This website is a testimony to the problems Canadian Student Loan borrowers experienced from approximately 1996 to 2008 and until their loans were paid off.

The privatization of the Student Loans system by the Chretien and Martin Liberal governments broke the system and defaulted thousands of borrowers who were trying to pay their loans. There were even stories of suicide due to the harassment of borrowers.

Read the report that I prepared back in 2007 here. Canada Student Loans-The Need for Change Fortunately the new Conservative government at the time revamped the program and fixed the system for new borrowers, but borrowers under the previous program were left with ruined credit and continued harassment from debt collectors.

I call on the Canadian Government to apologize to the borrowers affected by this fiasco and make amends.

Unfortunately the Liberal government is again clobbering the Education system with their upcoming changes to International Student Visas. Yes, there's a problem, but instead of a well thought out plan, they have pulled the emergency brake on the train causing a derailment. This has introduced unprecedented instability for both private and public education institutions who serve both international and local students.

Universities can't plan. I've heard of courses being cut because the government has no process in place for universities to send the newly required acceptance letters to the government.

This means that students who have been accepted can not attend courses that start in the summer 2024 semester. With cut sections, current Canadian students will have trouble getting courses, and may have to switch to part-time which changes their enrollment status and might trigger repayment of their loans or ineligibility for funding. I've seen this before. It wreaks havoc on the student loan borrowers.

Again, the Liberal government has messed up the education environment. Will the new system needed in a rush for the acceptance letters be the new Arrivecan scandal?

I call on the government to implement a slower phased in approach and delay the requirement of the acceptance letters until a process is in place to submit these letters.


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CARGO1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CARGO1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/March/2005 at 7:32pm

Before I hired John, I called the police about collectors calling I think it was NCO before collect corp anyway, the cop laughed at me and told me that it was a government issue or maybe the phone company. what ever that means. phoned my local mla,mp and the phone company. government officials said they would call the collector on my behalf and have the calls monitored to make sure they didn't break the rules. that lasted about a 3mos then I got a new collection company and it started all over. the phone company was way more help(not) they said my work number was public knowledge and collector could call it all day long if they wanted. My home number was listed and so would be treated the same, unless of course i would like to purchase an unlisted number. And the best advice I got from the phone company... phone the police and offered to look up the number for me

Troy

 

            Â Â ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.
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lola View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lola Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/March/2005 at 7:46pm
Every time we get a harassing call we have choices. We can let CAs
abuse us and do nothing or We can come to this site and make
posts about how there is nothing we can do, or we can go through
the due process and keep on the tail of the authouities and make
sure that our rights are not being violated. I am not going to join the
ranks of those who ignore this abuse. If nothing is done about it
then so be it - that's another issue, but if I am being harrassed I will
not remain silent.

Pass the buck, and laugh though they may, we can do better here.
There is something called "mitigation"

n 1: to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious
[syn: extenuation, palliation] 2: a partial excuse to mitigate censure;
an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by
showing mitigating circumstances [syn: extenuation]
Saying that they won't do anything or will laugh is a form of
mitigation.

"Oppressors don't give away power - you have to take it."

My rant for the night. A sensitive issue???? Nah.
Lola
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/March/2005 at 7:57pm

 

 Let's face a real fact here guys and gals.

 Calling the police because of an irate bill collector is not going to work.

 If a collector is calling you 4 times per day, that is "excessive". 

 If a collector is threatening to sue you in a certain period of time unless you pay in full is not harrassment. It is lying, but not harrassment.

 If a collector is threatening to physically harm you, is throwing every vicious insult at you imaginable, and is slandering or defaming you to others, than that is harrassment.

 

  

  

  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/March/2005 at 8:04pm

 

 Esh,

 People have tried it. It doesn't work.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lola Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/March/2005 at 8:08pm

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men
(& women) to do nothing"

              Attributed to Edmund Burke
Lola
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/March/2005 at 8:27pm

 

 Out of my mind,

 Best of luck.

 

John LeBlanc
The Canadian Financial Wellness Group
 
Tel: (902) 464-8727
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote outof my mind Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07/March/2005 at 3:03pm
well i called back elnor from collect corp back today mmmm and she wasn't in the office .So I got connected with some other agent and he was asking for my sin number i refused and that was that i recorded call on my cell phone.she'll call me back tommorow i bet .that's ok i'll record that as well.AND I got the address so i'll mail them a payment and that will be the end
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mouse_in_a_Hole Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17/March/2005 at 1:15am
X-collector.  You said 'They may do things that you would normally not do???'  Then you imply it's for our own good?  Good grief!!!  They break the freaking law.  They're a bunch of thugs that don't deserve to be give the time of day.  They aren't doing things that they normally wouldn't do. Breaking the law and abusing the people they call IS their standard practice.  That's just not acceptable.  And it's time the collection agencies were held accountable.  These aren't band-aid fixes.  They are assertions of rights to be treated within the bounds of the law.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zarathustra Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/March/2005 at 2:15pm
After reading the countless love stories regarding CollectCorp, we decided to build an information page for our friends over there (since they can't be bothered to maintain their own website).

If you guys have any contributions, we'll happily add them:
http://financesincanada.abctheorists.com/modules.php?op=modl oad&name=News&file=article&sid=69

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote karldubhe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30/March/2005 at 6:21am
Collector, You're still working. 
I used to be a collector, I also have worked in gay bathouses.
Guess which I prefer?  Yep, I've worked in 3 bathouses, but only for one collection company.  Hmmm, sometimes numbers are telling.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Crescentstara Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/June/2005 at 12:39pm
Hello everyone!! I am soo happy to have found this forum because I am in a world of advice and I feel that my emotions have been toyed with by CollectCorp .

I am a 20 year old female living in Ontario . I was recently hounded by CollectCorp in a very unsuitable fashion.

I owe about 1800 dollars for student loans, and when I was told I was to pay the full amount I was obviously startled. She made no nagotiation for payment , she used my GST return against me and said that the Government of Canada has a lean against my credit . I have no clue as to what that means. 

She was very rude, and very pushy , making comments like "It's not my fault your stupid and your teenager years caused you this" and other things like "Pay it back or we will seize assets"  also " You need to pay these back or the interest will double" and yet again "Your money has gone into third party collections , that is horrible for someone so young like you to have, pay it back all that once. "

and soo on ..

I was soo confused.

Any advice ?

much thanks

Cres
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Horrified Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10/June/2005 at 6:38pm
My parents received a call from them stressing that they needed to talk to me immediately. When my parents told them that they would give me their information and I would contact them, they told them they had information about them, such as tax information, and that they had to get my number. My parents told them that if they would not identify themselves as a company, they would not give them my information. When I called them, they were the most rude, unprofessional people I have ever interacted with.

When I called, the person answering the phone simply said hello. I told her I was given this number to call and asked with whom I was speaking. The woman didn't answer me and asked me for my name. Saying that I wanted to make sure I was calling the correct number, I asked her again to identify the business. She huffed loudly and connected me to another unhappy woman.

The woman I spoke with said that someone else had called my parents, not her. I asked why I wasn’t contacted and my parent’s were she said they didn’t have my information (well it seems like they do since they want me to pay them). I told her I am not hard to find, that the credit card company had the information and that I’m listed locally, she told me they have more sophisticated systems than looking in the yellow pages. Obviously not if she was unable to contact me. When I asked for whom she was working, she said that it was not relevant, but that American Express sold my account to her and she needed to immediately collect a payment from me. I told her that her colleague did not divulge their collection agency’s name to my parents and said that they were told the agency had their financial and tax information. I told her that I was concerned that she was not being forthcoming with me and that I needed to know who I am talking to if we were to discuss any private, financial information. She told me that I was a big girl and should not get upset at what my parents told me, proceeding to tell me I should be more concerned about making a payment. She said that I needed to be more responsible with my finances, and that I was going to be ruining my future by making mistakes like this. She also asked if there was any chance that I could get a loan or ask a family member for a personal loan because I had to pay the entire balance. I told her I wanted to contact AE to verify that my account had been sold without my notification before I discussed my “immediate payment.” Interrupting me, she said there was no reason to do so because AE sold my account to them, that they were the one’s I needed to speak with and we needed to rectify the situation since it was close to the end of the day.    

When I spoke to the credit card company, they didn’t know to whom they had sold my account.   I was told that information wouldn’t be available for 48 hours and reassured me the company was reputable. It is frightening to think a credit card company can sell private accounts without knowing who is on the purchasing end. To make a long story short, when I finally got off the phone with AE, it was well past closing for the collection agency so I didn’t call back. In the meantime, my parents spoke to someone about their concerns with the behavior and threats from the collection agency, and were told to contact this person the next day around noon.

The next day I had meetings all morning, and when I went to lunch I had FOUR missed calls from them within 3 ½ hours of each other. When I returned her call, there was an outgoing message stating that calls may be recorded to ensure quality service. The lady seemed really put-off that it had taken me so long to call her back (it was within 4 hours of her calling, not like a day or two) and was wondering if I had talked with AE. I told her yes, and she told me she emailed me AE’s customer service, and that they replied that I couldn’t resolve the dispute with them. She said they were demanding the entire balance be paid, in full, immediately. I was asking why she had emailed AE since her agency “owned my file” now, she interrupted me to say that the letter had had already been sent, and then hung up.

After doing some research today, it seems like they have had difficulties with their employee’s dispositions with a lot of people.
My specific questions are:

Do I have the right to request a copy of the email that she sent American Express?

What rights do I have with regard to payment? I work full time and am a full-time graduate student. Are my options restricted to paying the balance in full or to file for bankruptcy?

PLEASE HELP! Thank you!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kwelmm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/June/2005 at 1:03pm

Horrified......

Wow....your story is typical collector bull shiate!!!!!!  Gotta love that "I can't tell you where I work" bs.....and expect us to freely participate in any logical conversation.....ya right!!!!!!   hahahahaha

You may want to look into the Freedom of Information Act and use that as a way to request documentation on your file from the CA.  They will probably just doctor the info. anyway.....like they all do!!!!

Maybe the US has different laws around what you can retrieve from your file.....OH JOHNNY...DO YOU KNOW?????

Pay what you can when you can......demanding PIF is normal especially for consumer debt.  If you haven't all ready....check out Johnny's site at www.cfwgroup.ca !!!!  Lots there on consumer debt issues.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Crescentstara Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/June/2005 at 3:28pm
Ummm no one gave me any adivce

is there anyone out there ?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote eshelton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/June/2005 at 3:52pm
To address your situation:

  • Don't ever believe anything Collectcorp says.  Period.
  • Collection agencies cannot refuse payment, no matter how small.  If they refuse your attempts at payment, instead asking for the full amount, they cannot do that.
  • CCRA has a directive from SDC to collect your GST returns and income tax refunds.  Yes, they can do this.
  • The interest rate cannot double.  But interest will accrue.
  • For them to seize your assets for an $1800 debt is very unbelievable.  Scare tactics. 
Johnny can help but he is very busy, so he might miss some posts.  We are all human.  You may want to contact him directly if you require intervention. 


"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven." - Jean Chretien
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/June/2005 at 4:09pm

Cresc,

 

Collectors always prefer to negotiate payment in full because that is how they earn their money (commission). If you make small payments, they do not earn their take. They toy with the emotions of all people when they are attempting to collect a debt.

 

As for the government of Canada holding a lien against your credit … that is impossible. The only thing the government of Canada can lien (without resorting to legal action) is your income tax and GST rebates.

 

“She was very rude, and very pushy , making comments like "It's not my fault your stupid and your teenager years caused you this"

 

One of the general patterns that third-party debt collectors exhibit are abrasive and authoritative approaches that will “stun” a debtor at a weak moment. This approach usually results in the collector capturing control of the conversation so he or she can create an immediate sense of urgency (sometimes through fear installation tactical methodology) to motivate you to pay the account in full.

 

Guilt tripping is also a common tactic used as you have described above as well. Pushing guilt causes people to respond and act in their belief system.

 

The best advice for you is to simply become ware of these things. However, advice will not solve your crisis here. Action will. You may need professional assistance to see it through to fruition. If so, let me know and I will solve this problem of yours so you can focus and be well.

 

Johnny

 www.cfwgroup.ca

 www.cfwgorup.ca/forum

 

 

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Crescentstara Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13/June/2005 at 7:29am
Ok now here is something I do not understand .

I was sent a fax by Elenor ( the woman who was clearly a bitch) saying I owe 1818.79  , not they are sending me this letter saying I owe 1918.79

this is strange.

Cresc

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13/June/2005 at 2:05pm

Either typo by the agency - or traditional mis-communication by the colelctor.

 Johnny

 www.cfwgroup.ca

 www.cfwgroup.ca/forum

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Crescentstara Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20/July/2005 at 6:30am
Does Collect COrp have a fax number I cannot seem to find it anywhere

Cres
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Quiksilver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29/July/2005 at 4:14am

Hi Everyone!

I am so glad I was able to find this site. I have also had dealings with CollectCorp. Much like everyone else the idiots have no spine and will stoop to the lowest level to get their commission. I thought I was alone in this but it seems a lot of people are in the same boat.

One can't help but feel like punching the lights out of the person at the other end of the line for being so insensitive and rude.

One of my biggest mistakes was getting my father to co-sign a Credit Line for Students from the Royal Bank back in 1998. When I signed that LC ($5,500) I was made to believe that was a permanent Line of Credit; it would never close, I would pay only on what I owe (not the entire $5500) and the interest would always remain at prime+1.

After all these years, the LC was put automatically to repayments by RBC, the interest raised to god knows what now (certainly isn't prime +1 anymore) and because I haven't made payments for several months, it has been assigned to CollectCorp for collections.

In May, may father suffered a severe stroke. He is rather impaired now and just recently received a call from CollectCorp demanding payment in full or I would be involved in litigations that because my father co-signed will involve the both of us to be present in a court of law.

The agent wanted to speak to my father even though I repeatedly told him a) he is recuperating from a stroke (it ain't something you can just 'walk off') b) he doesn't need the aggravation c) he doesn't speak english

He suggested I ask friends or my own father (who right now is probably in another world so to speak due to his recent trauma) or take out a loan to pay them back. I told him none of these were viable options. I told him that not a lot of people (my age, like my friends) have $5,000 just lying around collecting dirt or stuffed in their socks they can freely lend out. I also told that my father is retired now and the little he gets from CCP and OAS if for him only and those were his savings. Another thing, since I am in collections, who or how in the blue hell is going to willingly offer me a loan.

It didn't matter, he wanted full payment "or else" (to paraphrase)

My plight here is: Are they really allowed to suggest that I take out a loan to pay them back? ... I offered to make a payment of about $500 - $600 just to get me back up to date in my payments. According to him my monthly payments are supposed to be $150 a month when in fact when I spoke to the Bank last year my payments were supposed to be $50 a month just to cover the interest more or less. At one point I was even making payments of $100. Sure it does nothing against the principle but having finished school and getting on my feet and my life after grabbing a job in my field, I thought I would coast for a year or two, get on my feet financially (learn to manage rent, expenses, food, etc) by simply making the payments on the interest and not be in trouble. But apparently he refused to take the payment, not in so many words but he said "the bank is not willing to accept partial payments"

I don't really care about myself at this point. I am more concerned about my father who obviously has been through enough in this last few months. What are my options here? I don't want those idiots to harass my father. I don't care if they harass me but not my father. I am willing to make the payments necessary (according to collect corp $150/month x 5 or 6 months late) but they want the full payment or I get sent to court I guess, actually WE because of my father co-signing. They even ask if I am "refusing" to make the full payment to I which always reply "no, I am not refusing. I simply cannot make a full payment due to the fact that I don't have the $5000 sitting in the bank; if I did, RBC would've taken that a LONG time ago themselves"

Don't what to do at this point really.

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