Out of roughly 20 collection companies that hounded me in past years only one (1) didn't violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Until ALL rouge collectors and collection companies are out of business the collection industry will continue to have egg on their collective faces.So boohoo Mr. hurt feelings, I have no sympathy for you or anyone else in the collection industry.

Here's a crazy idea - don't want to be hounded by collection agencies? PAY YOUR BILLS. Live within your means. Don't co-sign for dodgy relatives. And oh yes, PAY YOUR BILLS.

Debt collectors exist because people don't pay the money they have contracted to pay. And the more people who don't pay, the more honest people who have to pay higher interest, higher down payments, or just plain can't get credit.

I must applaud Rozanne M. Andersen's letter. I also applaud Jay Hancock for printing it. However, the tone of his introduction still shows a lack of understanding of the value of our industry. I must ask Mr. Hancock to work to understand the importance of the collection division for the various newspapers he has worked for. The misinformation about the industry is astounding. Maybe it is a a way to grab a headline. One would be surprised on how many unscrupulous individuals and companies manipulate the system and laws to avoid paying bills they rightfully owe. Furthermore, they feel it is their right not to have to pay it. I hope society as a whole moves to being more financially responsible.

Rouge collectors? Are those collectors who thrive on taking your makeup and spreading it all over your cheeks?

Dear Mr Hancock,

In response to your suggestion of the "fire bomb tossed into the company office", I find your attitude and ignorance deplorable. Unfortunately not all members of society are lucky enough to find a “job” working for a newspaper and not in the real world. Like most other rock throwers, you apparently live in a glass house. Let us examine your profession. How many corrections, errors, omissions of facts and lawsuits have been caused due to opinionated, questionably educated hacks have been from the newspaper business? I understand that you are in the business section of the paper and apparently perfect.
You seem to take sincere pleasure at targeting the debt collection segment of the business world, to which you owe your paycheck. Of course in media, you cannot write stories that are about good news, you have to sensationalize the bad, well only if you want to keep your job.
Why not give credit to the people that have one of the most thankless jobs. Yes, there are people in the industry that break the rules and laws, but what about those that don’t? Any comment? I did not think so.
Now, as a collection professional, I have shown that you can do your job. Try a stint in our shoes before you revel in the fact that there are now more unemployed people, a company that cannot pay it’s bills, creditors that will go unsatisfied, and companies that relied on the recovered dollars to help be profitable.

I have an idea for a Mr. Hancock. Try an article on the cottage industry of unscrupulous attorneys and/or debtors who have multiple suits pending against collection agencies for either hyper-technical violations (literally a comma out of place) or outright fraudulent claims that have no basis in reality. They are targeting small licensed firms that have done nothing wrong, but who also don't have the funds to defend and will pay just to make it go away. That of course, only fuels the fire. The FDCPA is getting diluted to the point of being ridiculous. It's a get rich quick scheme for some people, which was not the intent of the law. There is an inmate in my state who is sending out demand letters to every agency in the state and making money on fraudulent claims. He knows that even though these firms have never attempted to collect from him, they will have to hire an attorney to defend them, and paying a small demand is likely more affordable.
Meanwhile, the unlicensed debt buyers are getting away with murder. I had an employee who was being savagely hounded by a debt buyer (who people confuse with licensed firms) from out of state. Our attorney general did nothing.
Mr. Hancock, talk to a few debt collectors and try to see both sides of the story. We, on the other hand promise not to write any articles on irresponsible "journalists" grabbing headlines with half a story.

Could you tell me how will i pay my bills, when i have been laidoff from my 100,000 dollar a year job after 15 years? How can I pay my bills when i have lost my house? You cannot even imagine the Horrow stories of professional Debt collectors calling me 30 or 40 times a day on my FRIENDS phone for money i do not even have!

well,well,well. they are sensitive. i always wondered when you call "debt hounds" out they are the first to let you know how little you know of the industry. they hope for that. thats how they get default judgements, scare relatives, and continue to call all the time. they hope you dont know about their business. could someone please tell me beside calling and bullying, what are they good for? i'm sorry. they are changing the world. hmmm.

Mr. Hancock, I think you got beat up enough by other posters, commend you on posting even those postings that were against you and challenge you in your thought processes. By that I am referring to your casting of "the professionals" that work in debt collection all in one lump category of the "stereotypical rogue collector" who usually is NOT acting on behalf of a well-trained, well-policed agency and industry that has to be on guard and on its toes all of the time due to the plethora of laws, frivolous suits and "rogue" attorneys out there who count on and make a living from agencies settling nuisance suits. By stereotyping and categorizing people, especially those that follow the laws and try to make an honest living to provide for themselves and their families discredits you and your newspaper...who would be next...the garbagemen? Census takers? McDonald's employees? Newspaper carriers?

Collectors provide a needed service and contribute to bring back lost dollars, reduce prices or keep them from rising and contribute to rebuilding the economy. Until businesses are allowed to print their own dollars to cover consumers' debt, like our government and current administration seem to favor, agencies and collectors will be needed and should not be stereotyped due to a few bad apples.

Hey Jay:

First: I don't believe you "suggested" anything with that "firebomb" reference. "Hey, why don't you...." --that is a suggestion; what you wrote was a poorly chosen metaphor.

Second: there were a couple half-truths sprinkled in with your journo-elitist opinions: a) Yes. There is more debt available due to the recession; however, MD unemployment is up 50% compared to 2 years ago. People cannot pay their debts if they do not have a job. Think of it this way: suppose there were more news to report in the state but literacy was down 50%. Would you sell more newspapers or would your blog have more traffic? I doubt it. b) Only Mann Bracken court cases that have not been adjudicated were dismissed; accounts where a judgment has already been entered have not been dismissed. You could have been more specific.

Third: you seem to view Mann Bracken’s bankruptcy as just deserts—your “populist glee.” I would call it ironic: a company who collects FROM a debtor IS a debtor. In fact, I see it much the same way as I would a reporter (whose primary obligation is to report the facts—whether spiced with opinion or not) who turns out to be a fabulist like Jayson Blair or Stephen Glass. And I would never take joy in the fact that many decent people (who did not contribute to MB's bankruptcy) lost their jobs.

Good riddance! WSB-TV in Atlanta did an investigative piece (see link) on Mann Bracken and had a great confrontation with Christopher Bracken in a parking lot. He looked sweaty and very uncomfortable and probably knew his business was going down the tubes.

Sorry for his employees, but they'll be better off somewhere else.

To a couple of the commenters:
Allen- the fact that you have 20 collection companies over the years speaks volumes for what you must have been thinking while spending apparently much more money than what you had. When you spend money that isn't yours-you have to pay it back. If you only spend money that is yours-I doubt you would have had 20 collection agencies trying to contact you over the years.

To nvassarx-I realize your situation and that should be taken into account by reputable collectors when they try to set up payment schedules. However, if you were making that much money for that long-did you ever plan for a rainy day ? Did you assume you could never lose your high paying job. My wife and I ( with our two kids) live a fairly nice lifestyle but below what has become common for people who make what we do ( which combined is not much more than you did). I lost my job twice due to layoffs over the last few years. If my wife did as well-we could make necessary adjustments that would at least allow us to make payments toward our debt with our creditors ( which would be new debt-since we never carry any debt other than our home). I guess you didn't plan as well as we did. Whose fault is that ? Certainly not mine.

Way to advocate people losing their jobs Mr Hancock. Does it matter their profession, anyone in the US losing their job right now hurts our economy. As a reporter you are just as much a slimeball as the debt professionals you continue to insult. You manipulate people and try to get them to do what you want, the difference is once people pay their bills they better their credit. If people listened to you they'd end up jail for arson.

To Dean...
re:Allen - I know Allen. His problems were caused by a medical situation. So - you are making unreasonable assumptions...and showing you a$$. As to nvassarx - If I were in his shoes, and had a choice between paying a credit card company (that had DOUBLED my apr and payment) or paying my mortgage and grocery bill...well I think you see where the error of your ways are.

I, too, had problems that haunt me. I worked for a company that went bankrupt owing me a boatload of money, including almost $30k in company expenses for trade shows. Was that my fault?? I worked with a number of my creditors and collection agencies to settle out as best I could. Then...there were the Mann Bracken, Academy, NCO's of the world. Forget FDCPA violations! If they had just treated me in a PROFESSIONAL and courteous manner, maybe they would have gotten more $. BUT - the unprofessional attitudes, the FDCPA and FCRA violations are inexcusable.

Response to "DEAN" WHO HAS PLANED HIS LIFE SO WELL and has been layed of twice. He PLUS his wife make about what i make AND are able to pay all their debts in a timely manner! WOW what a bunch of CRAP..YOU do not have a CLUE as to what i have "stashed" away. JUST STOP PAYING THE CROOKED COLLECTORS AND BECOME DEBT FREE...