U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India - Consumerist Comments

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

notallcompaniesareevil — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:57:04 EDT

@BigElectricCat: It's not nice to call them clowns for simply trying to do their job. A job which entails calling people who haven't paid their bills; perhaps the clown is on the other end of line?

Just a thought.

notallcompaniesareevil

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

cortana — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:11:46 EDT

@SabrinaFaire: KINDLY DO THE NEEDFUL

cortana

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

SabrinaFaire — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:32:56 EDT

I'm glad I'm not the only one annoyed by being told to do the needful.

SabrinaFaire

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

ageshin — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:01:32 EDT

The way I see it if they outsourse the jobs, then they can pay the debt because I don't have the do re mi any more!

ageshin

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

riverstyxxx — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:03:17 EDT

I can haz receshun?

riverstyxxx

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

LUV2CattleCall — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:31:33 EDT

@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...

LUV2CattleCall

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

sean77 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:53:09 EDT

@Cogito Ergo Bibo: hahah, racism is so damned funny.

sean77

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Pro-Pain — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:28:48 EDT

@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...

Pro-Pain

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

MightyCow — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:37:30 EDT

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.

MightyCow

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

dragonfire81 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:24:13 EDT

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.

dragonfire81

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

theblackdog — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:01:17 EDT

@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.

theblackdog

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Erskine — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:51:51 EDT

@Tush:

No, they're not.

Erskine

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

kbarrett — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:49:19 EDT

Clowns and mimes are not really human.

kbarrett

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Manok — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:10:48 EDT

Philippines. It's not that difficult to spell.

Manok

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

richcreamerybutter — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:53:38 EDT

@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!

richcreamerybutter

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Trai_Dep — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:28:25 EDT

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?

Trai_Dep

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

BigElectricCat — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:14:47 EDT

@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.

BigElectricCat

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

RandomHookup — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:13:51 EDT

@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]

RandomHookup

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

dragonvpm — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:08:08 EDT

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.

dragonvpm

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Snarkysnake — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:51:28 EDT

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.

Snarkysnake

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

SacraBos — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:34:34 EDT

@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.

SacraBos

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

dantsea — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:34:32 EDT

@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.

dantsea

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

SacraBos — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:33:05 EDT

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.

SacraBos

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

dwneylonsr — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:32:57 EDT

Amusing thing is that "Medium" had an episode where they were being called by an Indian debt collector a few weeks ago.

dwneylonsr

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

unklegwar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:29:25 EDT

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.

unklegwar

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

AustinTXProgrammer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:27:08 EDT

My first question when reading this is will the FDCPA still protect us?

AustinTXProgrammer

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Maurs — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:26:17 EDT

So, uh, I guess threatening legal action under the FDCPA is going to be a little less intimidating, huh?

Maurs

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Buran — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:14:49 EDT

@RandomHookup: And what if you're getting harassed because they can't comprehend "wrong number"?

Buran

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Tush — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:14:12 EDT

@BigElectricCat: Clowns? They're people too, jackass

Tush

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Erwos — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:12:41 EDT

@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.

Erwos

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Cogito Ergo Bibo — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:12:06 EDT

"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!"

Cogito Ergo Bibo

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

dantsea — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:02:33 EDT

So the same people who read back scripts at places like Orbitz, Dell and Citibank are going into debt collection?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.

dantsea

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

RandomHookup — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:41:42 EDT

Just please do the needful and you won't have to hear from Niteen and Raja.

RandomHookup

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

BigElectricCat — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:37:31 EDT

If I were ever called by one of these clowns, I think I'd just laugh and hang up the phone.

BigElectricCat

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

CarltonBanks — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:36:14 EDT

"Please to be paying your bill do the needful ok"

CarltonBanks

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

pmathews — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:35:32 EDT

@me and the sysop:

I'm with you on that one. Sometimes the wells fargo women would even flirt back...

pmathews

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Juggernaut — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:33:28 EDT

"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."

Juggernaut

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Roycester — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:32:37 EDT

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

Roycester

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Metropolis — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:32:34 EDT

I love indian women. Moar Indian Womenz plz

Metropolis

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Erskine — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:29:56 EDT

"Thank you and come again!"

Erskine

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Shannon — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:26:11 EDT

Ha, I LOVE the picture that goes with this story! Awesome.

Shannon

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

hi — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:15:14 EDT

But will they say "you are not a scam".

[consumerist.com]

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Snowblind — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:13:27 EDT

I am thinking we can afford to buy off the agent...
(one paypal payment later...)

Debt? What debt?

Snowblind

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Pro-Pain — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:09:11 EDT

I'm sorry I don't understand what you're saying...

Pro-Pain

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

me and the sysop — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:06:44 EDT

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.

me and the sysop

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

zentec — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:05:52 EDT

I'm looking forward to when executive management is outsourced to India.

zentec

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

corporateamericabites — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:04:41 EDT

This is yet another reason not to get into debt you guys :(

corporateamericabites

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Angryrider — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:59:38 EDT

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!"

Angryrider

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Papa Midnight — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:55:54 EDT

@cortana: Didn't even think of that...

Papa Midnight

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Papa Midnight — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:55:36 EDT

Oh gosh, Customer Support outsourcing wasn't bad enough?

Papa Midnight

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

EWGF — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:55:31 EDT

@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?

EWGF

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

cortana — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:55:29 EDT

Oh god. I can just imagine Romanian debt collectors on the phone. I'm going to make so much money under the FDCPA.

cortana

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

Mayor McRib — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:49:10 EDT

It won't mean as much now when they threaten to show up on your doorstep, or better yet at your work.

Mayor McRib

U.S. Debt Collecting Being Outsourced To India

jdmba — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:45:08 EDT

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!

jdmba