I truly enjoy pulling the stunts I pull. It actually puts a smile on my face. And I'm fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to take a few minutes a day to play with the agents like I do.

In response to taking them to court…. Aside from spending the few minutes a day amusing myself over the phone with them, they aren't worth me spending one second starting any kind of legal proceedings over a $400 debt that may or may not be mine.

They can call me every day for the rest of my natural born life, and I will continue to call them back. Not because it makes a difference, but because it amuses me.

PB.

No, I don't think it's right. I do think you should protect yourself... and you're not doing so now.

If you've told them that the debt is not yours... and it truly isn't then file a small claims suit. They're not expensive to file and you can handle it all yourself so you don't have to pay a lawyer. Plus they're designed for Joe on the Street to get his matters in front of a judge... so they're more forgiving.

If it is statsbarred then, again, you will have fodder for a lawsuit. Ask them for the detailed statement. They won't be able to provide it if you are correct in the stats barred thing... then you can call them for as long as it entertains you and ask for it. You can ask how long you are expected to wait for this nonexistent piece of paper. When they don't provide it to you then you have even more fodder... once you're done putting them on the other end of the harassment stick - especially if the continue to send collection letters and/or try to collect.

Honestly... if the debt's not yours you wouldn't know it is stats barred. When you use multiple conflicting tactics it does start to sound like you're not being entirely truthful. Place the shoe on the other foot... place them on the defensive.

If you've been harassed by them, why would you not want to hit them where they're really gonna feel it?

Montee, don't listen to Ray.
You can't all be underwear models like me ;)

PB.