Should you pay off an old debt?

[sweeps]

Article from the Washington Post

[creditcardfree]

Hey, I read that column in my local paper a week or more ago!

I think I would put it on my list to pay, but at the bottom of the list.

My thinking is that if you are someone with an old debt, you may also have current debt. It would be important for me to pay off current debts, save for emergencies and maybe get some retirement started...depending on the amount of the debt.

[boefixepa]

I agree that she should of paid the full amount. She agreed to do it when she incurred the debt in the first place. Wether or not each individual does, it's between them and their concious.

We also differ on this board about wether taking extra condiment packages instead of buying a bottle for home is right or wrong....same concept...different scale.

[shengmei]

I think credit collectors are nasty creatures. I used to live in the dorm and the girl who lived before me had horrible debt problems. The collectors made sure that I did not get a wink of sleep the whole year, no matter how many times I told them that my name is not Rebecca.

[Ima saver]

I did credit collections for about 6 months and i was never nasty. I got more payment s than anyone there because I was so sweet to them. I would just let them pay me what they could even if it was only $5. I knew they were having hard times. Our company should not have made loans to these poor people and it was the manager's fault. They did not quality for a loan.

[lrjohnson]

I made it a point to hunt down every bill I owed and pay everything. Some places had given up locating me and written off the small bills. I probably could have negotiated, but I need a clean conscience. I agree that it's similar to the Condiment Capers; there are just places my conscience will not let me go.

[LuxLiving]

Hey Ima - I knew we were a lot alike but this is getting uncanny - I used to do collections too! Likewise I was never nasty - I made my employer lots and lots of money because I worked hard with my clients to help them work out someway to pay. Nastiness among collectors usually escalates upon being lied to by the debtor. I am/was sympathetic to the problem. I am not nor will I ever be sympathetic to failure to try to work out a solution that helps every one. Pay your debts - it's the right thing to do!!

I've been a repo woman too and it is no fun but if you don't pay, you don't get to play!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LuxLivingFrugalis

P.S. Ima Saver, I'm a Ventures fan myself!! Boogie to them to get the housework done in record time with spirits still high at the end! Wipeout!!!

[Ima saver]

I did a repo of a car once, i was so nice to the guy that he drove the car to my house. i feel like people should pay off their bills in full.