U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India
The New York Times looks at the blossoming foreign market for debt collection services, and describes a call center in India where the employees are reminded to bring up the 2008 stimulus checks when they call U.S. households, and where everyone claps three times when the first "deal" of the day is made (""Rajesh, for $35 a month for three months," the supervisor yells across the center.)
So far the market is still small—maybe 5% of collections—but the Times says more contracts are in the pipeline, and that companies are also looking to Mexico, Romania, and the Phillipines. Delinquent mortgage loans will probably continue to be handled in the U.S. because they involve complex state and federal laws, but "credit card, auto and other debt are prime candidates for collection overseas."
"Debt Collection Done From India Appeals to U.S. Agencies " [New York Times] (Thanks to SSH!)
(Photo: Getty)
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Comments:
It won't mean as much now when they threaten to show up on your doorstep, or better yet at your work.
Oh god. I can just imagine Romanian debt collectors on the phone. I'm going to make so much money under the FDCPA.
@jdmba:
Several countries are under the same educational system as the US (the Philippines being the most prominent). The accent I'll give you, but a script will surely be unnecessary.
I can't help but wonder if I'm the only one who actually likes this news?
Oh gosh, Customer Support outsourcing wasn't bad enough?
Yes! Dirty underhanded tactics ahoy!!!
"Hello? If you don't pay off this debt, the great Shiva will come to your house and bring the pain!"
This is yet another reason not to get into debt you guys :(
I'm looking forward to when executive management is outsourced to India.
i'm glad this didn't happen years ago when i was in college and didn't pay my credit card for a while. i enjoyed my conversations with good ol' american matt from capital one.
I'm sorry I don't understand what you're saying...
I am thinking we can afford to buy off the agent...
(one paypal payment later...)
Debt? What debt?
Ha, I LOVE the picture that goes with this story! Awesome.
"Thank you and come again!"
I love indian women. Moar Indian Womenz plz
We deal with these Indian collectors every day - they call with heavy accents - "This is 'Steve' I am calling from 'Kansas'.
We're working with lawmakers to see that your personal financial information doesn't leave these shores. It's bad enough it's in the hands of felons in some agencies...
www.budhibbs.com
"Hi, this is Kesyer Sose if you do not pay me the money I will be forced to kill my own family to show you that I mean business and then kill everyone you know."
I'm with you on that one. Sometimes the wells fargo women would even flirt back...
"Please to be paying your bill do the needful ok"
If I were ever called by one of these clowns, I think I'd just laugh and hang up the phone.
Just please do the needful and you won't have to hear from Niteen and Raja.
So the same people who read back scripts at places like Orbitz, Dell and Citibank are going into debt collection?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
"Hello, my name is Bob. This phone call may be recorded. May I speak to…Meesus…Smmmith?"
"I'm sorry. I can't understand a word you're saying."
"Meesus Smith, you owe $250 to Beast Buy for teleVISION."
"What? I what?"
"You have $600 steeemulus check from government?
"You want to stimulate my WHAT?! I'm calling the police!"
@RandomHookup: That impression was spot-on. I'm not sure where the "please do the needful" thing comes from, but I know my Indian colleagues say it all the time.
So, uh, I guess threatening legal action under the FDCPA is going to be a little less intimidating, huh?
My first question when reading this is will the FDCPA still protect us?
Oh Good! Send sensitive financial and identifying info overseas too. No chance of ID theft AT ALL. Nope.
Again, glad I pay my bills on time.
Amusing thing is that "Medium" had an episode where they were being called by an Indian debt collector a few weeks ago.
Reminds me of the joke: What do you get when you cross the Mafia with an Indian Call Center? You get an offer you can't understand.
@Maurs: I wouldn't expect it to change much. The call center might be shifted to India, but corporate HQ will remain in the states. If anything, I'd expect this to make the agencies even more accountable because the contractor will behave exactly as they're told to by the client -- "forgetting" to train on FDCPA will be even more inexcusable now.
@unklegwar: Too late. Bank of America out-sourced their call center to India already. So all your banking information and other sensitive data is already over there.
Okay, all of you immature clowns.SOME of us God fearing ,real he-man ,All American types don't find this article (and your responses) funny.
We find it fucking hysterical.
Okay MBA students, here is the answer to a case study you may be working on.When you argue with the instructor about the dumbest idea in American business history,this must be mentioned prominently.Among short sighted,half baked ideas,this one deserves a special place.
I will free a free beer (must be over 21,offer void where prohibited)for the best recorded call that involves one of these collectors from India. Post it somewhere,it should be a scream.
Clearly some companies still think that we _like_ dealing with Indian call centers.
It's one thing when you're the one doing the calling (presumably for something you want/need), but I can't imagine that many folks who are starting to get calls from collections agencies are going to actually slog through the various accent, and idiomatic issues that pop up just to have someone try to get money out of them.
Somehow I don't see this ending well.
@Erwos: I used to get the phrase in job cover letters all the time.
You can now get it on a thong or trucker hat: [www.cafepress.com]
@Tush:
"Clowns? They're people too, jackass."
And of course you noticed that I made no claim to the contrary.
Whenever you need clarification from me, you need only ask for it politely, preferably without the valueless invective attached.
Jackass, indeed.
Seven years ago, I would have chuckled and told the person I'd pay, but only in rupees. Now that the GOP has turned the $US to toilet paper, it'd be ruinously expensive to do this.
I guess that's progress?
@Roycester: We're working with lawmakers to see that your personal financial information doesn't leave these shores.
This possibility scares the holy living shit out of me.
@Tush: Clowns? They're people too, jackass
Perhaps they are, but no one is forcing them to take the job. What if I ran a service in which you could pay people to take a dump on others' porches?
On the plus side, this joke continues to write itself!
Philippines. It's not that difficult to spell.
Clowns and mimes are not really human.
@Snarkysnake: This is assuming that there are consumerist readers who are behind on their bills. It seems the "Debt Collector calls the wrong person" stories are far and few between.
I predict that outsourcing is going to escalate big time over the next several years as companies attempt to keep profits healthy in this rough economy, thus adding to the problem and further driving the U.S. into recession.
I had trouble in the past with a debt collector calling on a debt that wasn't mine. It was difficult enough to deal with when they were in America, and my state attorney general could get on their case. I don't know what would have happened, had it been in India.
@dragonfire81 - I try hard to avoid doing business with any company that outsources. Although almost impossible nowadays, I still TRY. I only want Apu to sell me beer and cigs, that is all...
@sean77:
See...that's how I feel too, yet no one can explain to my why it's so taboo to say black people like fried chicken, yet saying that Indians like curry is perfectly acceptable...
I can haz receshun?
Pretty soon "Debbie" or "Bob" will be calling, saying "I understand your problem" and putting you on hold for 10 minutes to look in the script for your keywords. Yay!