Quote:
Originally Posted by chapecito
Some years ago I spent some time in the US studying, once there I got a Credit Card offer from American Express, but they based that offer on my ITIN number since I have no Social Security number.. I'd been using the card from abroad and making payments but after my partner stole my business even my computers down here in argentina i was not able to make payments on my credit card for 4 months, my debt is $10.000. On the same day i finally was able to make a payment ($1400) was the same day they sent my account to a collection agency Called "Nationwide Credit" They called my phone and left messages, today I called them and spoke with a girl.. she asked me how i could pay.. i said i could make monthly payments of $1400 , she said hold on and then came back and told me they did not take my offer, then another lady came to the phone and told me that the first person I spoke with didn't knew how to handle this, that they where NOT a credit company and that I had to pay them 30% upfront within 2 days and then the rest in 9 days.. I told them i would call later.. she told me.. if you don't call back in 30 minutes we will sue you, now.. here is the thing.. I'm 7.000 miles away, I don't live there, I don't have a social security number... all i do is travel to the US on vacation once a year.. what should I do? I don't think im going to get my credit card back.. and since I really don't know why the hell they gave me that credit card to begin with since i had no SS#, should I pay them? Can I walk away with not paying? they will try to sue me.. but I have no tangible assets in the US..
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well... they can say they'll "sue" but will they? they are going to pay 3-4-5K to try to collect 10K from someone who isn't in teh country, has no assets in the country etc?
doubtful.
i had this conversation with a friend of mine not too long ago when someone said something about collections and he started rambling off all the ways to fuck with them.
i'm not an attorney, so you can do your own homework
i think what would happen is that they would send you a subpoena to show in court.. you wouldnt and they would request a default judgement and get the judegement against you because you didn't show. thats typically what would happen in the US.
with that, they could then most likely lien assets outside the US, now or in the future.
as i understand, you can simply answer the subpoena and serve them right back (there are probably form letters for this) and file a copy of that letter with the court where they are located. as i understood, this would deprive them of the ability to get a default judgement against you since you responded and requires them to have to push further, spend more etc and actually sue you in court, spending a retarded amount of money which they won't likely collect, which isn't too likely to happen.