Bank harrassment!

[dmccarty]

How do you know you actually called the "Bank"? They gave you the number! Did you provide them any personal info on that call? Did they ask you for info?

So far all of the contact has been initiated by them. How do you know they are legit? I would consider getting the "Bank's" number from a public source and call them to verify their claim.

Jack

Jack beat me to the question I would have asked if I was not funn'n on MossRoad's lawyer comment.

Have you talked with anyone based on a number YOU provided? Not what THEY gave you? I get real paranoid when people call me out of the blue saying they are from the bank. Its always real I asked some pointed questions that the bank would know or I tell them I'll call back. I get their number and then check the phone book. Until I verify them they get nothing out of me. Especially SSN.

Later,
Dan

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, but what do they DO with the puppies.

Later,
Dan

Hmmm... he SAYS that he turns them into guide dogs for the blind.... but I never see any blind people driving over there....

 

[zeuspaul]

The bank and repo issues may not be a big deal. However the identiy theft can be a very big deal. It can take years to fix problems caused by identity theft. The bank and the repo guys are also victims of this crime.

Zeuspaul

 

[jelc]

I know I contacted the bank when I called yesterday, because the repo man is the one who gave me the contact.

Bird, I had three phone calls (two messages on my machine and a live call), not one, and one repo man visit. Maybe no big deal, even though I was quite shocked to hear the repo man came to my house, considering the last call from the bank had a lady tell me to forget about it, it was obviously a mistake. I am also not used to see repo men come and ask for me - that's the first time in my 60 years!

Two people I do not know got my unlisted street address (I have a PO box), my unlisted telephone number, and gave my name to a bank as the "named keeper" (the repo man's words) of a van I know nothing about. I think that may be cause enough for me to worry. What else do they or the bank have on me? I do not know.

I contacted the office of the president of the bank, and I got a first answer from a bank officer, stating they want to resolve this situation, and asking me for my account number before they can proceed - I have never been a customer of that bank, so I do not have an account number. I sent another email, giving details of this strange affair, and telling the bank officer that if they have my signature on any document, it is a forgery and I need to be informed immediately. I also asked the officer what relation those two people who named me claim to have with me, as I do not know them. I also asked why I was not contacted at the time of the loan, if I was named as a party to that deal?


JLC

 

[Bird]

I certainly don't blame you for being concerned and/or curious as to what happened. And if at all possible, I'd probably go with the suggestion above to go to the bank in person to see what I could find out.

Of course all my experience with repo men (there were no women back then, at least) is dated, but 30 years ago I was commander of the police communications division in Dallas. At that time, banks simply gave repo men a list of vehicles they wanted repossessed. The repo man got a fee for each one he brought in (usually $50 back then), and nothing unless he repossessed one. The repo men, whether working for a bank, loan company, car lot, or self-employed used car lot owner, all knew that when they repossessed a vehicle, the first thing they did as soon as they got out of sight of the location where they picked up the vehicle was to call police communications to report the information on the repossessed vehicle. That served a couple of functions. For one thing, the "owner" would frequently call to report his/her vehicle stolen and the police telephone operators would tell them who repossessed the vehicle instead of making a theft report. For another thing, as in many places, if the repo guy was caught on the vehicle owner's property, he could be required to leave without the vehicle, but once he left the property and notified the police of the repossession, it belonged to him and if the owner caught him, the owner was the one who had better back off.

 

[jelc]

Bird,

Thanks for the info.... Not sure I ever want to be involved with the repo world! To his credit, my wife said the repo man was polite and non-threatening, not like the stereotype I have seen on TV.

JLC

 

[Soundguy]

They have moms and grandmas, too. I even know one that rescues abandoned puppies.

PR work huh

soundguy

 

[MikeD74T]

jelc, I live in a small town & the police department is pretty accessible. In your situation, with the repo man at my property, I'd ask for an officer to respond, have the repo man's ID & vehicle ID verified, then allow the officer to look for it. Only if the repo man is legit will he hang around for police assistance. I agree that repo guys have a tough job and get lied to a lot but they have no rights on my property. I wouldn't allow any repo guy to follow the police on my property even if they seemed legit because they're job is to steal cars & there's no way of knowing whatever else they could be involved in. Just my suspicious nature I guess. MikeD74T

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I wouldn't allow any repo guy to follow the police on my property even if they seemed legit because they're job is to steal cars & there's no way of knowing whatever else they could be involved in. MikeD74T

No. Not true. Their job is to return a car to it's rightful owner because the person that borrowed money and signed a note saying they would pay it back didn't hold up their end of the bargain. If you want to get technical about it, the repo man is much more honorable than the people he is dealing with.

 

[Bird]

Yep, in all my years experience, I can't recall a repo man stealing anything while repossessing vehicles. I know we had at least one who got arrested because he was carrying a gun, got caught on the vehicle "owner's" property and threatened the owner (there was no such thing as a permit to carry a handgun in Texas back then), and I recall one who got in trouble for having a German Shepard dog for protection while repossessing vehicles.