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Any agreement on your part to get on a payment plan transforms the old, low-value debt you incurred with your credit card into a *brand new*, *high value* debt that you owe to the bill collector. There's a good chance they'll sell this debt to another collector and take the lump sum - and then the new collector will commence a fresh round of harassment.

McKenzie says you should *never* talk to a debt collector. Make them put *everything* in writing.

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Cory Doctorow 2y ago

They are almost certain to lie to you and violate your rights, and a written record will help you prove it later. What's more, debt collection agencies just don't have the capacity or competence to engage in written correspondence. Tell them to put it in writing and there's a good chance they'll just give up and move on, hunting softer targets.

One other thing debt collectors due is robo-sue their targets, bulk-filing boilerplate suits against debtors, real and imaginary.

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Discussion

Cory Doctorow 2y ago

If you don't show up for court (which is what usually happens), they'll get a default judgment, and with it, the legal right to raid your bank account and your paycheck. That, in turn, is an *asset* that, once again, the debt collector can sell to an even scummier bottom-feeder, pocketing a lump sum.

McKenzie doesn't know what will fix this. But #MichaelHudson, a renowned scholar of the debt practices of antiquity, has some ideas.

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