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Credit Card Firms Cut Deals With Delinquents

Newly relaxed policies allow firms to settle for portion of debt

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 16, 2009 8:25 AM CDT

(Newser) – With countless customers running behind on payments, credit card companies are taking it easy on delinquents, letting them off the hook in exchange for partial repayments, the New York Times reports. The firms began easing up on their previous policies last fall, experts say; now they’re letting frontline workers settle with delinquents without checking with supervisors or even waiting for a customer to ask for relief.

“Now it’s the card company calling you and saying, ‘Let’s talk turkey,’” says an industry expert. After debt is 6 months overdue, credit card firms are required to cut its value on their books to zero; by then, the customer is unlikely to pay at all. “The creditors would rather have a piece of something now instead of absolutely nothing down the road,” says a consumer advocate.

Credit cards are displayed at a bank ATM in San Jose, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2009.
Credit cards are displayed at a bank ATM in San Jose, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
A customer holds her credit card at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2009.
A customer holds her credit card at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Credit cards are displayed at a bank ATM in San Jose, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2009.
Credit cards are displayed at a bank ATM in San Jose, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
nick
Jun 17, 2009 4:48 AM CDT
Oh yeah, and list some sources, please.
nick
Jun 17, 2009 4:46 AM CDT
"Biden-buddies". How about explaining what that comment is all about.
JonmarkP
Jun 16, 2009 3:48 AM CDT
I think a piece of nothing down the road is just what the credit card companies deserve. With the help of their Biden-buddies in Congress, they've been defrauding and stealing from customers for years.

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