OK, I called MBNA to make payment arrangements, as they jacked my APR and minimum payments when I was late on other creditors. The account was about 45 days late. They were already reporting it as 60. The Customer Service rep transferred me to a supervisor, who said "Sure I'll help, hold on" and transferred me to NCO Financial Services. I got an actually very pleasant collector on the line, and he told me that if I sent a check for $137 directly to MBNA, I could have my account re-opened (it was closed which is why I could not pay a dime online) and then enter their hardship program. I called MBNA back and someone there did talk to me and say that NCO is their internal collections and yes it was all true and would restore everything for me. I thought NCO was some psychotic collector that was NOT employed by MBNA? Can anyone tell me what's up here?
Let's clarify this You were not late on your MBNA account, you were late on another account. When you went to pay MBNA, you could not pay online, so you called, and were transferred to NCO, and they told you that NCO is MBNA's internal collections department?? Are you serious?? Everything I hear about MBNA these days astounds me.
I have a Citibank charge off that was recently purchased by NCO. I don't think MBNA would want to buy my old debt.
NCO may be contracting out their call center/collection business. I can see how that's possible, knowing how call center business works. Some companies have their own, some contract it out to a third party. It doesn't mean that MBNA is buying charge offs, LOLOL. Although, who knows? Capital One sure did it.
Yes. They closed the account without warning. And now they claim NCO is NOT an outside CA, but their internal collections department. Sure it is. That's why today I got a notice from NCO about some 8 year old collection - when I was a minor.
For your reading pleasure, they could have addressed NCO! http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/letters/demayo.htm Generally, the FDCPA applies only to "debt collectors." The core portion of the FDCPA's Section 803(6), 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6), defines "debt collector" as "any person who uses any instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mails in any business the principal purpose of which is the collection of any debts, or who regularly collects or attempts to collect, directly or indirectly, debts owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another." (Emphasis added.) A person is a "debt collector" if he meets either of these two prongs. The agency employees described in your letter meet both. They have as their principal purpose the collection of debts and they "regularly collect[] or attempt[] to collect . . . debts owed . . . or asserted to be owed . . . another." Thus, unless they fall under one of the exceptions to the definition of "debt collector" found in a different portion of Section 803(6), they are "debt collectors" and must comply with the entire FDCPA. You should read the whole letter though. It talks about default, and probably applies in your case since I'm not reading it as charged off.
Nope, that's not even late. SUPPOSEDLY they're going to re-open my account (now it hit my credit reports as closed by creditor) once I pay them $137. I have no new judgments, collections, charge offs, and a handful of lates (mostly 30s, none even 120).
