canadian debt collectors

[courtsk1 0]

Hi,

I need some advice. I'm losing sleep over this issue. I moved to USA 3 years ago on a work visa. circumstances arose in which I couldn't pay my canadian mastercard. I began receiving calls from mastercard but they stopped about a year ago. I've recently been married and am now a perm. resident. I received a phone call Friday from a debt collector saying that I owe them for the credit card debt ($3800) and that they can ganish my wages and sue me if I don't pay. he was a real jerk and made me very scared. He also said that they can report to american credit bureaus but I looked on the transunion and experian websites and they both said the canadian and american branches don't communicate. I guess my question is: can he really come after me here in the us for this money? Will they take money from my canadian bank account (I use it to pay my student loans)? And what is the likelihood that they will sue me here in the US over a measley $3800? Please help with any advice. My husband and my mom both say not to worry but I hate this stuff. We are not in a position to pay the lump sum and the debt collector says he won't accept monthly payments.

[Karee 4,190]

Hi,

I need some advice. I'm losing sleep over this issue. I moved to USA 3 years ago on a work visa. circumstances arose in which I couldn't pay my canadian mastercard. I began receiving calls from mastercard but they stopped about a year ago. I've recently been married and am now a perm. resident. I received a phone call Friday from a debt collector saying that I owe them for the credit card debt ($3800) and that they can ganish my wages and sue me if I don't pay. he was a real jerk and made me very scared. He also said that they can report to american credit bureaus but I looked on the transunion and experian websites and they both said the canadian and american branches don't communicate. I guess my question is: can he really come after me here in the us for this money? Will they take money from my canadian bank account (I use it to pay my student loans)? And what is the likelihood that they will sue me here in the US over a measley $3800? Please help with any advice. My husband and my mom both say not to worry but I hate this stuff. We are not in a position to pay the lump sum and the debt collector says he won't accept monthly payments.

Basically he's a liar. I lived in Montreal for a couple years. While there I had a corporate AMEX card in my name. I moved back to the U.S. and didn't pay the bill because the Canadian company I worked for wouldn't pay me. Somehow Amex Canada got a hold of me here in the U.S. and started making all these threats about ruining my U.S. credit. I told them to pi$$ off. There's nothing they can do. It's totally separate. Less than 6 months after that episode, I applied for and received a corporate AMEX card in the U.S. So not only do the credit bureaus not communicate, AMEX doesn't even communicate between the two countries.

Don't lose any sleep over it. Of course it will affect your credit in Canada if that's important to you.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Debt collectors buy stale debt and will chase after you for it. There are strict rules about what the can and can't do. Yes they CAN sue you get a judgement and attach your wages. ( I believe they can't cross the borders so they can only go after assets on the correct side of the border ) You should make payment arrangements because you do owe a dept. However if you are dealing with a bad collector , read up on your rights and report them when they behave badly. The typical fine for violating the collection act is 10000 no matter the debt ( I reported one for a 15 bill that wasn't valid and they called 5 am Sunday 3 times and they got the full fine)

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Just to play devil's advocate... if it's a "measly" $3800 then why don't you pay it?

[T&T&T 31]

Credit card companies are great when you apply for and get approved for their cards. However when you spend their money and they want it back they are the bad guys... go figure...

[courtsk1 0]

Thanks. This made me feel way better. Harpa, you're right. Isn't it funny that when it comes to messing with our money it doesn't seem so measly does it? I mean for a big company who's probably pursueing huge debts like $20,000 it must seem measly. Nigeriaorbust: who did you report them to? I'd like to do that but I'm not sure the appropriate avenue.

Thanks again!

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Read up here it covers most of it. http://credit.about.com/od/debtcollection/bb/debtcollector.htm

[Flames9_RN 358]

Just pay the debt that YOU accumulated. You had no problem making it........

[inlovesalem 17]

That is crappy, hope you get it all straightened out.

Edited September 23, 2013 by inlovesalem

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I hope you can get this straightened out. I'm not sure this is correct, but I assume if the debt has gone to the collection agency, you can no longer communicate with the original company about making payments, right?

They lie if they say they will not accept payments - I believe they have to accept any amount if the eprson is willing - they are a nasty bunch.

Fomr a morality point of view - I would hate for you not to pay this and have it affect you years from now if you chose to return to Canada.

Edited September 23, 2013 by Udella&Wiz

[courtsk1 0]

I offered to make monthly payments but he said he could only accept the amount paid in full TODAY. and I called the credit card company and they said they wished they could settle with me but my account had already been sold off. I'm just feeling embarrassed and would like to make things right

Edited September 24, 2013 by courtsk1

[Kimbear 53]

Pretty sure thats BS, i dealt with a credit company when my C-Tire card was sold off. I was still able to make payments, i had to give them post dated cheques or or maybe it was preauthorized withdrawals..i can't remember exactly, it was something iirc, but they let me do it. Its not like they can extradite you from the USA for it, you'll just screw up your Canadian credit, and scores. Luckily that doesn't mean much for jobs etc in canada since unlike the usa, Canada does not need that info for a job. (something i still don't freaking understand why they allow in the usa)

And yes they are the meanest people in the world the way they treat you. How they are allowed to talk to people like that i have no idea, but its totally unacceptable.

[Flames9_RN 358]

In that case, I would just say, listen I have talked to my lawyer, and I know there is no way you can garnish my wages, and I have no plans to ever moving back to Canada, so if you want your money back, your going to have to come up with some sort of repayment plan that is in the best interest for the both of us. If you can't do this, let me talk to your supervisor! best of luck