I used to work for Collect Corp. They have been taking a bloodbath on market share with Amex for not performing.

1. They take post dated checks and can deposit checks into their account because they have a client trust account. They are legal agents for their clients, like most agencies.

If you are being threatened with a lawsuit from Collect Corp. and they will not provide you anything in writing, simply call Amex and ask if they have authorized suit. If they have not file a complaint with Amex, the BBB, you state attorney general, and the FTC.

I wouldn't deal with Collect Corp directly if they are threatening you and using abusive tactics to collect the debt.

Yeah, that's what collection agencies do. COLLECT. And they want to do it asap to go on to the next recovery.

Once you realize you shouldn't listen to them or believe anything that they say it becomes a little easier to deal with them.

Collectcorp. is the most difficult and rude agency I have ever dealt with in my life! The agent told me I had to pay the full amount immediately, their policy was not to do payment plans (they most likely bought my debt for pennies on the dollar). He has told me I should put it on a credit card or borrow from family/friends more than once. The next day when he called I told him he had no right to talk to me without first sending a letter by mail to my current address detailing the companys name/address and alleged amount owing. He then threatened to garnish wages and when I asked if he had authorization from the original creditor he then hung up om me. I then informed his supervisor of his actions and she was acting like it wasn't a big deal and when asked what the agents licence # was she said she had 25 employees and "couldn't remember" his number. Long story short they still have not sent me anything with their company name and address. That's definitely shady if you ask me!!!!

Thay often ask you make PDC payable to the creditor so you feel better about sending them to the collection agency.

The collection agency cashes the cheque and sends the difference (less their commission) to the creditor.

Isn't it odd that I have been asked to make my post-dated cheques out to "AMEX" even though I am dealing with Collectcorp? Does Collectcorp have a way to cash the cheques or do they really get forwarded to AMEX?