Perhaps write them a letter indicating you disput the debt; therfore, you'll require proof of the debt before you discuss the matter any further.

Best bet would be to send the letter in via registered mail, or fax it to their office - this way you have confirmation of it's arrival.

Perhaps this is in the wrong area im not quite sure how this site works, but I got a letter from a company called CBV collection services claiming that I owe them nearly $2000 which makes no sense to me since im not in any debt as far as I know and there is no reason I should be, I've bin trying to look things up on them and this came up so I decided to post. So little input?

Or get an unlisted number. But don't ever call them from that unlisted number because many have ANI (automatic number recognition) that can defeat call screening. Also don't give the new number to anyone who reports to the credit bureau because they share data.

If you have to call them do it from another phone.

Ray

Thanks Ray,

I have stopped writing letters and I've stopped talking to them as well because they just get more information yo use against me. What I do is leave my phone unplugged and only return calls when it changes hands. It doesn't seem to matter who hangs up on who. Last summer every time TCR called I'd start yelling and they'd hang up, but kept calling until January 2007. Now I'm just going to not return calls, write letters or acknowledge them in anyway. I've tried everything. Nothing works. So will only call when it changes hands, in order to find out which angency claims to represent the CIBC.

Thanks for all your advise.

Christine

I agree, just concentrate on getting well, but try not to write any more letters.

Ray

Dear Ray

I didn't mean to offend you with my comment about "fuddle duddle". Neither did I men to imply that you enjoy "arguing with the collection agencies:. All I meant was right now I am so tired and vunerable, every conversation I have with these weasels justs adds to my depression. when I'm stronger, I'm much better at telling these jerks to FO and Die to the point that they do hang up.
I understand everything you are saying. When the account changes hands I do return their call as I like to know what the little weasels are up to. I have checked with the Credit Counselling Society of BC. If the CIBC or collection agency wants to take me to court they have to send me legal documents. If that happens I will contact legal aid.

The reality is I cannot worry about what is going to happen on the account. I need to focus on getting health back. At that point, I will be in a better position to deal with it.

Ciao
Christine

Betcha if it was a nickel instead of a needle, a collector could find it.

Ray

raymond,
I'm going to try to figure out why you're dropping your userid...

Yikes.. it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

:)

BTW... if I see that your userid has dropped, I am just manually pasting it in for you.

I'm neither English nor a fan of Pierre Elliot Trudeau; but then I don't like Castro either.

With everything I say, there's a reason behind it.

I know full well you don't like arguing with the bottom feeders - nobody does, including me. I didn't mean for you or anyone else to argue with them, I was thinking in terms of "giving it to them" or "making them pay" - that kind of thing. If you argue with them, they will just call you back ad nauseum.

However, when your account gets rotated to a fresh new agency, some mindless eager beaver will start the harangue all over again. Collection agency number six doesn't know or care about what happened with numbers 1 through 5. So when they initially call you up, unless you are proactive (and hanging up on them doesn't qualify since the idea is to get them to hang up on you), they will continue the harangue for another 6 months (if you don't nip it in the bud) until it goes to agency number 7.

The SOL (statute of limitation) period may have another 4 years remaining on it. It could be even longer depending on what you wrote in the letters you sent as they likely reacknowledged the debt.

The amount outstanding is 8 grand and climbing at 1500 bucks a year. So for that amount, they'll just keep on rotating it.

Your case is difficult and so you've got to accept that no solution to it is going to be perfect. Fortunately, you don't own a house or they'd be all over you threatening you to get a second refinance mortgage @ 18% - OR ELSE.

If you insist on communicating with them by writing, you may have to pay a heavy price. As I said, interest is compounding at horrendous rate and in four more years, they'll want around $15,300 and in 6 years, if you keep reacknowledging the debt, over $21,000. Are you going to be able to pay that? Or even be able to settle for a fraction of that? That's why I said that the best course of action for your situation is to find out when the limitation period began on your debt and ride it out.

Let your telephone be a buffer. After all, you want to know what's happening with it. A lot of agencies like TCR will try and sneak in a default judgement behind your back if they can. In this case, although the bank isn't going to sue you, it's hard to say what they might do if the amount built up to $15 or $20K several years down the road. Especially, since the small claims court limit in BC is $25K, a judgement could be obtained cheaply and expeditiously.

Anyhow, that's what I recommend that you do. I know it's not perfect but difficult situations don't lend themselves to perfect solutions. Still, in 4 years all of this could well be behind you.

One final note: you can expect the collection activity to die down for a while after 2 or 3 years and then, just when the debt is nearing the end of its limitation period,(or when they think it is), you can expect a flurry of activity from a law firm sending you a phoney court draft or a slew of threatening letters to pay up or else. That's the surest indication it's going to die out.

Ray

SOL = Statutes of Limitations