The following is a recording of a phone call with debt collector NCO Financial who was attempting to collect on a debt more than thirteen (13) years old. It was recorded after the debt collector made various phone calls and left messages to the consumer about the old debt.
Recorded Call with NCO Financial Systems
Are you a victim of unfair collection practices? Contact us for free legal representation! We collect all fees from the debt collectors not you! We stop the harassment immediately. You may also be entitled to money damages of as much as $1,000 and other damages. Unless you want the calls/letters to continue, call us!
Four hundred million times a year, employees of a little-known company called NCO dial the telephone “just to talk.”
NCO’s hope: A simple chat will convince people to pay old debts.
“We have to strike a bond with someone,” said the company’s CEO, Michael Barrist. “We want them to explain their situation to us, and we’re going to try to work out an arrangement that they and the client can live with. That is our goal, so that they can pay our client.”
Despite the best wishes of Barrist, the world’s largest debt collection company generates thousands of consumer complaints about its practices each year and has paid settlements of $1.8 million to federal and state authorities.
But officials at NCO Group, based in the Philadelphia suburb of Horsham, Pa., insist that NCO takes pains to follow state and federal laws. Abuses by NCO collectors are the exception, not the rule, Barrist said.
“People have a perception of what and who the debt collector is,” Barrist said. “That’s not us.”
With unemployment and foreclosures rising, Americans now face more pressure from debt collectors, who must work harder to squeeze out payments in lean times, according to consumer advocates and industry experts. Consumers are increasingly complaining about debt collection practices to the Federal Trade Commission, and many of those complaints are levied against the industry giant, NCO, which employs 15,000 debt collectors worldwide and holds 600 million to 1 billion collection accounts at any time.
“We clearly understand that people don’t like being called by collection agencies,” Barrist said. “And we can’t make it a pleasant experience because nobody’s ever going to say, ‘Gee, I’m glad you called today.’ But we try very, very hard to make sure it’s done professionally.”
Since 2007, NCO has generated 7,964 consumer complaints to the FTC, nearly twice as many any other debt collection company.
Many of the complaints claim the company violated federal law by misrepresenting debt, repeatedly calling other people, and failing to send written notice, according to the FTC records.
Furthermore, the rate of complaints against NCO is rising faster than the collection industry as a whole. During 2009, all debt collection complaints to federal authorities are on track to increase 6 percent over 2007. In the same time period, complaints against NCO have risen 23 percent.
“I think we have the best record in the industry, statistically,” Barrist said, since the company handling the most accounts is likely to have the most complaints. “With that said, I take every one of these complaints seriously. I’m a big believer that regardless of whether NCO is at fault or not, the first thing we should be doing is saying we’re sorry and hearing what is going on.”
The FTC disciplined NCO in 2004 with a civil penalty for $1.5 million for misreporting consumer information to the credit reporting agencies, according to the FTC. Barrist blamed the blunder on another collection company, now-defunct Commercial Financial Services, which had worked the debts before NCO.
In 2006, Pennsylvania authorities settled with NCO after the company generated 800 complaints over a two-year period. NCO paid the state $300,000 and promised to follow the law. A spokesman for the FTC declined to say if it is taking any action against NCO, and a spokesman for the Pennsylvania’s attorney general office said it doesn’t have any pending cases against NCO.
Founded in 1926 as National Collection Office by Barrist’s grandfather, the company has grown explosively in the last two decades. In 1991, NCO had 63 employees, according to a company profile at the time. Now, it has 34,000 employees, about half of whom work in collections, according to Barrist.
Consumer advocates argue that the only way to get results in tough times is to be as aggressive as possible. Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, points out that NCO pays its collectors in part based on how much money they can recover.
“You’re going to see lots of bad behavior,” Rheingold said. “Institutionally, you have created a system that will encourage abusive behavior and harassment.”
Barrist disagrees. Outrageous tactics don’t work — and they hurt a collection company’s bottom line, he says.
“If you’re abusive to them on the phone, they’re not going to pay you,” he said. “All it does is start a whole chain of complaints and problems for the company.”
Original article here: Scripp News
If you or someone you know is feeling harassed by NCO, you do have rights. Please contact us or call us at 1-800-NOT-FAIR for free legal help.
A post from the Lemon Law Blog concerning car companies making collection calls on delinquent car loans:
Are Car Companies Calling You To Collect Cash?
…collection calls are on the rise. At 1-800 LEMON LAW, we are receiving a number of calls from consumers who are fed up with collection calls…
Make sure you learn what you can do to protect yourself and don’t be shy, contact us if you need help to stop debt collector harassment.
After Mr. McLeod fell behind on his mortgage payments, the frequent and harassing calls from a debt collector caused a Tampa man’s blood pressure and stress levels to rise to unhealthy levels. His wife is claiming that the abusive debt collection calls contributed to his death after her husband had a massive heart attack and had to quit his job for health reasons. She claims the debt collection company called 10-12 calls a day. Read the full story here:
Tampa Woman Says Debt Collector Stressed Husband to Death
There is nothing more bothersome or stressful than having debt collectors call and threaten you. Pay up or we will alert your neighbors. Pay up or we will contact your family. Pay up or we will garnish your wages. The threats get more and more vindictive with each call, and often these collectors act in such a heartless way, using obscene language and making such terrible threats, that you feel you are trapped. The good news is that you are not trapped. You do have rights and you should not be afraid to use them.
The purpose of our credit law blog is to educate you on your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This law is designed to stop collectors from being abusive and unprofessional. Even if you owe money and the debt is really yours (you will be amazed at how many folks are called for another person’s debt), the collector must still treat you fairly and respectfully.
If you have been the victim of abusive or deceptive debt collection practices, please drop us a note or call us at 1-800-NOT FAIR (1-800-668-3247) and discuss your situation with us. If we can help, it’s completely cost-free to you.
Debt Collection Calls are never a pleasant experience but chances are, there is a reason you are being contacted. The first thing you want to do is take control of the call. Do this by asking questions. What is the company name? Where are they located? Tell me more about my debt history? Take notes and make it obvious that you are taking notes. Ask them their name. What company do they work for? All of these questions will most likely throw the collection caller off their script and put you in control so that you can find the time to sort yourself out. This is also the time when debt collectors will get flustered and move to violate your rights so it’s important that you know what those rights are. Review the full Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and if that’s too much, check our Stop Debt Harassment summary which should offer a snapshot of key points to take away from a collection call. Debt Collectors should not be:
# Misrepresenting the debt or
# Claiming that he or she is an attorney or law enforcement officer
# Publishing the consumer’s name or address on a “bad debt” list
# Seeking unjustified amounts not permitted under an applicable contract and law
If the debt collector has violated your rights, the opportunity exists to do something about it.
