Taking Control of My Finances

Collector: This is in regards to your MBNA account, sir.

Debtor: OK.

c: And on the MBNA account, I have a due balance of $8,841 and change. They will settle for eighty percent of the balance or a payment plan.

d: Oh, OK.

c: So how did you want to proceed in that?

d: Um, I think I’m gonna go with the option I’ve been taking so far.

c: Which is …

d: Um, well. The plan is to pay the balance back, but not according to a schedule.

c: … OK Let me just refresh here what we have for the last payment I have here was

for January 4, 2004, for $120. So we haven’t had a payment in about a year and a half.

c: Right.

c: OK. What happened, generally speaking, that you couldn’t make the payment, sir?

d: Um, well, my bank account went below

an amount that I could make a payment.

c: Oh. Kay. So you are currently working, right?

d: Um, yes.

c: OK. Let me just advise you what the

settlement offer is. The settlement offer is $7,160. That is a reduction of about $1,800. However if you want to take advantage,

no fees will be counted and you can take up to six months to pay it back. Do you want to do that?

d: Ah. Sure.

c: Did you want to do that in six months?

But you have to have at least one minimum payment every month.

d: Oh. Um. No.

c: So tell me what you want to do.

d: I’m gonna do the same thing I’ve

been doing, which is I’m gonna pay you back, but not according to a schedule.

c: OK, so how much are you willing to pay today, sir?

d: Well, today is not on my schedule.

c: I’m not hearing a dollar amount or a specified payment or a sense of a type of committed date that you’re going to make that payment, which is what they’re asking for, sir.

d: Right, you’re correct.

c: OK. So tell me when and how much.

d: No, you’re correct in that you’re not

hearing a dollar amount or a specific date.

c: Is it a refusal to pay, then, or no?

d: Oh, no it’s not a refusal to pay. I’m just unable to pay according to a schedule.

c: I understand that, sir. We’re kind of at a standstill here. We’re kind of going around.

—Lee M. Cardholder

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