The plot thickens with American Express. I’ve been sick with worry the last few days, trying to reach the law firm that contacted me and find out what in Sam Hill is going on. I finally talked with them today.
It turns out that I’m not being sued. What they’re doing is different from a lawsuit. It’s a legal procedure called a judgment, which is still very serious, but is technically different from a lawsuit.
Basically, what this means is they can find me legally responsible for my $16,000 debt, which I already know I am. But what’s concerning is that, with a judgment filed, they can dock my pay in order to recover the full amount of the debt. This will, of course, be incredibly embarrassing, not to mention the strain it will put on our finances. I still have a good chunk of my inheritance, but I also have another lawsuit pending on the horizon, too (this one is definitely a real lawsuit), and I have to also think about that situation. (By the way, I don’t mean to tantalize you by talking about that without explaining it; I promise I’ll get to it soon!)
Boy, oh boy. How did I get into this mess? I’m now in the hands of JD Services, the collection agency used by American Express. As it turns out they’re not a law firm; they just made it sound that way on the phone to scare me (jerks!). They say they’re going to have the judgment signed by a circuit court judge in two weeks, if I don’t settle with them first. They’re willing to do so for 80 percent, but as I’ve mentioned, I really need them to do it for 50 percent. Which, of course, American Express did agree to do, but reneged (jerks again). I’m sorry. I know I messed up big-time by accruing all this debt, but COME ON PEOPLE, WORK WITH ME!!
You know, it’s not like they’re starving. The credit card industry collected $55.2 billion in fees last year and another $90.1 billion in interest.[i] I’m not sure what the overhead is to run all those companies, but I’m guessing it does not exceed a total of $145.3 billion. I think some of that money is profit. Someone is getting rich off this deal. And I wish they would cut me a break.
But it’s not that simple. The collection agency insists that I jump through all kinds of hoops before they will forgive any more of the debt. The facts that I’m trying to get well, that I have come clean, and that I’m trying to be responsible is not enough; they want more. I know I sound like a victim right now, and I don’t mean to deny my responsibility. I made a deal with the devil, and now I have to pay; I understand that. I just wish I didn’t have to pay quite so much.
The most recent thing they said was that I should try to make a medical hardship claim. I thought this might make sense, since my wife had skin cancer while she was pregnant and had many other complications with her pregnancy. According to the person I spoke with, the reasoning was that, if I could show that my wife was unable to work during that time, which was true, it might cause American Express to consider forgiving some of the debt.
Unfortunately, that strategy didn’t work. JD Services gave my sob story letter to American Express, but they still rejected it. American Express, who did agree to settle with me for 50% before they turned me over to collections, now rejects the same offer, which is based on the same realities of a month ago. I know it’s not their fault that I bit off more than I could chew, but really. It’s like a drug pusher claiming no responsibility for his client’s addiction to crack. Aren’t they at least partly culpable? Couldn’t they work with me a little?
The answer to that question seems to be a resounding “NO”. They turned me over to collections, even though we had a deal in place. Apparently this was not personal; I’m told all the delinquent accounts were sent to collections in one fell swoop. A decision made, no doubt, by some fat cat at American Express who makes $2,000,000 a year (or more) profiting on the suffering of others. I’m spitting mad. I feel totally powerless. I’m full of spite toward whoever that person is. But, of course, there’s nothing I can do about it.
And apparently, no one else can do anything about it, either. The consumer can do very little; we can go to a cash-only basis, and boycott plastic altogether, but in this day and age, how practical is that? I don’t use credit cards anymore, but even I use a debit card. Online merchants don’t take cash, and neither do phone merchants. I use cash on trips, so I can track my spending, but on a day-to-day basis, it’s very hard to get away from using debit cards, even if I’m not using credit cards.
Apparently, I’m not alone in my difficulty moving to cash only; according to Visa USA, “nearly one in every three consumer purchases made in the United States is made with a payment card – including credit (and) debit” cards.[ii] I’m sure that number is only going to keep going up. And don’t ask the government to help regulate this, by the way – according to Mother Jones, “in , the top 5 credit cards companies…made $8.5 million in congressional campaign contributions”[iii] One might suppose, based on that number, that Congress isn’t going to be stepping up their regulation of the credit card industry any time soon.
So, here we are. I didn’t much believe in God before I got into recovery from debting, but I do believe in Him now. He’s created many miracles in my life, not the least of which is the aforementioned inheritance I received. I’ve avoided bankruptcy thus far, and I hope to continue avoiding it. I don’t want to ruin my credit for the next 10 years, not when I have a brand new family and a future that I still believe is bright. Miracles have occurred, and they will continue to occur if I believe.
So, I will keep praying for more miracles. So long as I don’t accrue any new debt, I know things can turn around. And today, on Day #404 since I cut up my credit cards, I’m proud to say I did not whip out any credit cards, or borrow one cent from anyone. I can’t say I never will again, but I don’t intend to, and today, I didn’t.
All I can do is not debt, keep writing, continue going to work each day, keep praying, and keep providing for my family, as best I can, one day at a time.
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