Cousin Collector?

It’s –ber months and since we’re nearing Christmas, the quiet collection agents are now on prowl for clueless defaulters!

I’ve been absent for some time (5 days or more) since my mom was confined and had to go through a gallbladder operation. I had to drop by our office to get some documents for her bill out and incidentally, someone called. My officemate answered the phone, telling me that my “cousin” who goes by the name of “Henry” called and was looking for me.

I blinked and informed my officemate that he’s just a collector and I don’t have any cousins that goes by that name. As he told him that, “Henry” asked my officemate that “Is Tita <mom’s name> really in the hospital?” At that question, my hunch was confirmed and my officemate told him firmly “You don’t have any idea what’s happening to your aunt?” and with that he hang up.

How’d he get those information you ask?

1. The CA kept calling the office these past few days and my officemates kept telling him that I’m on leave because my mom’s hospitalized.
2. My mom’s name was written on my credit card application form.

It’s amazing how these people can stitch lies together just to get money from defaulters. I won’t even say that they’re “helping” since they kept giving us impossible “amnesty” and “promos”. I don’t have money to pay PhP5,000 and they’re asking me to shell out PhP30,000 payable three days after our conversation.

Try asking for an SOA? They’ll keep sending you balance statements. How can you pay your debt without you knowing how much your debt really is and how it ballooned to that amount? Are you willing to pay your debts without having any idea how much your debt really is? Oh, and let’s not forget those derogatory words, curses, cusses and loud phone banging during and after conversations.

How can you trust these people to help you out (well, they wrote in their letters that they want to help you “ease” your baggage) if they’re the ones harassing you?

To those who are still scared out of their wits because of these collectors, read this article: http://www.kusangpalo.com/2011/how-to-deal-with-credit-card-debt-in-the-philippines.html. It gives a real good impact on what “defaulters” really are.