WOW... I've been dealing with ARC for a little over a week and have been contacted by two staff.

The first individual has been nothing but professional and has responded to all of my requests for information.

The second person who has only phoned me twice now (2nd time at my request) did nothing but try and push me with the CA play book. Part way through the 1st conversation I hung up on this guy and after speaking with my original contact today she looked up his information and told me his name and said she would have him phone me after I requested his license number.

Mr Davis phoned me up and I asked him for his license number at which point he asked me what my license number was... apparently he has a sense of humor. I continued to push for the number at which point he tried to counter me by asking if this is how I avoid all my debts. yadda yadda... I then asked him to hold while I turned on my recorder at which point he said that it was not OK for me to record him and promptly hung up!

I would like to record ALL future conversations with ARC from now on and not have them hang up on me, my questions are:

1. If I send a fax stating that ALL future conversations will be recorded between myself and ARC would you consider that ethical and appropriate? I do not want to lower myself to their standards and record without consent so this would provide me with some peace of mind if ARC was informed in writing at least. I have a feeling that Mr Davis's tone will quickly change or he will not be informed by his employer which is no longer my concern.
2. How can I find out Mr Davis licence number?

You don't have to tell ARC that you're recording the conversation. As long as YOU (as one party) know that you're recording the conversation, that'e enough.

I wouldn't use your collection agents' names on the site--you never know who might be lurking. But your pal will have to tell you his license number--it's illegal not to. If he refuses to give it to you, get it on tape, and then refuse to deal with him. Write a letter to whoever originally held your loan and advise them of your audio tape.

 If you want the license# of a collector, simply call the Provincial ministry that the agency is licensed with. Call the business licensing department and inquire as to whether or not your "friend" is a licensed collector. Once you have established that, then ask the licensing rep to give you the license # becuase your "friend" refused to give it to you when requested.

 A word of caution to all who plan on recording calls ...

 Do not coerce or entice a collector to break rules in any way. If it can be determined that a person is enticing (baiting the hook), then it can be trouble.

 It is not required that you ask the collector's permission to record the conversation that is about to occur. However, if it can be determined that you are "baiting hooks", that is entrapment.

 Simply tell the collector that you are recording the conversation. This way, it rules out coersion and entrapment.

Thanks for the reply guys,

I will be contacting the Provincial Ministry tomorrow to try and find out some information regarding my new found "friend".

I have no intention of trying to bait Mr Davis but I will be trying to contact him using the same rules set in place for CA's until he gives me the requested information or I find it using alternative methods. If I end up with recordings of him hanging up on me so be it, I would like to see him explain why he hangs up when I request information that he should be providing.

I'm really not too concerned about posting Mr Davis's name, if people are lurking they should be taking note.

CA's have two paths that they can take when establishing a relationship, they can conduct themselves in a productive and constructive manner or an unprofessional and destructive manner to resolve a debt. Mr Davis choose his path last week and now he must deal with the bumps on the path.

tcameron wrote: CA's have two paths that they can take when establishing a relationship, they can conduct themselves in a productive and constructive manner or an unprofessional and destructive manner to resolve a debt. Mr Davis choose his path last week and now he must deal with the bumps on the path.

YES!!! I agree!!

Bonitah

tcameron,

Exactly!  Why should we protect their identity?  Fake as it is at times anyways....I've never been concerned about posting the names of CAs.

It's unfortunate that many CAs choose the unprofessional and destructive manner .... and the best thing of it all....the government/banks/those who hire these CA know exactly how they operate!  That is disgusting  

 Ferren,

 If you are recording a conversation with a collector, and it is clearly visible that you are "baiting" him or her to break the rules by saying something wrong, then it will be difficult to use that for whatever purpose you are recording it for.

 For instance:

 If the collector is not acting out of order - or threatening, and you "entice" the collector by saying something that you know will aggravate the situation.

 If you were to say, "Mr. Collector, go pound sand because I am not paying you anything! You are being a jerk or jerkette"" This will cause the collector to go snaky thus aggitating the matter.  

 To the contrary, it does not take heavy inducing to prompt a collector to break the rules. In many cases, the very first contact a collector has with a person reveals several broken rules. If you tell a collector that you are recording a conversation, that alone will cause them to get all bent out of shape and say something out of character.

 When you tell a collector you are recording the call, and he or she is convinced that you actually are, they will either say ," I don't care, go ahead",  or, "That's fine. Now, back to the issue at hand ..."

Accounts Recovery Corporation (ARC). I wish I could say I was dealing with them. There have certainly been several exchanges.

I'm so sad to say that I reduced myself to the latest CA's level. Screaming, threatening. Aside from that and before that I've had several reasonable conversations with other members of the organization.

Let's see the first call turned threatening and abusive quite quickly (I thought perhaps she was personally responsible for my debt). When I asked her if she was aware of the federal laws regarding telephone conduct she put me on hold and I then had a reasonable conversation with her supervisor (so she said). I indicated to the man at the other end of the phone (near the end of our conversation) that only prostitution seemed possible as a means for me to provide him with the money he was asking for. And since that is illegal and not something I'm interested in, anyway, there was nothing I had to offer. They did the usual diatribe about asking family and friends for money. Somehow it did end on a pleasant note - he was reasonable and I was reasonable and we both seemed to remain respectful with senses of humour in tact.

Then another young lady called and called and called and called - never identifying herself beyond her name. I left her 'on hold' one day. Later, she called back. I explained that I was distracted and that my current resonsibilities (child rearing) require all of my energies. I told her that I was currently in communication with a Trustee, to determine my responsibilities in this matter and that I would be in communication with her org ASAP.

The next I heard from them was an extremely aggresive male leaving messages on the machine over and over and over and over. He did the morality diatribe and (hears the sad part, I was having a bad day (boo hoo)) I'm here confess that I responded by leaving a screaming rant on his machine. Then I called back and told him that I did not ever want to hear from him, personally, again and that any contact would be considered harrassment. His machine could only hold so much information and it took me several calls to be certain that I had made myself clear.

Then I called the central switchboard and left my name and number and asked for a return call providing me with the name, telephone number and best time to call information regarding this guy's supervisor.

Well, the abuser called me again today. We had several exchanges, hanging up on each other. I looked them up on the website and tried to contact an 'ombudsman'. A woman returned my call and I returned her call.

I've drafted a letter to them, restating the information that I provided in that one useful (to them) conversation. I have no money. I have no job. I am aware of my accounts, which are held by more than one organization and I will be in contact with them as soon as there is a change in my financial circumstances.

And that's all I have to say about that (that the moment).

=O)

by the way, I really, REALLY appreciate the signature that states that this is just business and this is not a moral judgement (or whatever it says).