12/19/2017 Debt Collector Call Script Fair Debt Collection

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Debt Collector Call Script

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12/19/2017 Debt Collector Call Script Fair Debt Collection

Recognizing and
Responding To A Debt
Collector Call Script
Do collectors keep calling you, and you dont know how to respond? First Name
Knowing what to say, and what not to say, is half the battle. The other half
is knowing whether what the collector did or said violated your basic Last Name
consumer rights. There are at least ten federal consumer protection
Email Address
statutes and state laws in addition to the FDCPA that award consumers
money damages for violations of these laws. A complementary, no State -- Select State --
obligation consumer financial legal rights analysis will tell you if you qualify
Zip
for any of that money and can also help prepare you for that next bill
collection call. Read the collector call script below to learn what to say and Phone Number
how to say it when debt collectors call and demand payments and answers to personal questions.
Best Time to Call Morning
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Debt Collector Call Script

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Bill collectors have a job to do and some collectors perform this distasteful duty in a very professional
manner. Debt collectors who act professionally usually do so because they received training. But every debt
Disclaimer: We are committed to protecting your privacy and
collectors questions remain designed to gather enough personal information about you to figure out how
ensuring the confidentiality of your information. By
much you can afford to pay and to pursue your financial assets through court actions. In order to stay submitting this form, you authorize us to distribute your
focused on and maximize their collection efforts many collection agencies and independent bill collectors inquiry to an independent presenting law firm who may be
use a collector call script, or dunning script. able to provide you with consumer law services. However,
submitting this form does not establish an attorney/client
While these collector call scripts may be effective in collecting debts, they also often run afoul of your basic relationship with that firm that will be established only upon
consumer rights. Your rights under various consumer protection statutes may be violated during each call, mutual agreement and execution of an attorney client
contract with the law firm to whom your inquiry/submission
and you may be a victim of unfair or illegal consumer credit and debt collection tactics. Being aware of
is referred.
what a typical script looks like can help you prepare answers to a debt collectors questions ahead of time
and thus remain focused on protecting your rights! And after that next collector call, submit your
information for a FREE Fair Debt Case Review to see if your rights were violated. The debt collector
contacting you may just be liable to you for statutory damages of $500 per call, or up to $1,000 or more FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
per law violated, plus any actual damages suffered, plus attorney fees!

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Debt Collection Script #1 You believe the debt to be

invalid
Collector: Hello, is Bill Debtor there? (Or is this Bills wife)?

You: Who is calling please? (Do not let the use of your first name throw you off guard, always confirm
who you are speaking with. Under the FDCPA, collectors must identify themselves and their company)

Collector: This is Mr. Collector from ABC collections, the collection agency representing Way Past Due on
your outstanding balance of $3,700. I need to know if you are able to take care of this past due bill at this
time.

You: Hold on while I turn on my tape recorder. (After turning on recorder ask the caller to repeat his or
her name, company and reason for calling.) Then say, I do not believe I owe this debt. Send me the
information on this debt according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act so that I may review it. And
please make this your last call to me, I am revoking permission for you to call me at any number at all.

Expect the collector to use questions or statements in an attempt to get you to admit the debt is yours.
Do not answer these questions, stick to the answer outlined above and insist on the collector following
the FDCPA by sending you the proper information stay focused
Their script tells them to ignore your response and press on with asking you a bunch of questions. By
refusing to take the bait you frustrate their efforts because your answer is not on their script. At this
point, many collectors are unsure of what to say or do next so they resort to anger. Remain calm and
be sure your tape recorder is on!

NOTE: Once youve verbally disputed a debt, there is only one legitimate question that you need to
answer:

Collector: Please verify your address?

You: Go ahead and provide your correct address.

DO NOT answer any additional questions! If the collector insists on asking questions, terminate
the call. Expect the collector to call right back. Turn on your recorder and answer the phone.
Dont say anything except, I am recording this call and, since I disputed this debt during your
last call, this call from you violates the FDCPA and forces me to report your violation to my State
Attorney General. Then, terminate the call again.

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Debt Collection Script #2 You believe the debt might be

valid but youre unsure.
Collector: Hello, is Bill Debtor there? (Or is this Bills wife)?

You: Who is calling please? (Do not let the use of your first name throw you off guard, always confirm
who you are speaking with. Under the FDCPA, collectors must identify themselves and their company)

Collector: This is Mr. Collector from ABC collections, the collection agency representing Way Past Due on
your outstanding balance of $3,700. I need to know if you are able to take care of this past due bill at this
time.

You: Hold on while I turn on my tape recorder.

Take your time and THINK before saying anything. Is it possible the debt has expired? See
statute of limitations (SoL) If the SoL has expired (or youre not sure) revert to scenario #1.

If the SoL has not expired, then ask,

You: Are you collecting on behalf of a creditor, your employer or yourself? Until the collector answers this
question DO NOT answers any other questions.

IMPORTANT: If the debt is new, the collector is probably working for the creditor. If the debt is
more than 1-2 years old its a good bet the debt was sold and this collector (or his company)
purchased it.

If the collector owns the debt and you do NOT wish to pay the debt state: (be sure your tape recorder is on
beforehand).

You: It is my policy to never deal with debt collectors who are not representing the creditor. Give me your
address so that I may send you a cease and desist letter in accordance with the FDCPA. And please make
this your last call to me, I am revoking permission for you to call me at any number at all.

Be prepared for any and all of the questions below and consider each question carefully before
answering. Remember; you do NOT have to answer any questions. However, if you choose to answer
questions, see the questions you can answer section below for which questions you should answer
and which ones you should weigh heavily before giving a stranger your information.

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If the collector owns the debt and you still wish to pay it, then you must decide on how much to pay. Just
remember Junk Debt Buyers purchase old debts for pennies on the dollar. But before you agree to pay
anything, get a FREE debt settlement consultation and see if you can save money by paying a
reduced balance.

Questions you can answer:

Do I have your address right at (street), (city) and (state) and (zip code)?
Is this (or what is) your daytime phone ___________?
Note: After answering this question, inform the caller that any future calls between (hours) and
on (days) are inconvenient.
Where do you work?
What is the address and phone number of your employer.
Note: Collectors are allowed to call and verify employment BUT that is all!
They are not allowed to discuss your information, nor are they entitled to any
information about your income or any other personal information.

Questions you do NOT have to answer:

Are you paid weekly or bi-weekly?
How much is your take-home pay?
Is your spouse working?
If so where, how paid, amount, etc.)
Do you have other sources of income: (child support, part-time work, in home day care and so forth)?
Do you rent or own?
How much per month? Is it current?
How much is your car payment? Is it current?
What are the make, model, and year of your car(s)?
Where do you bank? (checking and savings, name of bank)
Do you have any bank loans? How much do you owe? Are they current?

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Have you ever borrowed money from (parents, relatives, and friends) in the past? If so, how long ago?
How much? Did you pay it back?

If you answered any of the above

questions then expect the collector to
put you on hold while he figures out the
best suggestion for you to pay off the
debt. Typically they will come back with,
If I could show you a way to pay this
debt off, would you be willing to work
with me?

Unless they suggest a payment plan

that you can afford DO NOT agree to
anything! Theyll suggest borrowing
from others, refinancing your home or
car loan, or putting the debt on another
credit card. Using these options means
robbing Peter to pay Paul and, more than likely, will just push you deeper in debt.

Consider your answer carefully!! Counter offer with a payment agreement of your own (only suggest what
you can truly afford) and ask about credit reporting information. You want to keep it off your credit reports
so make this part of your payment agreement.

Collectors are trained to dun (collect or ask for payment) in the following
priority
Balance in full;
Settlement (in no more than two payments);
Payments over 3 or more months, usually not to exceed 6 months;
Good faith payment while you ask others for loan (parents, friends, bank etc.)

and since they want the full amount as quick as possible, they will refuse just about anything you offer
and try to force you to agree to their terms.

Unless youre extremely good at negotiating, never negotiate terms on the phone, youll lose every time.
Offer your terms once (maybe twice) and if they refuse to work with you, end the conversation!

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AND ALWAYS END EVERY CALL BY SAYING Please make this your last call to me, I am
revoking permission for you to call me at any number at all.

WARNING! Be absolutely certain the Statute of Limitations (SoL) has not expired before agreeing to
anything, but especially before making a token payment! In many states, a token payment or a written
agreement to pay resets the SoL clock!

Collection agencies, bill collectors and junk debt buyers are trained to get
payments in the following priority:
1. Auto Pay: involves withdrawals from your bank accounts via post-dated checks, automatic electronic
withdrawals or similar methods.
2. Priority Mail
3. Certified Mail

NOTE: Although collectors will insist on you paying by their preferred method, there is no law
compelling you to pay by any of these methods! Pay by any method that does not provide
information about your bank account to the collector. The best method is to pay by bank draft
and send it via official mail.

WARNING! Never pay by post-dated check or an automatic withdrawal process. Ive seen it happen too
many times where the check is cashed early or more funds are withdrawn than authorized! This causes
even more problems with returned checks and overdrawn charges!

Once they have a payment agreement, collectors usually end the call by saying:

Please repeat the arrangement to be sure Ive documented it correctly.

What guarantee can you give me that youll send the payment?

For what reason would you not send the payment?

Hopefully you have been taking good notes or, even better, tape recording the call (inform the caller at the
beginning of the call that you are taping the call) so you can also keep accurate records of what actions
were agreed upon.

Caution! You should not send any money until you have a signed payment agreement letter in your
possession!

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Dont panic if youve fallen behind on your bills, there are several good options available to you. Success
starts by assessing your current financial situation and utilizing all your consumer financial legal rights. Get
professional assistance from a Debt Help Lawyer in your state to handle that debt collector for you. Call
888-595-9111 now and speak to a live person who wants to help. The debt collector contacting
you may just be liable to you for statutory damages of up to $1,000 or more, plus any actual damages
suffered, plus attorney fees!

9 COMMENTS

Anonymous
May 26, 2015 at 8:59 am

I am having troubles on an auto loan. The loan is financed through the dealer. I got behind a month (due to oilfield layoffs and declining economy). I
scrounged and have made a payment within the last 2 weeks. I offered a payment a week until caught back up. I missed one, due to personal injury, and now
they are threatening repossession. I have offered to make up payments but they are refusing. How do I not lose in this situation?
Reply

Webmaster
June 16, 2015 at 3:03 pm

You lose by not vetting all the possibilities, call us and well do just that with you, no cost or obligation.
Reply

Anonymous
September 2, 2015 at 11:03 am

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12/19/2017 Debt Collector Call Script Fair Debt Collection

I live in Wisconsin and a lawyer is coming after me for a debt collector. It is a hospital bill I unfortunately lost track of for 2000.00. I called the lawyers in
attempt to setup a payment plan of what I can afford which sadly isnt a lot, but I need to live. Im almost paycheck to paycheck as it is. They told me unless I
can pay 500 a month and have it payed off in 4 months they are going to sue me, and they are ready to go.. Do I have any options? Im definitely nervous, if
they garnish my checks I cant afford my rent and Ill be homeless and on the hook for thousands of dollars from failing to pay my rent

Any help would be great!

Reply

Anonymous
October 29, 2015 at 9:25 pm

Hello,
I live in Illinois, in 2013 I had an emergency room visit that cost me 4,600$ (unexplained Swelling in the knee and ankle was in the emergency room less
than 2 hours). Ive never made arrangements for a single payment and Ive never answered a single collection call, but theyve left me voicemails in 2013 and
recently I received a bill for that amount from afni. In July 2015 I went to the same emergency room to have a fishing hook removed from my finger. I was
told on the phone today that I owed 1,564.45 for this visit and was asked how id like to pay. I did not agree to anything and requested they send a bill to my
new address. We ended our conversation there.
Is it possible to settle it all at once? I owe the money, but do not have $6,164.45. Honestly, I would like to make a complete and full payment, but I cant
afford it. I would like to negotiate and would need help doing so. I can afford one complete payment of two-thousand dollars. Do you think the collector would
accept that? I would want to settle and not make weekly/monthly payment arrangements.
I would like to have this debt to be off my chest and move on. Ultimately I would like to be a home-owner in 2016-17 and this debt is going to negatively
effect this process and likely further delay that dream. Im aware that even if the collection company/companies agree to a settled negotiated full payment in
the two thousand dollar range that it would show negatively on my credit report ,but at least a future lender would see that its a paid debt and I can move
on.
Any help and answers you provide will be greatly appreciated.
Reply

Anonymous
January 9, 2016 at 7:36 am

I live in California and once sued Nationstar Mortgage LLC, a debt collection company in the Fed Court under FDCPA and violation of Homeowners
Bill of Rights Code Section 2924(a)(6) case currently dismiss with prejudice mistakenly.
Nationstar are using a law firm in Texas who are Debt Collection Law Office to collect a debt which has expired the original creditor was Countrywide
Home Loans (in 2005) who no longer exist and this debt has been sold four times to different Debt Collection Companies. The current Debt Collection Law
Firm are trying to collect and/or foreclose on our property under fraud by using a third party online auction company to sell our property online violating the
State and Federal laws because I have requested them to produce their Proof of Claim and they could not. How can I stop them from foreclosing illegally
and getting my debts zero out without going through the courts? Your help will be appreciated.
Reply

Anonymous
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February 26, 2016 at 11:23 pm

i have medical debt in a state i do not reside in. how do i learn my rights. i was promised a payment plan.
Reply

Anonymous
May 11, 2016 at 1:51 pm

This is my situation: About a year ago, I was renting from an apartment from a leasing company, approximately 3 months. I had taken it over from a previous
tenant who wanted to end their lease early. I renewed my for another year however I ended up only staying for 3 months due to, a vermin infestation and
gross amounts of mold. I alerted the company of this, both verbally, and in writing, in addition to phone calls. I gave them permission to enter the premises
without my presence to fix the problem (a hole behind the dishwasher where they were coming in) and I was told that it was fixed. Much to my dismay a
month and a half later I discovered that it never was fixed because they were still getting in and the hole was still present. I ended my lease early due to the
unfit living situation in addition to the fact that I was with child at the time and there were numerous health risks involved. There was no statute of limitations
upon a required days of notice needed to vacate within the lease and I have documentation of my attempted correspondence, in addition to pictures of the
mold and the vermin that my husband ended up killing himself. Its been a year since then with no contact from the original lenders and a few days ago I just
received a letter informing me that another company was attempting to collect the debt from a year before. They only had printouts of the ledger, no other
proof of the debt so my ultimate question is 1. Is my debt even valid since under the statutes of the Ohio the landlord/tenant agreement was broken due to
their inability to provide safe and sanitary living arrangements and 2. the debt was not properly validated in the first place.
Reply

Anonymous
October 13, 2016 at 8:25 pm

I just found through credit karma that i still have a debt with a collector. What i noticed though is the amount was way more than what i owed and continues
to climb but i have not received any phone calls or letters in the mail in regards to this debt not being paid or asking for payment. This debt has been on my
record for 3 years now without me knowing that it wasnt paid in full. if i hadnt signed on to credit karma I would have never known it was still there. What
options do I have here?
Reply

Anonymous
January 3, 2017 at 8:56 am

Its a shame you dont have a donate button! Id

most certainly donate to this fanhtastic blog! I suppose for now ill
settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to fresh updates and will share this blog
with my Facebook group. Talk soon!
Reply
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