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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Forum LockedDave vs Total Credit Recovery

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boylegd View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote boylegd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Dave vs Total Credit Recovery
    Posted: 28/November/2007 at 4:49pm
Well, my name is Dave, and I'm a student debtor.
 
For that matter, I'm not a very conscientious one.  Since graduating I have made very few payments on my borrowed moneys.  This past year in particular I have made no payments at all.  I am not really that proud of this... suffice to say a combination of personal and financial dramas has put me in a position where meeting ends on a monthly basis hasn't been all that feasible.
 
That said, I do intend to pay this money back.. in the future.
 
For now?  I am unemployed.
 
I am not only unemployed, I am flat broke.  I have no possessions.  No car, no house.  Very few clothes... a few boxxes of old books, that's it.
 
I've also been a non-resident in Canada for the last couple of years.
 
Last October or so I arrived back in Canada to visit some friends and ailing relatives.  Sure enough, after a couple of weeks back, the phone calls started coming.  Seems my student debts had defaulted and were in collection by Total Credit Recovery, based out of Toronto.
 
Well, the young lady, (who identified herself as being 'from the government' lit into me... the money was due NOW, HRDC was gonna git me, yadda yadda.
 
- She refused an offer of a partial 500 dollar payment.
- She emphasized the immorality of my wicked ways.
- She asked me how much I weighed.
- She asked me my astrological sign.
- She refused to send me any information in the mail.
- She gave me one day to come  up with the full amount.
 
Ha.
 
Phone call number two.
 
Same lady again ('Brienne').
-  Was pushing me to make a statement of non-compliance.
    (This really bugs me.  Collection agents will put words in your mouth and ask you to affirm or deny it, then assume either answer plugs into a binary scripted result.  I  had to tell her 'look, please don't tell me what I mean to say, instead let me say something'.)
-  Interrupted me repeatedly.
-  Refused to put me in touch with her supervisor.
-  Continued to emphasize the horrendous immorality of my non-compliance.
-  Finally I swore at her and hung up on her.  Sigh.
 
Phone call 3
 
The next day, AM.
 
Brienne calls.  Her supervisor wants to speak to me.
- Reasonably polite, he asks me about my situation.
- He apologizes that Brienne doesn't understand the situation fully.  Would I fill out a questionnaire if they mailed it to me?
- I say sure.  I emphasize I am willing to cooperate and pay my account when I have the means to do so.
 
Following friday, a questionnaire arrives in the mail.  It details how I'm expected to pay 450 bucks a month interest on a 13000 dollar loan.  I obviously have some questions about this.
 
Monday morning, Brienne calls... phone call 4.
 
-She wants to know if her supervisor told me what was happening with my account.
-I respond by asking her why I'm doing her job for her.
-She hangs up.
 
I call her supervisor and leave a message saying I don't want her to call me ever again, to find another agent to take my case.
 
A week passes.
 
The following monday, phone call 5.
It's Brienne.
-Wants to know where the questionnaire is.
-Won't let me get a word in edgewise.
-Says she 'doesn't care anymore' if I pay the debt or not.
 
I hang up, call back TCR's main office, ask for the supervisor.  I tell him explicitly to take Brienne off my case immediately if they expected any cooperation from me.
 
Within 3 minutes I'm speaking to a much more mild-mannered and pleasant person (whose name doesn't stick with me... something to be said for being a barking dog I guess).  He takes my information, gives me his extension.  Asks if I can make a payment.  I say no.  I tell him maybe by mid-February of next year, as I am working on lining up a contract that will allow me to make some financial headway finally.  He says he understands and will do his best to keep the file with the agency so HRDC doesn't file a judgement against me in the meantime.
 
We shake virtual hands and he signs off.
 
One week later... that'd be today... I get a call from 'Shareena' from TCR. 
-She wants an immediate payment.
-She lectures me about the immorality of owing what I owe.
-She cuts me off in mid-sentence to start yammering at me.
-She has no prior knowledge of any previous TCR agent contacting me.
-I swear a blue streak up and down and hang up the phone.
 
She calls me back immediately to scream and rant that I'll be hearing her voice three times a day, and I won't think she's so funny then... then she hangs up.
 
Has anyone given any thought to a class-action lawsuit against some of these jerks?
 
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Madmorrigan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Madmorrigan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/December/2007 at 6:49am
I'm in...TCR has been dogging me for months, calling me at work, etc. despite the fact that they have been told/faxed/mailed on numerous occasions with explicit instructions to contact Johnny.
 
I have spoken to/gotten messages from:
 
Ms. Squelch (Sarah)
Mr. Bastien
Tiffany
Agnes
Three others who either garbled their names or didn't speak English to begin with--although it doesn't really matter since no one uses their real name anyway--and WTF's with that? How is that legal??
 
I have all these messages saved, as well as copies of everything I've ever sent/been sent. They think nothing of lying, they ignore legal directives, try to belittle and demean you....I realize that people have bills to pay and will often take any job in order to do so, but perhaps that's what differentiates "us" from "them"--I'm not willing to sell my soul in order to pay my bills.  Quite frankly, I think I'd rather sell my wares on the nearest streetcorner than work in collections.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pah091069 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08/January/2008 at 3:43am
A Class action suit, boy would that be nice.  I've spent over $10000 so far fighting Total Credit Recovery and HRDC; it is still not resolved! 
My original post regarding the fiasco is copied below!
 
(Posted 20 June 2005)
 
I am currently involved in a law suit against the
Attorney General of Canada and their third Party
Private Collections Agency, Total Credit Recovery,
regarding my Canada Student Loans.  (The case has been ongoing since October 2003)

I am claiming interference with economic interests,
invasion of privacy, defamation and intentional
inflictional of emotional harm!

In 2001, Total Credit Recovery contacted financial
institutions at which I had just been approved for a mortgage, resulting in the subsequent cancellation of my approval.  I have been unable to secure a mortgage since and have been relegated to continuing renting an apartment for the last 4 years since the incident. 

Although TCR denies contacting my banks, I have
physical proof of the contrary, from notes on my
mortgage file that I was able to obtain from my bank.

TCR is prohibited from doing this, as mandated in
federal directives given to all third party private
collections agencies.

I've had to put my life on hold for 4 years now, have lost lots of hair and money to legal fees.  I will not give up; there has to be accountability somewhere!

Pierre Hébert,
Windsor, Ontario
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Madmorrigan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/January/2008 at 6:28am

Stick it to 'em, Pierre. I was just approved for a car loan, so I'll be VERY VERY VERY disappointed if this happens to me. 

They still call me every Friday via automated message ("....you have until 10:25 am tomorrow....."), although I haven't had a voicemail from a 'real' person in a while. Doesn't make it any better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Keanna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24/January/2008 at 5:43am
I also have been dealing with TCR.  Before I get into that though, some backgrounder:  All these loans are from the mid-nineties...My CSL I paid off May 2007(CollectCorp), my bank portion (CBCL) was settled in Sept 2007 and only have one remaining in collections...the OSL...and knowledge is power and I will no longer tolerate crap from collection agencies.  Here is the letter I just faxed to head office as recommended by someone at Ministry of Govn't and Consumer Services, which will probably get a formal complaint regarding this matter with TCR's track record....
 
".....

I am writing this letter to lodge a formal complaint regarding the handling of my case file within your company. 

 

            My case has been transferred from agent to agent and most recently, to a Mr. Elliot.  Our first conversation, dated December 3rd, 2007 at 4:10pm was unproductive.  Mr. Elliot demanded post-dated cheques or payment in full of my account.  I have been paying my account on a regular basis since January of 2007, via internet banking.  I have not missed any payments and will continue to pay my account in this method.  Mr. Elliot persisted to demand post-dated cheques.  This is undue pressure since I have been faithfully making payments.  I asked for Mr. Elliot’s first name to which he replied, “Just Mr. Elliot to you.”  I asked for Mr. Elliot’s employee number to which he stated, “I do not have an employee number.” This conversation continued for approximately 20 minutes until he was asked to end the conversation by another party in the background. 

Another conversation occurred December 5th, 2007 at 9:06 am in the same format.  I asked to speak to his supervisor and Mr. Elliot would not transfer my call.  He demanded to know, “For what reason” I wanted to speak to the supervisor.  December 13th, 2007, I called to report my monthly payment and confirmation number and his first question was, “Have you sent post-dated cheques?”  I proceed to give him my payment and confirmation number and do not know if he entered the data on my account or not.  After all three conversations, I called the supervisor and left a message all three times without any call back from the supervisor.  Mr. Elliot proceeded to leave messages on my answering machine on:  December 11th, 2007 at 4:29pm, December 12th, 2007 at 2:13pm, December 18th, 2007 at 3:49pm, December 20th, 2007 at 11am, January 3rd, 2008 at 10:13am, January 4th, 2008 at 9:28am and January 15th, 2008 at 6:59pm.  All messages stated that I “need” to return his call and look after this matter.  I did not return any of these calls as from the previous conversations these calls would end up unproductive and argumentative causing undue stress. 

            The latest incident, January 18th, 2008 at 11:42am, I called to report my payment and confirmation number.  After pulling up my case file his first question was, “Have you sent post-dated cheques?”  Mr. Elliot refused to take my payment information, stated he was putting a lean on my income tax and hung up the phone on me.  I proceeded to call the supervisor again.  I was speaking with Laura (extension 4056), who seemed to be aware of the situation.  I reported to her all the information in this letter and asked for a transfer of my case.  Unfortunately, January 18th, 2008 was her last day of employment at your corporation and Mr. Burford would be taking over her position.  Laura stated she took notes of my concerns on my file.  Laura also stated that there was not a lean on my income tax and stated for me not to miss any payment or Mr. Elliot will “jump all over it if I miss a payment.”  I asked Laura to have Mr. Burford call me to discuss this matter Friday January 18th, 2008, also leaving a message on the voicemail Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 at approximately 10:30 am.  I have not received any return call to discuss this matter. 

 

For any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.  I will continue to make payments via internet banking and do not wish any further negative interaction with any employees at your corporation.  I expect this matter to be resolved promptly.  I will complete and submit the financial questionnaire requested when this matter has been resolved to my satisfaction...."

I do not have to deal with abusive agents and refuse to....and I am off work from a medical LOA awaiting surgery so when I do the financial questionnaire...it will really aggravate them even more. *evil laugh*.... thoughts anyone?

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Keanna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10/February/2008 at 6:40am
Finally heard back from TCR...I will not be receiving any more calls.  However, the letter I received also stated false information in regards to my account.  I will be calling the referral person tomorrow to clarify this information.  I don't even know if Mr. Elliot was taken off my casefile, as I do not want to be dealing with him when I call to report my payments either.  But, no more harassing phone calls.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hounded Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/September/2008 at 10:07am
I'm with you 100% Dave!

Not only would I like to take TCR down, but also 407.

About 2 years ago I filed for bankruptcy.  Did this stop them from calling? NO!

Both agencies continued to call and send threatening letters, contrary to laws around bankruptcy.

As someone living with manic depression these jerks have done more than just harass -  I recall hearing about suicides that have happened due to them.

Lets nail them to the wall!!!
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