Posted by Gary Boehm on 8/13/09 10:46am
Msg #299732

I think I did some good...

I wrote last week about 21st Century sending me docs, setting an appointment with the "borrower" and giving them MY phone number without any prior contact with me. I noticed that they were calling themselves "Fidelity" (something-or-other) but the email address was from 21stcenturydocs.

Then they called me earlier this week as Fidelity and asked me when I could go and do "just a few pages". I said "Aren't you 21st Century?" She stammered for a second and said "Well that is our sister company". I told her I would not do signings for her or them. She responded "Well when can you do this?". No matter what I said she ignored me and continued to ask when I could do the signing!!! She was either ignorant, did not understand the English language, thought that tactic would "work" or just plain rude! I finally had to just say goodbye and hang up on her.

Well, just a few minutes ago I got a call on my cell from the woman who was the 'borrower' (I saw here name on my caller ID). She asked if I was Fidelity, I said no, and she said thank you and hung up before I could say anything else. I tried calling her back but I did not get through. I was determined to say something to her but didn't know what (legally) just yet. Then she called me back again. She said "we" had an appointment for Friday.

I said "Ma'm please listen to what I am going to say to you. I cannot give you legal advise. I consider myself to be a person of Honesty and Integrity. - I - will not do business with that company. Do you understand what I am saying? I... will not... do business with that company."

She thank you and said her friends were worried and she was thinking about canceling the whole thing. Then she must have said thank you at least half a dozen more times before we ended that call.

I hope I did some good. Was that an ok way to handle it???

Reply by MW/VA on 8/13/09 10:50am
Msg #299734

You got your point across without giving her any direct advice. IMO you handled it well.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/13/09 11:00am
Msg #299739

I think you also could have safely said, "I will not do business with that company because they are being investigated at the federal & state levels". It's a moot point--what you said was all she needed to hear.

Reply by Lee/AR on 8/13/09 10:52am
Msg #299735

Sounds good to me. n/m

Reply by 101livescan on 8/13/09 10:52am
Msg #299736

How about, "if I company I knew nothing about contacted me out of the blue and I wanted to know more about their reputation, I would google them to see how they were rated."

I think you did good.

Reply by Grace Westlund on 8/13/09 10:53am
Msg #299738

I have thought about what I would do if 21st Century pulled this on me and I believe the way you handled it was excellent.

Reply by Gary Boehm on 8/13/09 11:55am
Msg #299751

I think I did some good...

Thank you for your comments everyone. I know that sometimes when people get in a desperate situation and someone seems to throw them a lifeline - they get extremely upset if anyone else comes along and questions that 'help' or suggests it might not be so good. She already thinks "they" are on her side and anyone who questions them would look like an attack on her and her situation.

I'm sure 21st is so involved with their other 'activities' and that they would not take action against someone. But I did not want to cross the line where she would call them and say HE said you were no good and I should call the BBB on you!

But I think I got my point across without doing that...