I am the first to admit I have not been smart about my money. Right after college, I ran up some debt and never really worked at paying it off until recently. I should be debt free within 15 months. So excited!
But I remember when the days were dark for me. When I thought I might have to declare bankruptcy. Luckily, I didn't. I remember the darkest days when American Express kept calling my office at my previous job. Some chick who was a bully kept calling my office and harassing me. Literally harassing me. I had gone to Europe and a few months later got an AE bill that I could not pay off in a month. I never knew what happened. I might have been charged for items I didn't buy or overbilled, but I never investigated. But I tried to work out a payment plan with American Express. Poor naive me.
The bully kept calling me and calling me and being so hateful. I am glad I had a private office with a door back then. I would shut the door and swing back at the woman. I fought hard. She was so snarky. This went on and on for days. I was in tears most of the time. I needed to stop collection calls! And the sad part is, I knew better than to get so enraged. I know how to stop collection calls, but even I got so rattled, I couldn't think.
Eventually, I was able to make a payment plan, and that did stop collection calls. But not before it took a real toll on me. I think that was what started my bouts with high blood pressure. These collectors can be rotten people. I did get the last laugh, however. I reported them to the Better Business Bureau, and I got a letter some months later saying they had been found to be wrong and were chastised. And like Dave Ramsey, I will never have another American Express card. They do bad business.
