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Buffalo-Style Collecting

This week, the Buffalo News reported that our region has come under fire as one of the top 10 debt-collection hubs in the country. Complaints filed with the Fair Trade Commission have repeatedly shown cases of verbal and emotional abuse by collectors, ranging from threats to debtors’ homes and jobs, to ominous warnings of impending legal action, many of which are simply not true. Some debts are exaggerated greatly or even completely fabricated. The FTC reports receiving 500 calls from angry and upset citizens throughout the county targeted specifically at aggressive collectors within this region in the last year alone. And with more than 40 agencies operating around the area, it is no wonder a recent article in New Jersey’s Randolph Reporter coined the phrase “Buffalo-style collecting,” synonymous with tough tactics.

Name: David

Occupation: Attorney

Residence: North Buffalo

Have you ever dealt with telephone debt collection agencies? Yes, I have; pretty negative. I have one agency that’s been calling me for eight years, and it’s not even my name but my phone number has been the same. I constantly call them every week and tell them I’m not so-and-so and they still call and they threaten that they’re going to prosecute. So, it’s been a problem.

Consumer debt has risen 16 percent over the last 5 years. What are the effects of all this borrowing? I think it all starts when you’re getting out of college and you get your first credit card and it just starts piling from there. You think “I can charge, I can charge, I can charge” and before you know it you’re in debt and you’re not even out of school yet.

Collection agencies account for several thousand new jobs in the area, many of which have been subsidized by taxpayer dollars. How do you feel about that? I just don’t think the state should be involved in it. I don’t think our money should be spent on that.

For the past 30 years, there has been a mere $1,000 civil penalty for collectors caught using devious methods. What do you feel should be done to an agency turning a blind eye to its employees’ aggressive debt collecting tactics?I believe the employee should be disciplined and or fired because you can’t go around just threatening people trying to get money back.

Name: Theresa

Occupation: Shea’s Performing Arts Center employee

Residence: Cheektowaga

Have you ever dealt with telephone debt collection agencies? Yes, I have, and it didn’t go very well, actually. I mean, I’ve dealt with them because I used to work for a debt collection agency and, you know, I have friends who have been called from debt collection agencies. They are very rude, very demanding, very threatening, and they’re illegal.

Consumer debt has risen 16% over the last 5 years. What are the effects of all this borrowing? I think that if a person is going to accumulate debt and decide not to pay it back then the punishment is going to be that the privileges would be taken away from them. It will go on their credit report therefore they can’t get a mortgage, and they can’t get another credit card or any other loan.

Collection agencies account for several thousand new jobs in the area, many of which have been subsidized by taxpayer dollars. How do you feel about that? I feel that in some purposes it is needed, but it’s gone overboard and it’s completely illegal the way that some of these debt collectors try and collect money.

For the past 30 years, there has been a mere $1,000 civil penalty for collectors caught using devious methods. What do you feel should be done to an agency turning a blind eye to its employees’ aggressive debt collecting tactics? They should be closed down.

Name: Tim

Occupation: Erie County Public Library gardener

Residence: Buffalo

Have you ever dealt with telephone debt collection agencies? I can tell when they call because there’s always a little pause and I hang right up.

Consumer debt has risen 16% over the last 5 years. What are the effects of all this borrowing? It affects are you’re going to get easy credit. It’s so readily available. People forget that they have to pay this stuff back. I think [debtors] should be handled in a professional manner, not hard-lined.

Collection agencies account for several thousand new jobs in the area, many of which have been subsidized by taxpayer dollars. How do you feel about that? It’s wrong in the first place—we wouldn’t have this if the people were more responsible.

For the past 30 years, there has been a mere $1000 civil penalty for collectors caught using devious methods. What do you feel should be done to an agency turning a blind eye to its employees’ aggressive debt collecting tactics? They should be fined…make it $20,000.