TW: It is encouraging that American ingenuity in the pursuit of the last possible buck continues apace. Apparently collection firms are refining their talents to retrieve the debts of the deceased. To be honest I had never really focused on this issue and I assumed most folks' relatives paid up outstanding bills without too much fuss. I am surprised to learn relatives typically do not have a legal obligation to settle the debts, a point the collectors manage to not mention. Nevertheless, within reason I would hope most folks pay up the bills of relatives at least.
From Int'l Herald Tribune:
"...Dozens of specially trained agents work on the third floor of DCM Services here, phoning the departed's next of kin and asking if they want to settle the balances on credit cards or bank loans or perhaps make those final payments on utility bills or mobile phones.
The people on the other end of the line often have no legal obligation to assume the debts of spouses, siblings or parents. But they take responsibility anyway.
...Dead people are the newest frontier in debt collecting, and one of the healthiest parts of the industry. Those who dun the living say that people are so scared and so broke it can be difficult to get them to make even token payments.
Collecting from the dead, however, is expanding. Improved database technology is making it easier to discover when estates are opened in the country's 3,000 probate courts, giving collectors the opportunity to file timely claims.
...For some relatives, paying is pragmatic. The law varies from state to state, but generally survivors are not required to pay dead relatives' bills from their own assets. In theory, however, collection agencies could go after any property inherited from the deceased.
But sentiment also plays a large role, the agencies say. Some relatives are loyal to the credit card or bank in question. Some feel a moral sense that all debts should be paid. Most of all, people feel they are honoring the wishes of their loved ones.
...Not everyone has the temperament to make such calls. About half of DCM's new employees do not make it past the first 90 days. For those who survive, numerous tools help them deal with stress: yoga classes, foosball tables and a rotating assortment of free snacks, as well as full-scale lunches twice a month. A masseuse comes in regularly to work on their heads and necks."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/04/business/dead.php
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