In this faltering economy, it's getting easier and easier to fall behind a little in payments to creditors. Not a good thing, but it happens. You lose your job or your hours or cut, in any case, your income is reduced. Unfortunately, your financial obligations are not. In fact, your creditors are now upping your minimum payments and interest rates. Hmm, and they really think that's going to help you pay them off faster?
Lately, we've started getting calls from a bill collector. Now, this was rather confusing to me as we aren't that far behind on payments. A little late, but the bills always do get paid. So why was this bill collector calling us? I have a habit of ignoring any phone calls that come up in the caller ID as "toll-free." But yesterday, they left a message on the voicemail to call IC Systems. Well, I looked up IC Systems to find out that they are one of those collection agencies that has a reputation for harassment and making mistakes.
Today they called again and I picked up the phone. I said hello about four times and no one answered. I hung up and dialed the number back. Asked them what they wanted and who they were looking for. Someone named Marvin Foutz, or at least it sounded that way, but since the person on the phone had a foreign accent, I wasn't sure. So I said the name back to them and yes, that's who they were looking for.
No one in this household is named Marvin Foutz. We don't KNOW anyone by that name. So why do they have this number? And they've also called my husband's work, but they were looking for someone else that time, some woman whose name my husband did not recognize.
IC Systems says they will take my number off their list, but we'll see what happens.
And Marvin Foutz, whoever you are, wherever you are, I hope you get this taken care of.
