Debt collectors suck donkey balls.

[MADDOG]

OK, I'm going to post my question first, then get into a rant, just to make sure you read the actual question and get my point.

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Is there any way to beat a debt collecter? I'm pretty adament I don't owe anything, but I can't afford the bad credit. But if I can fight and win, I'm up for it. So if anyone has every fought and won, let me know how. Cheers.

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OK, here's the deal. I took out 7 books during my stint at college and returned them a month or two late (Because it's a library you know? Who fucking cares?). So anyway, when I finally DID return the books, they go "Hey, these are late, you owe $37 per book - hand it over." (When I say book, I use the term looesly. One of them was a photocopied manual.). The books were in perfect condition, just returned late, but they're all like "that'll be $259 please". So I go fuck off, and they go "OK, we'll cut the search fees. Just pay us the late fees. That's $147" And I go, "Sure", more out of gratitude (Which I shouldn't have felt since I didn't owe them a cent) than anything else.

So I walk out of there and think to myself.. "Wait! Why the fuck did I agree to that? I don't owe them shit!" But it was too late by then so I just decided to go with it.

So since I couldn't afford to just hand it over, they put me on this time payment plan of $20 a month (This was in March), only I just recently got this job to give me the cash to pay for it, and I didn't hear a thing from them till the other day so I honest to God forgot, and I still haven't paid.

So, now they've got a fucking debt collector chasing my ass! I'm SO determined not to pay them. It's a library! It's supposed to be a place of learning, not a way of raising revenue! Not once in my time there did anyone ever tell me the extent of the fines. I mean shit! $37 per book? That's more than they would cost to buy new! I figured it was like "Library fines... Ooooooo... Take your dollar fifty and fuck off."

So yeah, that's my story. If you can help me, please do. I'd really appreciate it.

 

[Expertise]

Your on your own big man...."Library Cops" scare me.

$37.00 a book does seem pretty extreme. Good luck.

 

[Bliss]

Way back machine set to 1986. Zooooooom.

Reminds me of the Bloom County Librarian in the Nightmare Closet with the bloody axe, who said something like "That'll be $4,328.17, Dear."

The nearest big city library just last month initiated a waiver of all fines, if only folks would bring back the books. They had more than 3,500 extremely overdue books, videos and so on. Seems like lots of people share Maddog's sentiment of "it's just a library, who gives a fuck?".

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Kick a dandelion. Spread the meadow!

 

[morgainefairy]

in all reality you're better off to just pay it and learn from it.
there will be plenty more times in which you will owe much more substantial amounts of money. and then you may need your good credit to fall back on. many creditors don't care so much about how much you owe, just whether it got paid.

soooo....don't screw yourself because of anger and stubbornness. when it comes to the credit bereau, no one there cares who was right-just who pays.

 

[Adoratrice]

Didn't you read the fine print on your library card application? I feel your pain though...I have 6 books sitting by my front door that are 3 months late...library is less than a mile away...I leave my house on average 4 times a day...my own dumb-fuck-fault I have to pay that fine when I finally get around to taking them back.

 

[scylis]

i thought that Libraries can't charge any more than the book is worth..

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

You've got to give them some money, so the debt collector can do his job. Figure out what you think you should pay, send it to them with a short cover letter saying, "And this is it", and with luck they'll accept the payment and let the matter drop.

Now, as for your credit, immediately apply for a credit card, any card, borrow your limit, hold it for two months, and pay it off immediately. Your rating will go way up.

 

[*Eve*]

I don't know how different things are in your country but most collector are willing to take partial payment. You just need to set up some type of payment plan that you can afford and that will satisfy the bill collector.

 

[Melody_lane]

Hey-wasn't there a Seinfeld episode similar to this!?!

 

[scylis]

i thought it was Married With Children...
could be both, though...

 

[Sonora]

It's a library! It's supposed to be a place of learning,

I'd say consider this a lesson.

 

[Naked Hunny]

thanks alot!!

I read your thread and get my mail and its a letter from oh you got it a bill collector bitchin because i didnt return the damn cable box when i canceled my cable well they can come and get the damn thing!!!

 

[Bonnie Wee Lassie]

Libary Cops! That is scary. I personally would refuse to pay that. I think that is a ridiculous amount to pay for late books. Just ignore the debt collectors for 5 years and they will erase it. If you can hold out that long. LOL

If not do what I do when they bug me. Tell them you put all your bills for the month in a hat. Every month you pick names out of the hat and pay those bills. If they keep calling you and bugging you will take there name out of the hat and they lose there chance that month. It catches them off guard and they won't call back for awhile out of shock. LOL works for me.