Debt Collector Wanted $8.97 For DVD Rental

A debt collector wanted $8.97 for a DVD rental from five years ago, an email to a credit advice blog recently revealed.

Although attempting to collect such a small sum of money may sound ludicrous, many companies are attempting grab as much money as they possibly can in an effort to stay profitable. Collection agencies started purchasing portfolios from just about anyone around three years ago.

A woman named Jillian reached out to the folks at Credit.com after she received a notice from a debt collector that was looking to recover $8.97 for a five-year-old DVD rental.

Her email to the website read:

“Today I received a letter in the mail from a collection agency stating that a DVD I rented from Family Video (probably 5 years ago) has gone to collections. The total that I owe is $8.97. Am I going to get a bad credit score for an unpaid bill of $8.97?! Help would be greatly appreciated.”

While a person’s knee-jerk reaction might be to ignore a debt collector that wants you to pay $8.97 for something that occurred half-a-decade ago, doing so could have an affect on your credit score. In fact, the website suggests to pay these bills instead of dealing with the headache down the road.

Most folks may not realize that a $10 debt can do just as much damage to your credit score as one totaling thousands of dollars.

A report by Marketdata Enterprises released last year explained that collection agencies are taking drastic measures to stay afloat. This means going after people who owe, for example, $8.97 on a late fee they may have forgotten to pay.

“Although the number of placements at collection agencies has increased, their collectability has fallen. Agencies have to work much harder to collect, making more calls, using more aggressive tactics,” Research Director John LaRosa explained.

What do you think about the woman who encountered a debt collector that wanted $8.97 for a DVD rental from five years ago?

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