Collection Agency Threats (debt, payments, companies, lawsuit)

[averagejoe76]

I got a weird text on my cellphone so i called the number.
It was a collection agency here in my city.
I owed a amount about 300$ for a medical bill.
Ive been paying on other medical bills but this one got away.
He asked alot of questions then i said maybe i can make payments..
And he asked my Employer which i didnt want to tell him.
Then basically in a indirect way said im a deadbeat if i dont take care..
Of this and indirectly said they would sue.
I was just getting more angry and he eventually hung up.

Is 300$ really worth a lawsuit/garnishment?
I dont have any way to pay it,im behind on other things.
Is this all scare tactics?

[Bosco55David]

Originally Posted by averagejoe76

I got a weird text on my cellphone so i called the number.
It was a collection agency here in my city.
I owed a amount about 300$ for a medical bill.
Ive been paying on other medical bills but this one got away.
He asked alot of questions then i said maybe i can make payments..
And he asked my Employer which i didnt want to tell him.
Then basically in a indirect way said im a deadbeat if i dont take care..
Of this and indirectly said they would sue.
I was just getting more angry and he eventually hung up.

Is 300$ really worth a lawsuit/garnishment?
I dont have any way to pay it,im behind on other things.
Is this all scare tactics?

Can you be more specific in what he said, including the text?

Generally speaking, you don't have to worry about a lawsuit over a $300 debt. Have you ever received any letters regarding this debt?

[k101608]

This sounds a little fishy to me... a text??? A real collection agency would have called you.

Do you know for sure that you have this outstanding debt? I wouldn't give out any personel information until you are sure they are real collection agency. There are a lot of people out there that try to scam you by just trying to get your personel information.

[Va-Cat]

Its the collection agency's way to do anything and everything to collect the debt. Many of them are companies that bought the debt from someone else for cents on the dollar and are basically bottom feeders. These types of companies just google until they find someone with the same name as that which is on the debt and try to harrass that person into paying a debt that isn't even theirs. I suggest that you google the phone number that the call came in on. If they are "bottom feeders" their number will come up again and again on complaint and scam boards. Finally, Do not pay a debt you are unaware of just becasue someone says that you owe it. Request that they send you documentation to verify that the debt is even yours. If someone gets ugly with you on the phone - remember - its your right to hang up!

[weindell]

My first reaction is: sounds like a scam to me. I would never respond to a text message from someone I don't know. In fact, I don't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. If it's important, they can leave me a message. And I certainly never would answer any questions from an unknown caller.

On the other hand, I'm not sure what you mean by "this one got away." Is this $300 bill one that you know about, but somehow overlooked paying? If you know that you owe this money, then you should get in touch with the person that you owe the money to, and work out a payment plan.

[crazyworld]

Great point k101608.
If you got this person's name and number you can check it with the local Attorney General
I had a problem once and I called the FederalTradeCommission and foud out it was somebody running a scam.
Their number is 1-877-382-4357. I imagine that is the same number for nationwide complaints...or www.FTC.com. They are very willing to help also very easy to deal with and do take complaints over the phone. Never hurts to try.

Good Luck.

[k101608]

Originally Posted by Va-Cat

Its the collection agency's way to do anything and everything to collect the debt. Many of them are companies that bought the debt from someone else for cents on the dollar and are basically bottom feeders. These types of companies just google until they find someone with the same name as that which is on the debt and try to harrass that person into paying a debt that isn't even theirs. I suggest that you google the phone number that the call came in on. If they are "bottom feeders" their number will come up again and again on complaint and scam boards. Finally, Do not pay a debt you are unaware of just becasue someone says that you owe it. Request that they send you documentation to verify that the debt is even yours. If someone gets ugly with you on the phone - remember - its your right to hang up!

You are right that a lot of these companies will do anything to collect the debt... It just seemed to me that it was the first time the OP heard about this debt so I found it strange that a text was sent... they usually do harassing phone calls first... LOL

But I never heard of a text being sent... I still say scam.

[k101608]

Originally Posted by crazyworld

Great point k101608.
If you got this person's name and number you can check it with the local Attorney General
I had a problem once and I called the FederalTradeCommission and foud out it was somebody running a scam.
Their number is 1-877-382-4357. I imagine that is the same number for nationwide complaints...or www.FTC.com. They are very willing to help also very easy to deal with and do take complaints over the phone. Never hurts to try.

Good Luck.

Great advise about calling this phone number...

I actually remember that a while back it did come out that someone was running a scam using a collection agency as a front... they had given out the name they were using and eveything but I can't remember it now.

[averagejoe76]

Ok,I got a text on my phone saying call this # (thats all the text said)
I call the first time and i hear a message,2nd time guy picks up.
I dont thinks it a scam,they had my info about my bill.
Did find it weird that they would text me,plus they didnt pick up the phone..
And say SO & SO Collection agency.
He started asking me questions and the conversation started civil.
I wasnt going to tell him my employer,etc so we were kinda of stuck.
I know they want as much info as they can get if they decide to sue.
When i refused to give him more info he said he had my Social # and could get..
The information anyway.I guess its legal for the Hospital to give my social?
Ive been paying on many medical bills and i did stop paying this one,i didnt have..
The money.
He said to me well, you work full time so we will just procede from there.
I said Sooo you are making a threat to sue me??
I will try to call the original people i owe...
Cant deal with this Agency at all.


And to VA cat i actually do owe the amount.

[GJBenn85]

Wages cannot be garnished without a court ruling. While collections companies can sue for a debt at the client's permission, it is unlikely to reach that point given the insignificant amount. Small amounts such as this are perfect for scammers because a lot of people will just pay them to be done with it. I would be inclined to think it is a scam based on how they contacted you. Legitimate collection agencies send written notices as the first step, not text messages.

Nonetheless, demand evidence the debt is actually yours, especially in this age of identity theft. My dad had someone steal his SS# and they signed up for a cell phone service, didn't pay the bill, and collections came after my dad over $350. It took about four years for it to finally be straightened out but in the end, the fraud department at the service provider finally determined it was identity theft and dropped the collections attempt.