Take Up Their Time!

This is a screenshot from a "dialer management" system used by many collection agencies.


Up at the top, you can see that collectors' time is measured in seconds, yes, in seconds.


Now, a bit lower, you'll see that some collectors have pink backgrounds. That means they have spent "too much time" on a phase of the call.


So, how does this help you?


Simple. Take up their time, they will get tired of you and move on to an easier target. The collectors' supervisor will chide them for taking up too much time. The collector will advise the supervisor that you were just going on and on, not answering questions from the script. The supervisor will usually make the decision to remove you from the calling list.


Suggestions for taking up their time can be found here and here.


You also need to be sure you send them a debt validation letter. One that works is available for free here.


Most collection agencies go away upon receipt of a debt validation letter. If their computer system decides that you are a waste of time on the phone, they will stop calling you!