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By Michelle Dunn
E-mail Michelle Dunn
A common complaint bill collectors hear from debtors is that no one cares about us, or our finances or our situation. Just like someone with a negative attitude, many times debtors place the blame on everyone else but themselves, this includes the bill collector that is trying to collect the debt they owe their creditor. The bill collector, even if they are as nice as they can be, is immediately considered the evil enemy, just because they are what they are, a bill collector.
Not all bill collectors are evil and break the law but with the stories that have been in the news lately that is the continued perception our media is portraying. I have not seen one story yet that states not all bill collectors are violating federal and state laws, being unethical or helping a debtor. You only hear recordings of debt collectors that are breaking the law, swearing at debtors, calling at unusual hours that are not allowed and ex-debt collectors stating that they did break the law; they did try to ruin people’s day or do whatever it took to collect the money.
You don’t hear about the associations that have been trying to change this negative perception of bill collectors or the agencies and collectors that follow the law, help people and do things ethically. Yes, they do exist!
Based on this, expect consumer complaints about collection agencies to rise to extreme proportions. Obviously some agencies operate unlawfully and unethically, this has been going on for many years. In the last 10 years I know for a fact that there are more associations, more education, more books, magazines and networking going on in the debt collection industry to help educate not only debt collectors but consumers who become delinquent with their bills.
If the media would tell the “whole story” or at least “both sides” of the story, not meaning the bill collector and the debtor, but the bill collector and the bill collector. For every debt collection agency that has collectors that break the law there is an agency that follows the law and collects debts successfully while acting ethically, morally and in accordance to the FDCPA.
Another very important point to remember that has not been mentioned is that these collection agencies, whether they are breaking the law or not, are hired by someone to collect a debt. In my opinion when a creditor or business owner hires a debt collection agency to collect on any past due debts for them, the agency they choose is a reflection of that company. So if you are being harassed and called at work when you ask not to be, or getting calls at 3am, this is the agency your creditor chose and wants to represent them. Who is your creditor? Are they aware that their agency is breaking the law and thus giving them a negative representation?
If you have a bill collector calling you and breaking the law to try and collect on your past due phone bill, car loan or a credit card debt, look at the creditor. What kind of business hires someone like that? What kind of business wants to be associated with an agency that treats its customers that way?
Should any of us do business with that type of company? I think not. Let creditors also take responsibility for their actions and the agencies they hire to represent them, their company and their ethics.
Michelle Dunn, author of an award winning book has spent the last 18 years stepping into dangerous debt collection potholes. She shares her hard-won expertise on debt collection with the titles in her “Collecting Money Series.” She is the founder and president of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC and her 10 year old Credit & Collections Association with over 1025 members. She is a writer, teacher, and consultant that has a contagious passion for her work. Michelle started and ran M.A.D. Collection Agency for 8 years.
Michelle was named one of the Top 5 Women in Collections and has been featured in Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Smart Money Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, PC World, Home Business Magazine, Home Business Journal, Entrepreneur magazine, Professional Collector, Credit & Collections Risk, the NH Business Review, Smart Money magazine, About.com, Master Cards small business website and in many books including Home Based Business for Dummies. Michelle has been a featured guest on (NPR) National Public Radio and many other radio programs as well as published in many newspapers and magazines nationwide. She has been a repeat guest on television shows such as the CBS Early Show, The Book Authority and Process for Profit. She has many published articles and 7 published books to add to her list of accomplishments. Entrepreneur Press has released “The Ultimate Credit & Collections Handbook, the check IS in the mail” penned by Dunn in 2006.
In addition to writing and marketing her books, Michelle was a member of The American Collectors Association for 9 years and shares valuable credit & debt information with business owners on her blog at www.BizCreditPolicy.com. Visit www.michelledunn.com and www.credit-and-collections.com for more information.
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