Better Off DeadBeat

[Midwest_Doc]

Three Cheers!
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2010-01-21/news/better-off-deadbeat-craig-cunningham-has-a-simple-solution-for-getting-bill-collectors-off-his-back-he-sues-them/1

[Dr. Strange]

1. Poor debt collectors.

Patrick Lunsford, who edits InsideARM, a trade magazine for the debt collection industry, knows the term. "There is a sub-group out there that does actually advise people on how to bait (collectors)," he says. "That's something that really gets under the skin of, well, obviously, collectors."

Simple solution: don't call.

[jpljr77]

5. Then what should creditors do?

Simple solution: don't call.

If someone misses a payment, or several, what should a creditor do? Ignore it? Move on?

[Dr. Strange]

6. They can send a letter or call.

But claiming that they're baited when they make the call is disingenuous. It would be like a Jehovah's Witness coming to my door and then complaining when I try to explain my religious views to them.

[jpljr77]

7. Hey, I agree.

You just seemed to advocate no collection or payment reminder calls ever in your original response. That's what I was addressing.

[Dr. Strange]

12. Oh no, I have no problem with their collection.

Provided they follow the rules.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. That story fills my heart with joy.

And for those who'll undoubtedly get their panties in a twist out of Moral Outrage™, a very loud preemptive fuck you.

[upi402]

4. just want to say

that i love your sig line


:snickers like a fool:

[Fleshdancer]

17. The article makes a good counter argument on the moral outrage:

Katz doesn't believe that people are morally obligated to pay back their debts. That notion was invented by debt collectors as a way to beat people into submission, he says. "Bill collectors would love for you to send them a check and then explain to your kids because you have the moral obligation to pay your debt they're not eating this week," he says. "But they don't see the moral obligation to feed your children or yourself.

"People are brainwashed to think that paying a credit card is more important than paying for the necessities of life," Katz says. "If you're in a position where you have to make a choice, my argument is food, clothing and shelter come first... Nobody ever went to hell for not paying a debt."



I agree 100%

[T Wolf]

3. Yesterday there were some who criticized this man. While he is not an angel (duh),

IMO ANY actions taken against the financial establishment are worthwhile.

The system is so fucked up that it must be taken down and apart by any means necessary.

Thus, similarly, I love the "walk-away" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18958049 strategy for dealing with negative equity mortgages.

[closeupready]

9. Bingo. Walking away is "bad" when the little guy does it, but "just business" when Stuyvestant's

corporate landlords decide to do it. Bull fucking shit!

[closeupready]

8. Despite obvious attempts by the reporter to make Cunningham look bad,

I have absolutely zero sympathy for the creditors. Period. Consider:

>>"When you or I make a mistake, they say, 'Hey, tough nuts, be smarter next time, you know, bad luck, didn't work out for ya," he says. "When the fat cats on Wall Street make a mistake, they say, 'Oh, national emergency! We've got to bail these guys out."<<

Sums it up perfectly. Not only did taxpayers bail out Wall Street from THEIR mistakes, Wall Street helped themselves to $ billions in bonuses, 'thank you very much'. :mad:

[safeinOhio]

10. My phone # use to belong to

some one that owes a lot of money. I'd get call after call looking for her. I'd explain that that person no longer has this number. A few months later the same "collectors" would call again.
I got an old phone book and looked through it until I came across my number. A little more research and I found her new name(married) and address. So, now when they call I tell them the person has moved, changed number and changed name. I tell them I have done the research to find her and am willing to sell that information to them for $50.. Never any takers. I then go on to tell them that I am now offering the use of my private number telephone for them to call looking for her at the low, low price of $50./call. By calling this number again you will be accepting my offer. I have noticed a big drop off of "collector" calls.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. K&R for the Common People fighting back. -nt

[notadmblnd]

13. loved the story!

[earth mom]

14. I love it that he's sticking it to the banksters:

"The government took my money without asking me and gave it to the banks. And since I owe the banks money, but they already got my money from the government, I say we're even."

[Scurrilous]

15. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Fleshdancer]

16. What a GREAT article!

Thanks for posting this. Who knew Texas consumer rights laws are some of the most consumer-friendly in the country? I'm in TX and I had no idea.

[closeupready]

18. I did, actually - Florida is, too, ironically.

Personally, I think the impetus for such laws was probably less about protecting the consumer and more about sticking it to greedy banks. (That such ideas don't fully square with our modern conceptions of what it means to be Republican and Democrat is just the way it is.)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. Kick