All collectors, whether in-house or outside, use a variety of interesting techniques. Some are perfectly legal, most are unethical, and too many are illegal but are practiced anyway.
The more information a collector can gather about you, the more likely he is to collect the debt or at least ascertain whether or not it is collectible. When he first contacts a debtor, he will try to get as much data as he can. First he will call you at work. If you no longer work with the employer listed on your original credit application, he will try your home number. Questions such as "Do you still live at . . ." and "Are you married" will usually precede the demand for payment. Listen carefully to the questions but don't answer any. Take note of what he asks you; because that is information he either does not have or is unsure of. Try not to confirm anything but simply insist on talking about the debt Meter you've explained how dire your circumstances are, offer a payment plan, if you are able. The collector will almost always ask for more, usually an outrageously large amount Tell him you can only afford what you've offered. He'll probably threaten you with legal action or worse.
Tell the collector that if he takes action, you will be forced into bankruptcy. If you can't pay, tell the agent you can't and that he should not contact you anymore. He will anyway, so be sure to write certified letters to the collection agency requesting no further contact over the telephone but only in writing at the address given. Any demands made or actions threatened should be in writing, something collectors are hesitant to do. If you continue to be harassed, write the original creditor, the state attorney general, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Collection Agency Regulatory Board in your state. If you are getting threatening phone calls, contact the police and the phone company and have a tap placed on your phone. Any more such calls will be prosecuted as an obscene phone call would be.
If a debtor can't be found, collectors have a variety of ways of locating him. The first clue to a debtor's disappearance is returned mail and/or a disconnected telephone number. A "skip trace" is initiated with a review of the original application. The employer who was listed will be called, as will the references, and the address listed may be physically inspected. The collector can use a reverse directory to get the telephone numbers of neighbors, who may be interviewed to try to find the skip's location. If these attempts are unsuccessful, a credit report will be run for additional information. Any other creditors on the list will be called to see whether they have any other current information. This last measure is an invasion of privacy on a tremendous scale. Many creditors will release personal information over the telephone to just about anyone who calls claiming to be a fellow bill collector. TRW and other credit bureaus facilitate this transfer by providing the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all your creditors to any other subscriber who requests them. As has been noted, this can include just about anyone willing to pay the fee to set up a terminal. (One creditor I interviewed claimed that there is actually a "skip list" published somewhere--a list of the names of "deadbeats"-which is passed from firm to firm. As of the time of publication I've been unable to confirm the existence of this list, but if it is real, it is almost certainly in direct violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which would require its disclosure to consumers.) Voter registration and motor vehicle records are also available to collection agencies and may list your most current address. It is very difficult, in the computer age, just to walk out on your debts. Unless you are able to relocate without letting your employer or any reference you have ever given or your neighbors know where you are going, you will eventually be found It is a much better strategy to confront your problems, know the laws that protect you as a consumer, and conquer the fear you may have of confrontation. Of course, the harder it is for a collector to locate you, the better, so don't give information to anyone over the phone and do get a private drop box and an unlisted phone number, as discussed earlier. Have all motor vehicle statements and other traceable mail, as well as your forwarding address, go to the box. Don't give your residence address out to anyone. Instruct the owner of the mailbox outlet not to accept certified mail. Avoid coming to your box at the same time every day, and try to go there before or after business hours. This box. and a rented voicemail service, will allow collectors to contact you on your terms and will help eliminate harassment. Collectors will continue to harass you if they can find you, but there are methods to deal with them.
