Off Topic - Collection Agency

[rooshy]

There is a bottom feeding collection agency, Portfolio Collection Services, that has been calling me off and on for the last few months.  I call them bottom feeding because this collection agency will buy old debt from creditors for pennies on the dollar, hoping to make money buy arranging a payment plan with the debtor.  They never leave a message and I have not received anything in writing from them regarding a debt.  In fact, I've pulled my credit report from all three bureaus and nothing is listed in collections, nor are there any negative remarks made against me.  There is no reason for these people to be calling me.  Should I block the number or actually try to talk to them?  I'm afraid if I do the latter then they'll try even harder to sink their claws into me.

 

The only reasons I can think that the collection agency would call me me is if DH had some old debt, but he died in 2011 and my state is not a community property state so I'm not responsible for his debt.  All of DH's debt, that I know of, had been written off by 2013.  The other reason is BIL and his now ex-wife have some debt with Best Buy.  Best Buy was calling me last fall looking for BIL.  

Edited October 2, 2018 by rooshy
Adding more info

[serpico]

I would recommend talking to them if only to confirm there is actually no reason for them to be calling you. If you don't owe them anything you don't have anything to lose, and hopefully they'll stop calling once you've cleared things up. Full disclosure: I'm a banker and I occasionally have to make collection calls. It is a tremendous source of frustration when people who I have a legitimate reason to talk to try to avoid me.

[sudnlysngl]

NEVER TALK TO THEM! That opens you up to them and their illegal tactics! Block them asap! You said you have checked your credit reports, then you are just a random made up target, block them....

There is a lot of articles on these dirt bags now.... and legit creditors leave msgs….

Edited October 2, 2018 by sudnlysngl

[Captains wife]

I'm in finance too but I wouldn't talk to them....especially as you know you don't owe anything. And you are not responsible for DH's debt. These types of companies can be real bullies and scammers so consumers need to be vigilant.

[trying2breathe]

I had calls from a collection agency that I ignored, eventually called back and it ended up being a legitimate company calling about a gas card that was overdue that I had forgotten to pay.  I suggest that you call back,  don't give out personal information, instead ask who they represent.  

[rooshy]

This agency, Portfolio Recovery Services, stopped calling for awhile and then started again this week.  I finally picked up the phone and they're looking for BIL.  BIL has never lived with me.  However, BIL and his wife just recently went through a nasty divorce and he's responsible for her debt.  I gave the ex-wife's phone number to the collection agency and they've taken my number off the list.  Peace and quiet!

[faye]

What you described is the way most collection agencies work.  They aren't bottom feeders because of that.  However...there's always a however...I got numerous calls on my cell phone for ____(Husband's first name) when he was alive about a 'personal private matter.' I finally extracted from them it was a restaurant tab on a bad check.  It was ___ Somebody Else and the phone number on the check, written poorly, looked like mine. Or perhaps the bad-check writer just picked a different local phone code and figured no one would ever find him.  His full name and address were on he check.  If they'd done just a bit of homework, they could have guessed, as I did, that the 2 should have been a 7.

 

A friend of mine got a call from a collection agency, and the woman who called was rude and condescending.  She implied my friend's husband had hidden some debt from her and tried to get her to pay up. My friend tried to tell her that they may have the wrong family.  Their last name is very common (think, Smith) but the woman didn't think that was possible. (It was)

 

One company didn't provide the service I paid for, so I refused to pay, and filed a dispute with my credit card company.  Even after documenting the whole thing, they sent it to collections. 

 

As soon as I accepted a call from Late Husband's CC company, I was told I was not responsible for his debt.  They DID sue the estate, though.  I paid it, as I knew he had a balance on the card, and whatever he'd purchased was around the house, somewhere.

Edited November 5, 2018 by faye
I can actually spell