I HATE collection agencies

So, here's my first rant about my debt situation. A couple of years ago, I was extremely stupid, and got a Dillard's card (Dillard's being a department store). At the time I got the card, I was working full time, and able to make the payments. I ended up leaving my job, and wasn't able to make the payments, so they sent it to collections.

The first agency they sent the card to violated the FDCPA, and when I called them out on it, they stopped calling. Out of sight, out of mind. I went back to school (I had taken a year off), and nobody had contacted me about the debt. Still, outta sight, outta mind.

So, a few weeks ago, my mom calls me, and asks me to get a voicemail off her phone. I call, and the company that called was Redline Recovery. Little bell went off in my head that this is a collections agency, and I had already been having a bad day, so I decided to call. The first lady I spoke with was seemingly understanding, and said she was going to put my account in a holding status until January (the next time I'm going to have enough of an income to settle with these people), and that I shouldn't be receiving any more phone calls. I should have remembered Dave Ramsey's advice about bill collectors. THEY ARE LYING IF THEIR MOUTH IS MOVING.

Couple days later, I get a phone call. Yep, from Redline. Before the guy can even get into his spiel, I ask "Wait a second, why are you calling me? I was told by the first lady I spoke with that this would be in a holding status until January when I have money to pay you with." Luckily, due to the LLNOE boards, I had what is called a "Limited Cease and Desist" letter ready to print out to send to the company. I got off the phone (fuming), and got ready to print the letter. Printer having issues, so outta sight, outta mind.

I'm a full time college student. I'm often in school from 8 in the morning until late afternoon, so obviously if I'm in school, I'm not home answering my phone. Today, I check the voicemail on my phone, and there's THREE messages from these people, first one saying that my account will be "escalated", second one saying "it's imperative that you call me back" and the third one saying "You're OBVIOUSLY avoiding our phone calls, Mr. *insert my last name here, mispronounced*, call me back immediately or we'll be seeking a judgment against you." (WTF? *looks down shirt* I'm still a chick!)

Allow me to let you in on a secret, I don't work. I work at being a student. Soooo, if I don't work, then obviously I don't get a paycheck, right? They can't garnish a paycheck I don't get. Also, the only thing I physically own worth anything is my car. Most people won't/can't attach a lien to a car, because it's just not worth it.

Anyhow, I need to get that Cease and Desist letter out, at the very least by this afternoon. Then, once I have the little green card in my hot little hands showing they signed for my letter (sending it certified mail, return receipt requested), if they call again, they violate the FDCPA. They do that, I'm SO calling the FTC down on their rears.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR


Oh, and double grrrr at 3:10 PM, apparently they've called my dad. Peachy, huh?