Job Hunt: Debt Collectors « Liveshots

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Job Hunt: Debt Collectors

November 25, 2009 - 11:43 AM | by: Laura Prabucki

Consider this. U.S. consumer debt is two and a half * TRILLION * dollars, with the average family finding itself $8,000-$10,000 in credit card debt. So it should come as no surprise that debt collection is one industry that is thriving in today's economy.

Companies are looking for collection agents and managers to work in all areas of debt collection including healthcare, auto, utilities, banking and finance.

"What happens is accounts grow when the economy is bad and you have to hire more agents to collect on those accounts, but they're not getting the same rate of return so you're chasing fewer dollars, " says Adam Peterman, ACA International's government affairs director.

Even though agencies say it's tougher to collect on accounts now, they believe it should hopefully be easier as the economy rebounds so there's long term employment potential here.

Medium-size agencies we spoke to were looking for about 15 or so workers, while some larger companies are hiring hundreds.

Some though, are having a tough time finding qualified people.

"In the last year, we've found that even though unemployment is up we find it tougher to find people, tougher to find not only qualified people, but just people that you can train, says Mike Sigal with the California Business Bureau in Monrovia, California.

So what skills do you need to succeed in this industry? Debt collection agencies are basically looking for good salespeople. They need someone who can do business on the phone, has good people and computer skills, and sensitive to people's privacy.

Average pay starts out about $15 an hour, but if you excel in this field, you can also make commission.

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Bowhuntntexas

yep, the law concerning C & D really works. Don't believe a thing the other moron wrote. It doesnt say you DON'T owe the money, only for the "collection agency" to cease communications with you. Budhibbs.com has a C & D that works effectively. And like someone else wrote, NEVER pay the collection agency, go back to the3 original creditor if you so feel inclined.

November 27, 2009 at 9:16 AM

Cease and Desist letters don't do a thing

Folks, don't listen to this StandingOvation crackpot. Every jurisdiction has statutes about how often and where a collection agency can contact you. As long as they are following these rules, they'll ignore your C&D letters. Eventually, I'll be at your door serving you court papers, and I don't have many restrictions. I can serve you anytime, anywhere. 3am on Christmas? Yep. At your work? Yep. And if you try to evade me, I'll publish it in the local newspaper and you'll be served that way. Send all the cease and desist letters you want; it won't accomplish anything.

November 27, 2009 at 12:59 AM

Bart the credit card process server

I actually love people who think like this: they are making me rich. Call me all the names you want. I'll cry all the way to the bank. You don't think the court can do anything to you if you don't have money? LOL! google LIEN! Eventually you'll have to get a job to eat and then they'll get their money. It may take awhile, but they can wait forever. They'll garnish it right out of your paycheck. Sure, keep your house in bankruptcy. Try to sell it down the road and there's that lien.

November 27, 2009 at 12:50 AM

StandingOvation

You would be surprised how often they do not get people to court before the S of Limitations. Just make certain you do not pay anything NOTHING on an old account before you check the S of L in your state; they vary and the banks, bloodsucking coll agencies do not keep very good records. In some states it is not worth the effort to sue (Texas, Florida, a few others). Bart is a tool for the bloodsuckers; consider that when you read his postings and NEVER pay a collection agency-NEVER NEVER!!

November 26, 2009 at 4:58 PM

More on Cease and Desist

The Cease and Desist only applies to the bloodsucking agency to which it was sent. You may find that the letters start again when they sell or give the account to another bloodsucking agency for collection. Simply send another one. Registered. Keep good records. The more the bloodsuckers trade around accounts the more chance they screw up and better the chance YOU can Sue THEM. Pray they violate it. KEEP GOOD RECORDS. Cease and Desist is YOUR friend but they do not want you to know that!!!

November 26, 2009 at 12:14 PM

NEVER PAY A COLLECTION AGENCY--NEVER NEVER NEVER

If you can get Benjamin Dover's paperback book, cheap and full of good information on how to deal with collection agencies. First, never pay a collection agency. Use Cease and Desist. Always us certified mail. Know and make use of Statute of Limitations. Don't be afraid of them or their "lawyers". If these lawyers would any good they would be working as lawyers instead of glorified "knee-breakers". Learn and use your rights. Block their calls. Make the bastard work. NEVER NEVER NEVER pay a collection agency. NEVER!!!

November 26, 2009 at 11:43 AM

Misty Fisty

I have to agree with DUMBFOUNDED ,scary to know that idiots (previous bloggers) exist in large numbers Yes, of course they're the ones that voted for Mr. O. Good for "STILL EMPLOYED" in Montana. I'm a former debt collector ( with a new profession ) of many years , it was a prosperous job in California long time ago, until Corporations decided to use Automatic dialers , cheap labor (college students- with no experience), outsourcing (agencies). Eventually all jobs will be lost to automation!

November 26, 2009 at 11:32 AM

CEASE and DESIST IS YOUR FRIEND

Google it. It will stop the bloodsuckers in their tracks, it is free and it is your right under Federal Law. Use registered mail because most collection agencies are not honest or they would not be in this business. If you owe and have not paid for some time-ie, two years DO NOT PAY before checking statute of limitations in your state. If it has passed they can sue you but will not be SUCCESSFUL based on that fact. LEARN AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS because you are not dealing with honest people.

November 26, 2009 at 11:28 AM

Misty Fisty

I have to agree with DUMBFOUNDED ,scary to know that idiots (previous bloggers) exist in large numbers Yes, of course they're the ones that voted for Mr. O. Good for "STILL EMPLOYED" ... I'm a former debt collector ( with a new profession ) of many years , it was a prosperous job in California long time ago, until Corporations decided to use Automatic dialers , cheap labor (college students- with no experience), outsourcing (agencies). Eventually all jobs will be lost to automation!

November 26, 2009 at 11:24 AM

StandingOvation

There are some blanket statements on this board. Collection on a judgment entirely depends on where one lives. In some areas the court will order that the judgment will require one to almost give up the shirt off of your back and in other areas one can live in a mansion and drive a Rolls and there is little the bloodsuckers can do; Texas and Florida come to mind. If one owes and can't or does not want to pay but is tired of the calls and letters the CEASE and DESIST letter; One's best friend

November 26, 2009 at 11:20 AM

StandingOvation

Your point is true but ONLY TO A POINT. The banks offer a little hoping the debtor will make one mistake so they can enslave him for the rest of his life trying to pay off what was a small debt in the beginning. Every debtor in this country should stop paying ALL unsecured debt. What would be bloodsucking banks do then? Probably ask for more government money. People should pay what is owed. They should not pay these outragous fees which take a $1k debt to $10K in a short period of time.

November 26, 2009 at 11:13 AM

Bart the credit card process server

For ten years I've paid cash for everything. I owe NOBOBY in this world a dime. Ironically, I also serve court documents on people for credit card debt and I'm raking in the money. I'll make well over 75K this year. The other day I applied for a really nice apartment. They ran my credit history and I was DENIED because I had "insufficient credit history" because I had paid cash for everything the last ten years. LOL! Of course, I'm lucky enough to be able to pay cash for the whole year and be done with it. But the point is "they" want you to carry credit card debt and they will deny you an apartment or car or mortgage unless you have a credit history. But at the same time they'll pay me an obscene amount to serve the papers to get the debtors into court. It's just the way it is. Remember, you have to know the rules of the game to win at the game.

November 26, 2009 at 10:56 AM

StandingOvation

The above comment is not entirely correct. What a collection agency or credit card company can come after depends on the state in which the debtor resides. For example, even with a judgment in the states of Texas, Florida if you overall assets are under a certain amount (I believe to be about 100K) there is nothing even a judgment does. One is considered judgment proof and your primary home is protected even past that. It just depends on which state in which the debtor resides.

November 26, 2009 at 10:44 AM

Travis Hamlin

Before you decide to stop paying on any of your bills consider that If you own a home they will come after it amd get it, even if you owe a morgage on your home. They will force it into court and force it to be sold. If you do not owe on your home they will also force you into court and the judge will order it sold to the highest bidder and leave you without a place to lay you and your families heads. Many of the new homeless on the streets were once lower middle class. Credit card companies and banks are scum of the earth and will stop at nothing to destroy your life. I once was in dept to credit card companies and they slipped a clause into my payment form that we have the right to pay their dept off without falling under the new higher interest rate of 18%. Many of us didn't notice the paper slipped in with all the other junk they send and bam!! 18% even if you had not been late on a payment. If you think credit card payments are bad try it with 18% interest rate. Now days can can charge ut to 28% interest if you late one time. That what they are really after. You can never pay it back at that rate. If you owe $3,000.00 on a credit card and they raise your rate to 28% your monthly interest along would be 28% of your $3,000.00 dept every month. Its not good-paying customers that bring in the big bucks its those who are late one time. They intend to slowly bleed you and our country to death without mercey. The life game always intends to bleed the poorer people to death. There's only so much money in this country and those who have all the money usually haven gained it on the backs of those of us who have little of it. Yes, I'm unemployed but I cannot see myself bleeding the rest of use to death. The banks cherry picked Americans who would probably never have a chance to have the great american dream of being a home owner by offering them a loan they knew they could never repay and bleed them to death when they couldn't pay with their fees and increased interest rates. It backfired though but not to fear if your rich the obama administration bailed the bast@rds out and place the dept back on our backs once again. Be rich, be poor, but never be in the middle. That's where the real blood bath takes place.

November 26, 2009 at 10:10 AM

Chris Nance

Slavery is alive and well today. It is a equal opportunity institution. Just run up credit card debt and pay the minimum monthly due.

November 26, 2009 at 10:03 AM

jreppoh

I say to hell with the collectors! I had awesome credit a few years back and forgot and made a late payment and all my credit card rates went way up. I tried to work it out and payed the late charge and the bank put my rate back,but the other 2 credit cards would not! Then I became sick but was still trying to pay, but they wouldn't work with me at all.I say let it sit on your credit report for 7 years and look at your states statue of limitations and to heck with them they can't get what you don't have! I do prefer to pay my bills and do so but the banks are so greedy with the late charges and overdraft fee,s that some people would never be able to get them payed. I only ran into one collector that was human and after she and I had worked out an agreement they said she was sent to another department and I was to deal with this new jerk. He called and called and was rude as hell till I told him F- you and that was that!

November 26, 2009 at 8:14 AM

Daniel Scott

Reading other posts, I agree with the person that says not to pay the banks. Time the working people take back the USA. If collectors really helped consumers instead of themselves, that's one thing, but they don't. They buy bad debt trying to make a profit for themselves and harrass people after banks have already socked them with every imaginable fee in the world. A small debt of $500 can easily go to the thousands. Debt collectors profit off of other people's suffering. You want to do that job, fine, but don't try to spin it that you're somehow doing the world good when it was the banks with their greed that almost brought our once proud nation down. And they have the nerve to ask from the same people that they bilked for a bail out using tax payer dollars? You don't think the public is a bit angry at banks, and the collectors that represent their debt? Sorry, you are in a job that deserves some of America's anger vented at you. Outside of the horror and pain that was caused to the victims of 9/11 by that murderer Osama Bin Laden did, but you almost have to think he would have been better off hiring 20 bankers instead of hijackers - because the banks have done more damage to our economy than he ever could do (which was his goal). I hope he and anyone associated with him are brought to justice. But some bankers and their associates need to be as well. And the bankers are Americans - owning oil trading firms that sent oil to $149/bbl so that terrorists in oil countries can have more profits to kill our troops. Now that's patriotic, right? So, expect to hear an earful if I ever get a call from you as a collector. You represent the banks - You took the job - You can listen to our anger which somehow banks don't seem to hear themselves. Not fair? Remember, you called me.

November 26, 2009 at 5:54 AM

RalphyBoy

Why anyone would want these jobs is beyond me. I once had a debt collector tell me he would ruin my life to the point I couldn't buy a piece of gum on credit. Screw all of them and the big businesses whose bidding they do.

November 26, 2009 at 3:47 AM

Daniel Scott

So, people here without a job want a job to harrass others who have lost their job? The big banks screw the poor to give to the rich. PBS had a good report just the other day about this. The bankers that make these decisions to rip off people should be the ones out of a job. So when you people that want this job get chewed out for calling someone down on thier luck, don't reply with that tired old line "I'm just doing my job". Hey, you took the job, you get paid for it, and if you do the banks bidding, be prepared to get an ear full. Just doing my job - I'm sure that some Germans said that at the consentration camps too - bet it made the jews feel better, right?

November 26, 2009 at 3:19 AM

Anthony Martello

Are there any direct links to companies that are hiring in this field?

November 26, 2009 at 2:31 AM

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