Bills, Bills, Bills and More Bills

Job or No Job

Regardless of having a job or not, the bills will keep rolling in. Bill collectors call and they do not care if there is very little income, coming in. They do not care that last week you had a job but this week you don’t. The why’s and how’s do not concern them at all. The only thing they are concerned about is… When will this bill, be paid?

The choices are:Get another job as quickly as possible, take out payday loans even though there is no real payday, sell whatever you can – what if you don’t have anything to sell? Don’t get into debt in the first place?

What can we tell the bill collector? You will get a payment as soon as I have something to give you. What do we say when they say, “That isn’t good enough?”

A few years ago, I was repaying a credit card debt. I was sending fifty dollars per month, even though technically and legally, I only had to pay them ten dollars per month. I had been sending fifty dollars per month for maybe six months and he knew I was making the payments as I would call and let him know with each payment submitted.

My last conversation with the fellow was the day he told me, “You might as well not make any payments at all.Fifty dollars a month only pays the interest.You need to pay the principle.”

I asked, “Are you telling me not to make any more payments?”

His response was, “Your payments are not worth my time. I want you to pay off the debt.”

My response to him was, “I can continue to send you fifty dollars a month which is what I prefer to do, I can send you the legal amount of ten dollars a month or I can send you nothing, as you have just said my fifty dollar per month is a waste. Which would you prefer?”

Again, he said, “I prefer that you send the entire amount you owe.”

I gave a little laugh, even though I knew he was being very serious and said, “Well as I have been telling you, that is not going to happen today, tomorrow or even next week.”

He came back saying, “If we do not have payment in full by the end of the week, we will proceed and take you to court.”

I don’t think he liked the last comment I made to him, “Well you do what you have to do and I will do what I have to do.”

I remember at one point asking, “Could I please speak with your supervisor?”

I was a little shocked when he said, “I am the supervisor.”

That was my last conversation with the young lad and I did send in a couple more payments or at least tried to. I am not sure why, but I was surprised when my next two fifty dollar payments were returned to my bank account. I never sent them another payment.

This bill collectors attitude and demeanor reminded me of a story I had heard about a man who owed a business two hundred and fifty dollars. The man had been diligently sending payment to the bill collector in an attempt to pay what was owed. However, the bill collector kept sending the cheques back with the word DECLINED stamped on it and a big red X on it. One day he received a subpoena, giving him a required to appear in court date and time. He went, taking with him an envelope with the declined cheques as well as the other letters and documents he had received, regarding the bill. The bill collector presented his facts and wanted the judge to order the man to pay the bill in full. The man also presented his facts and documents. It only took the judge 5 minutes to read and then say to the bill collector, “This man has presented declined payments in which he attempted to make and your office declined them. If these payments are not acceptable to you, then I must declare for this man. Case dismissed. You have now received your payment in full.”

So does this mean we should ignore the bills as they come in knowing we can’t pay them? No, of course not, but keeping in contact with the bill collectors, says much more than ignoring them. Most bill collectors, are very helpful, kind and will give extensions in regards to late payment. Be nice, be cooperative and don’t lose your temper with them, because they are just doing the job that they are hired to do.

Bernadette Pizzey

March 23, 2016

#bills #billcollectors #payments