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View Full Version : Negotiating a student-loan settlement. Guide to dealing w/Collections?


Grisgra
07-01-2005, 01:08 AM
Obviously, this ain't for me, I play poker online /images/graemlins/smile.gif.

My gf, though, has about 15k in student loan debt. She's not working right now (I'm paying the bills) -- well, she's working, but it's of writing-and-producing-plays variety, which is not exactly a big income generator.

The collection folks have finally decided to get nasty, and are calling a bunch/threatening to garnish her non-existent wages/blah blah blah. I was especially impressed with them when they told her that she couldn't shirk her financial obligations after she told them that her father had just died the day before, could they give her a couple of weeks? Apparently that was just too much time to ask for. (FYI, he had /images/graemlins/frown.gif.)

They offered her a settlement down to 13.5k or so -- which isn't much considering that I think her actual debt was only 12k and it became 15k when it went to collections.

What I'm curious about is whether anyone here has worked with collection agencies, or for such agencies. She told me she tried to negotiate a lower payback, but that the guy on the other end said he couldn't go lower -- her credit was very good and so there was no obvious "need" on her part.

Sounds a little fishy to me. I have to believe that if I spoke to the guy, told him that he wouldn't be seeing a dime unless he went to, say, 7-8k, which he would get in full next week if he agreed to it, that he'd eventually cave. Yes, or no, do you think?

Any tips?

Also, given the fact that she's otherwise got good credit and doesn't actually have any wages to garnish, can she actually be hurt very much by these guys?

Thanks in advance. And let me get this out of the way right off the bat -- I'll ask her about the pooper thing.

Getting the other nonsense out of the way -- yes, she borrowed the money, yes, she doesn't want to pay it back, she's an evil, EVIL woman. Freeloader, too, as is clear by the fact that I'm paying all the bills. Noted.

I just want to know the ins and outs of this collections nonsense.

Grisgra
07-01-2005, 11:44 AM
*BUMP*

There have to be some deadbeats out there . . .

RacersEdge
07-01-2005, 11:49 AM
Why is she not paying her loans in the first place? Did she just plan to stop paying them completely?

slickpoppa
07-01-2005, 11:53 AM
This isn't what you aksed for, but tell her to get a fckin job. 15K in student loans is nothing over a typical 5-10 year plan. We all end up paying higher interest rates because of bums like her.

Grisgra
07-01-2005, 11:54 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Why is she not paying her loans in the first place? Did she just plan to stop paying them completely?

[/ QUOTE ]

The degree that she got with her student loans is next-to-useless. She didn't plan ahead of time to stop paying them completely, no.

scrub
07-01-2005, 11:59 AM
You should PM Mike Gallo. He's a manager at a collection agency, and has said in the past he's happy to answer questions about the industry.

Also, he's a cool guy.

scrub

scrub
07-01-2005, 12:02 PM
Also, I'm surprised that her loans went into collection if she's not earning any money. All student loans I've ever seen have some sort of deferment plan if you don't have any income, but I went to a college that had a lot of money, so maybe other loans are different.

scrub

FatOtt
07-01-2005, 01:29 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I have to believe that if I spoke to the guy, told him that he wouldn't be seeing a dime unless he went to, say, 7-8k, which he would get in full next week if he agreed to it, that he'd eventually cave. Yes, or no, do you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Telling someone that you can round up 7-8k in a week's time is a horrible way to convince them that you don't have any money.

2+2 wannabe
07-01-2005, 01:35 PM
[ QUOTE ]
This isn't what you aksed for, but tell her to get a fckin job. 15K in student loans is nothing over a typical 5-10 year plan. We all end up paying higher interest rates because of bums like her.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
yes, she borrowed the money, yes, she doesn't want to pay it back, she's an evil, EVIL woman.

[/ QUOTE ]

you're dating a bitch

how does she only have 15k in loans? that's not a lot at all - why doesn't she just get a job and pay it back? this probably pisses off a lot of students here

Voltron87
07-01-2005, 01:39 PM
so your girlfriend borrows a ton of money she wont be able to pay back for a useless degree (if youre cant afford a degree, dont get it if its going to be useless). now she is freeloading off you and doesnt want to pay for it? and is wasting her time writing plays? no offense, but she needs to get with it. sounds like she made a bad judgement call getting the degree, and when you do stuff like that as a grownup you have to pay for it.

Grisgra
07-01-2005, 01:40 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have to believe that if I spoke to the guy, told him that he wouldn't be seeing a dime unless he went to, say, 7-8k, which he would get in full next week if he agreed to it, that he'd eventually cave. Yes, or no, do you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Telling someone that you can round up 7-8k in a week's time is a horrible way to convince them that you don't have any money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Point taken, gist would be that *she* doesn't have any money, and he's not getting blood from a stone -- but that I would be willing to pay off her debt if he came down on the amount owed. If he refuses, then fine, he can immediately commence garnishing nothing from nothing -- but if he wants his tasty little commission check, he can compromise. These guys work on commission to a great degree, correct?

Grisgra
07-01-2005, 01:43 PM
[ QUOTE ]
so your girlfriend borrows a ton of money she wont be able to pay back for a useless degree (if youre cant afford a degree, dont get it if its going to be useless). now she is freeloading off you and doesnt want to pay for it? and is wasting her time writing plays? no offense, but she needs to get with it. sounds like she made a bad judgement call getting the degree, and when you do stuff like that as a grownup you have to pay for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, her plays are pretty damn good. Definitely a bad judgement call on her part re the degree, though.

Enough of the attacks . . . f'ing Donald Trump declared bankruptcy twice, for pete's sake. And I'm almost positive he's a grownup. And then there was that bigass S&L bailout. Dodging debt is The American Way! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Voltron87
07-01-2005, 01:46 PM
im just saying that i dont borrow money i cant pay back, and if i do i dont try to skirt it.

ok, the plays comment was harsh and unfair, but my point is the world is not everyones oyster all the time. people have obligations, you cant just do whatever moves you all the time.

donald trump is an [censored].

tj00
07-01-2005, 01:48 PM
This is a good site dealing with credit and collections.

http://consumers.creditnet.com/straighttalk/board/