This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Tadpole_420 on 2024-12-25 02:34:18+00:00.

So recently, a firm by the name of Aldous & Associates has repeatedly contacted me regarding a gym membership that I had cancelled in the beginning of 2022. I contacted them by phone today, and upon being greeted by an agent, I informed them that I would like to validate this debt. The agent I spoke with told me, “We acknowledge your right to verbally request validation; however, due to our procedures, you must mail us via certified mail to our P.O. Box.”

Hearing this response, I asserted that they must give me the option to request this validation in writing or electronically, as per section F of the FDCPA. I also requested the agent’s license number for collecting debt. The agent placed me on a brief hold and then informed me that he did not, in fact, possess a license and that the firm itself is licensed. He added that he “isn’t an attorney.” This confused me, so I asked him to clarify, “Are you a licensed debt collector?” He stated he did not have a license and that he would need to transfer me to his supervisor.

Once I reached the supervisor, she was very short with me and alleged that they are, in fact, not at all obligated to provide me with the license numbers of the debt collectors I’ve spoken with. She also said they would not comply with my validation request because I need to submit it in writing to their P.O. Box. I informed her that section F of the FDCPA allows me to request this validation through “written or electronic correspondence” and asked for their email address. She refused and stated that if I called back, it would be considered “harassment.” I laughed. What a freaking joke, right? They’re allowed to contact people over and over again, but suddenly, when I assert my rights, they have a problem with me.

Disregarding her, I attempted to call back and found that she had blocked my number through their dialer. I found a simple workaround: WiFi calling apps are incredibly easy to use and free to install. I downloaded five dialer apps and continued to persist, asking them to fulfill my request and validate my debt. They continued to stonewall me, transferring me as soon as my call connected or simply hanging up on me.

To summarize my experience:

I would call them, let them know, “It’s your best friend Corbin,” and they would sound exasperated, once again reiterating that I must send this request in writing and refusing to patch me through to a supervisor. I continued to insist they validate this debt through electronic correspondence. We went back and forth. For hours.

Eventually, they started blocking any new numbers I called from, which caused me to generate new numbers. After around the 20th time they blocked me, I wised up and realized I could simply call back from a private number to overcome the internal block. I continued to insist and persisted for a few hours longer until their call center closed for the night.

My question is: How is it possible for me to harass a debt collector? I have no love for them, of course, because they exist as a parasitic entity harassing elderly consumers and those who don’t know better than to request their debts be validated. (To my understanding, these firms often purchase accounts in bulk and don’t have all the pertinent and necessary documents to legally collect this debt.) However, it makes no sense that they get to negatively impact my credit score while also blocking me from contacting them by phone.

I didn’t swear at them throughout the course of my calls; I was unabashedly facetious due to my perspective that they’re parasitic leeches attempting to collect a debt that I’m pretty sure they can’t prove. How are they allowed to block me from contacting them in regard to this account? I believe they treated me unfairly as soon as I started asking for their license numbers because, from what I can gather, there are several phone agents operating as debt collectors who are completely unlicensed.

This entire process has been grating and frustrating for me, and I may have been vindictive in my persistence, but I don’t think they can consider that harassment. Their entire job description is harassment. The reason I ask is because they mentioned harassment in the initial conversation with the supervisor. Once I told my mom that I had called a debt collector 500 times (probably not 500 exactly, but well over 100-200), she recommended I don’t do that again and simply mail in my request. To me, it’s more about the principle of the matter.

How are they allowed to mess up my credit without validating the debt, and then block me after I demand they comply with section F of the FDCPA, which should entitle me to request they validate it electronically through email? I don’t think this should be considered harassment. To me, that’s a stretch because, from what I’ve seen online, there are restrictions on the number of times they are allowed to contact consumers (e.g., the “777 rule”), but I couldn’t find anything limiting the number of times we are allowed to contact them. I’ll attach a photo of the AI Overview Google pulls up for me.

Important note: I didn’t cuss at them or threaten them. At worst, I spoke to them in a condescending tone as I explained myself over and over and over again. Please advise, as I’m awfully confused. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

TLDR: I requested a debt collector validate my debt electronically and they blocked me: prompting me to download several WiFi calling apps then eventually call from a private number to continue to insist. I did this several hundred times over the course of my day until they closed.

EDIT : I didn’t expect so many responses! Thank you all for your input! Also I had ChatGPT format the text into paragraphs! My bad!!!