This year, America’s enormous, poorly regulated debt collection industry will make more than 1,000,000,000 collection calls. They will threaten. They will lie and mislead. They will intimidate. Over the past five years, they’ve racked up more than 300,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission: more than any other industry regulated by the FTC. Financial reporter Fred Williams knows more about the industry than anyone else. Not only has investigated America’s debt collection agencies, he spent three months working for one of the largest firms in the business. In Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices Williams reveals what he learned and shows you exactly how to fight back and protect your rights. Williams weaves indispensable practical advice together with stories straight from his collection agency cubicle. You’ll learn what to do first if a collector calls; what collectors can and can’t do; which debts you are and aren’t responsible for; how collectors choose accounts to focus on; how to stop harassing or abusive calls; how to keep the advantage in a negotiation for a lucrative debt settlement; even how to take the offensive with a lawsuit that can halt collection and win yourself a $1,000 penalty!
Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices
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About the Author
A business journalist for most of the past 24 years, Fred Williams has written about debt collection for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and for The Buffalo (N.Y.) News, where he started covering the industry in 1999. He undertook a six-month research project on the industry in 2006, supported by the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at The Ohio State University.
In 2008, he worked as a debt collector for 11 weeks at a collection agency near Buffalo.
Fred graduated from Binghamton University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is careful to pay his entire credit card balance each month.
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More About the Author
Fred Williams has worked as a business journalist since 1986. In 2008 he took a job as a debt collector to deepen his understanding of the controversial industry. The resulting book was "Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices," a look at how collectors operate. Fred's work has appeared in Kiplinger's Personal Finance, The Buffalo News and USA Today.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I had the unusual advantage of knowing someone who in her misspent youth worked as a lawyer for a debt collection firm. After reading this book I passed it to her and asked her to tell me if she found anything wrong in it. She came to me today and noted that there wasn't anything in it that she thought was glaringly wrong but it seemed somewhat naive to think that debt collectors don't yell at you and lie to you and break all the rules. I explained to her gently that most people do not deal with debt collectors on a day to day basis, so what she thought was simplistic and naive may be just the ticket for someone navigating the thicket of debt collection for the first time.
The schtick of the book is that the author takes a job as a debt collector in order to learn the business from the inside, after reporting about it for years on the outside. The writing is clear and simple, the points are made obvious by a statement of the law at the end of each section.
He also tries to balance the scale by noting the various things that people try to get out of talking to a debt collector-- *hint* they are onto the "I'm his brother, he's dead" scheme. And if he is really dead then they cannot collect his debts from his relatives and are required by law to tell you this while they try to collect the debt from the deceased person's relatives. It's not illegal to try, you see.
Anyway, this book may give someone who is feeling helpless and hopeless more of a sense that they have some control of their fate, or at least understand what is happening to them, for this I recommend it.
The schtick of the book is that the author takes a job as a debt collector in order to learn the business from the inside, after reporting about it for years on the outside. The writing is clear and simple, the points are made obvious by a statement of the law at the end of each section.
He also tries to balance the scale by noting the various things that people try to get out of talking to a debt collector-- *hint* they are onto the "I'm his brother, he's dead" scheme. And if he is really dead then they cannot collect his debts from his relatives and are required by law to tell you this while they try to collect the debt from the deceased person's relatives. It's not illegal to try, you see.
Anyway, this book may give someone who is feeling helpless and hopeless more of a sense that they have some control of their fate, or at least understand what is happening to them, for this I recommend it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
If you receive a letter or phone call from a "law office" or "fraud investigator," beware: it may well be a collection agency using one of the unfair and possibly illegal collection practices Fred Williams tells about in this book. And if you don't recall owing the "debt" they are trying to collect, it may well be that you really don't owe it; it may be the debt of someone else with a name similar to yours, or it may be a case of identity theft.
Part 1 (chapters 1-19), Debt Collection Secrets, tells what debt collection agencies can and can't legally do, and the illegal things many collection agencies routinely do to scare people into paying, even if the "debt" is not really owed.
Part 2 (chapters 20-25), Coping With Collections, tells how to handle debt collectors, and if necessary, prepare and enter a complaint with your State Attorney General or with the Federal authorities.
THIS IS A BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ AND KEEP ON HAND FOR REFERENCE. Even if you have never owed anybody anything, debt collectors may call you demanding payment of money you don't owe, so you may incur immediate need to know how to handle the threat of seizure of your property or garnishment of your wages or salary. Williams tells of one victim of such illegal tactics, whose bank account was frozen on the basis of a judgment illegally obtained against someone else of the same name. It even turned out that the judgment was the result of "sewer service," a process server swearing falsely that the required notice to appear in court was delivered into the hand of the intended recipient. Never having received any notice of his court date, he did not show up and therefore a summary judgment against him was entered.
watziznayme@gmail.com
Part 1 (chapters 1-19), Debt Collection Secrets, tells what debt collection agencies can and can't legally do, and the illegal things many collection agencies routinely do to scare people into paying, even if the "debt" is not really owed.
Part 2 (chapters 20-25), Coping With Collections, tells how to handle debt collectors, and if necessary, prepare and enter a complaint with your State Attorney General or with the Federal authorities.
THIS IS A BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ AND KEEP ON HAND FOR REFERENCE. Even if you have never owed anybody anything, debt collectors may call you demanding payment of money you don't owe, so you may incur immediate need to know how to handle the threat of seizure of your property or garnishment of your wages or salary. Williams tells of one victim of such illegal tactics, whose bank account was frozen on the basis of a judgment illegally obtained against someone else of the same name. It even turned out that the judgment was the result of "sewer service," a process server swearing falsely that the required notice to appear in court was delivered into the hand of the intended recipient. Never having received any notice of his court date, he did not show up and therefore a summary judgment against him was entered.
watziznayme@gmail.com
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
First off, the book's title is incredibly deceiving (maybe the author took to heart too many debt collection practices). This only very briefly gives the reader ideas about how to deal with debt collectors.
Rather, this book is an undercover expose of what it's like to work in the debt collection industry in the vein of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. A journalist, after being outraged by some of the shady and deceptive practices of the industry, decides to get hired on at a firm to learn firsthand what it's like to be at the other end of these dreaded phone calls and if he can make it in the industry while fully complying with the letter of the law.
I won't tell you how he did as a debt collector, but I can tell you he shares quite a bit about the pressure collectors face to collect fees and how they'll often skirt or dance around the law. While I personally have no debt, I have family members who do and after reading the book I'm quite empowered to deal with the creditors. Often times, as the author points out, debt has been sold and resold so many times that debts are purchased for pennies on the dollar. The collection firms treat the phone as a slot machine and have as much luck as the average person does in Vegas. Many times the original creditor won't see the money (or the debt has expired due to the statue of limitations), so the debt collector's intimidation tactics seem rather pathetic when viewed in this light. When the author tells of debt collectors getting called at work, about their debts, you just have to laugh. I understand why debt collectors are often rude on the phone: if they don't collect your money, they won't be able to pay their bills. In spite of the companies sounding like law firms, these collectors usually aren't going to be suing you nor can they threaten suits. Get that picture out of your mind of some high priced corporate attorney taking away your house and car, and replace it with the story of Gary who cashes his paycheck at the bar over lunch.
The author makes some scary observations about the debt collection industry that inspired me to write my Congressman. Because penalties haven't changed since 1977, firms only have to pay $1,000 for a violation and thus it's worth their risk to skirt the law. Most trainees don't finish basic debt collection training, so when they do violate the law firms can disavow support of their behaviors. It's completely win-win for the collectors as they get their money, and only get caught when a debtor is savvy enough to know the law and how to properly complain. Firms pay their $1,000 penalty, fire the employee and still come out ahead because that rogue employee probably collected more than that 1,000 penalty from others.
The last part of the book gives some basic tips on how to deal with debt collectors, but the tips are simple and obvious for anyone that searches for the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. A debtor reading the book will feel empowered in dealing with the person on the other end of the phone. All they have to do is remember that this person works on commission and will say or do anything to get you to open up your checkbook. I told my family member to picture how bad off Gary is and how desperate he is to buy his next drink or hit. Makes the next collectors threat that the "police were on their way" seem absolutely pathetic and a last ditch attempt by the caller to pay off his their own bills.
Pros: Puts the industry's practices into perspective and empowers the reader to know the mentality of the average debt collector.
Cons: Not a how to guide on how to fight debt collectors save for understanding how they operate
Rather, this book is an undercover expose of what it's like to work in the debt collection industry in the vein of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. A journalist, after being outraged by some of the shady and deceptive practices of the industry, decides to get hired on at a firm to learn firsthand what it's like to be at the other end of these dreaded phone calls and if he can make it in the industry while fully complying with the letter of the law.
I won't tell you how he did as a debt collector, but I can tell you he shares quite a bit about the pressure collectors face to collect fees and how they'll often skirt or dance around the law. While I personally have no debt, I have family members who do and after reading the book I'm quite empowered to deal with the creditors. Often times, as the author points out, debt has been sold and resold so many times that debts are purchased for pennies on the dollar. The collection firms treat the phone as a slot machine and have as much luck as the average person does in Vegas. Many times the original creditor won't see the money (or the debt has expired due to the statue of limitations), so the debt collector's intimidation tactics seem rather pathetic when viewed in this light. When the author tells of debt collectors getting called at work, about their debts, you just have to laugh. I understand why debt collectors are often rude on the phone: if they don't collect your money, they won't be able to pay their bills. In spite of the companies sounding like law firms, these collectors usually aren't going to be suing you nor can they threaten suits. Get that picture out of your mind of some high priced corporate attorney taking away your house and car, and replace it with the story of Gary who cashes his paycheck at the bar over lunch.
The author makes some scary observations about the debt collection industry that inspired me to write my Congressman. Because penalties haven't changed since 1977, firms only have to pay $1,000 for a violation and thus it's worth their risk to skirt the law. Most trainees don't finish basic debt collection training, so when they do violate the law firms can disavow support of their behaviors. It's completely win-win for the collectors as they get their money, and only get caught when a debtor is savvy enough to know the law and how to properly complain. Firms pay their $1,000 penalty, fire the employee and still come out ahead because that rogue employee probably collected more than that 1,000 penalty from others.
The last part of the book gives some basic tips on how to deal with debt collectors, but the tips are simple and obvious for anyone that searches for the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. A debtor reading the book will feel empowered in dealing with the person on the other end of the phone. All they have to do is remember that this person works on commission and will say or do anything to get you to open up your checkbook. I told my family member to picture how bad off Gary is and how desperate he is to buy his next drink or hit. Makes the next collectors threat that the "police were on their way" seem absolutely pathetic and a last ditch attempt by the caller to pay off his their own bills.
Pros: Puts the industry's practices into perspective and empowers the reader to know the mentality of the average debt collector.
Cons: Not a how to guide on how to fight debt collectors save for understanding how they operate
Most Recent Customer Reviews
guide through Unkown Practises
This will be a real eye opener to those who have little or no knowledge of debt collections and the scum collectors who buy and sell debt to each other. Read more
Published 3 days ago by M. Gaines
Somewhat Interesting story, misleading title
Full Disclosure: I once worked at a financial sector call center, so I may have found this book significantly more or less interesting than many people. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mike
A story book on "the life of a collector" NOT heavy on advice at all
This is good book of a story of a man the got a job as a "collector" in order to find the inside scoop. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Le Kameleon
Okay book
I would say it's just okay. I bought it so I could learn from a third party about debt collection. He sprinkles the book with some good tips. Read more
Published 7 months ago by S. Johnson
Useful and funny
This book could have been dry facts to help repair your credit, it could have been an invesigative piece on the infiltration of bill collectors, or it could have been a funny story... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Amy Hilliard
The Seedy Underbelly of Collection Agencies
Fred Williams has written a most interesting book that seems tailor-made for the current climate. There are more people in debt than ever before, and that of course means there... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Frederic Woodbridge
Mostly a story, with some helpful bits at the end
I read this to gain knowledge to help someone who was experiencing various unfair collection practices. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Emily E. Brown
Helps Understand Collections Process from an Insider
This book gave a great insider view into the volatile world of the colletions agency and the collectors themselves. It is a great read for people being hounded by collectors. Read more
Published 12 months ago by SB Gal
A timely tome
This investigative report chronicles an undercover journalist whom delves into the world of debt collection, appearing as one of their own. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Shannon Freeman
Be a Responsible Adult and Pay Your Bills!
So this book is about the dark secrets and underhanded tactics of cruel, relentless bill collectors, who for some mysterious reason demand so impolitely and exasperatingly, on... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Sir Charles Panther
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