Financial Challenges Support Group

the only way that i know of to stop the calls is to take them. tell them the truth. acknowledge that you know you owe them money, but at this time, you can't pay for such and such a reason. they can hold the calls off for 3-5 days, but that's usually it. in addition, most companies these days have automated callers, so it's almost impossible to stop them...of course unless you are able to start paying them. regarding the relatives, i just read that it is against the law for those companies to be hasseling others, unless they have co-signed. i know how frustrating it is to get these calls around the clock 24/7...a constant reminder...(as if we didn't know, or don't ever think about it) seems the only way they'll stop is to pick up the phone and talk to them, explain things for the umteenth time, and ask them to back off some. or start paying, even if it's only 10.00. good luck....

I just turn on the answering machine and screen my calls. It's not an answer but at least you can delete the messages without having to explain that if you had the money you'd pay the debt! I often wonder how many of those you work for a collection agency are in collections themselves? It's just their job and they're trying to make a living as well. I just don't want to be nagged and hassled when I'm worrying how I'm going to buy food, pay for fuel to keep the house warm, etc.

I'm not sure about the laws in your state, but if you send them a request in writing to not contact you by phone and only contact you by mail they should stop calling. I know it's the law in Colorado. I stopped talking to collection agencies because I was sick of being bullied. Every single one of them wouldn't accept what I was offering in monthly payments and always tried to bully me into paying more than my budget could afford. So I wrote letters to them offering what I could afford in a monthly payment and telling them to not contact me by phone again. It did work for me and the agencies I contacted have accepted what I offered in monthly payments and no longer contact me by phone. Hope it works for you too.

Since we've filled for bankruptsy, I answer them and tell them we've filled and they never call again.

Susie

As Darlene suggested, if you write a letter to them telling them to cease and desist from calling you and you relatives they have to under the Fair Debt Collection laws. If they do not follow then you can actually sue them although hopefully it would not come to that. There are laws protecting you.

Check out www.ftc.gov website for collection laws. It can help you.

thank you everyone for your help. All the information is very useful and I really appreciate your help and information. This site is such a wonderful support system and I thank you again for your help.

before we filed bankruptcy they were calling my work and I had one that even called my neighbor and had him deliver a message to us to call them. What nerve those fuckin pricks have!!!!!!! file bankruptcy and they will all go away.