mellowtiger83 said:I think I actually have that German ABC channel on my Verizon setup, and it's just part of my basic cheap package, I don't know, I'd have to double check but I'm pretty sure it's there.
darkmarlin16 said:Right now, everything's just showing the same thing on every channel
I actually asked about this just a little bit ago, but honestly, nobody gave me an answer. From what I can gather, maybe only ESPN has it, but I don't think anyone else does.
I honestly don't get what the deal is with this SK HD thing? It’s not even part of the HBO lineup, so does that mean I'm basically screwed and won't be able to watch any more races properly, or is this just some weird one-off exception?
Rachel Long said:Exactly. It doesn't matter if it's already paid off. During the legal process, an expert assessment is conducted to calculate exactly how much the bank owes you. They basically determine the gap between what you actually paid under those void contract terms and what you would have paid if the exchange rate used at the start of the loan had remained constant alongside the initial interest rate.
Feel free to ask if anything else comes up.
Thanks. I mean, that’s basically what I gathered from the news too, but man, it just sounded way too wild to be true... I guess after living in America for this long, you kind of start to think you've seen it all, right? :-)
Just one more thing, does anyone actually know when the deadline is to get these applications in? I’ve been scouring the web like a madman and honestly, I can't find a single thing about it anywhere online... it's like they just don't want us to know, I guess. I think I saw somewhere that you probably shouldn't be going over, like, maybe a certain amount when it comes to costs, but honestly, I don't know, my memory is kind of shot today... $3333 So, wait, if they actually win their day in court, does that mean everything just gets handed back to them, or what? Is that how it works? I guess I'm just trying to wrap my head around the whole thing, maybe I'm overthinking it, but it feels like if the Supreme Court finally rules in their favor, they should be getting those funds back, right? Or am I totally off base here? Look, I know this whole thing is probably going to drag on for years, but honestly, who cares? I’m totally down to kick off the legal process anyway. Even if it takes forever, maybe it’ll finally settle for my kids or even my grandkids down the line—not that I have much faith in our American justice system, knowing how things usually go around here! :-)
So, if I'm actually getting this right, does that mean they’re basically forced to cough up the difference between what was originally signed for in USD versus the actual Swiss Franc amount at the time the loan was pulled? Like, assuming someone actually follows through with legal action and all that, and I guess you have to wonder about the loans that are already totally paid off... say, like for a truck or something that was settled maybe ten years ago?
Honestly, I’m sitting here scratching my head too, because I have absolutely no clue what his actual plan even is. Like, what is he actually going to *do* once he's in there?
But for real, the thing that's actually keeping me up at night is who on earth is going to foot the bill for all this again. If you look at the article, it straight-up says the party didn't even have enough cash to cover their own legal fees. So, what does that even mean in practice? Does that imply the other parties involved in the lawsuit had to chip in to cover the costs—maybe some big banks or just us regular people who don't have anything to do with this mess? It's kind of wild if you think about it.
So, what, they just suddenly decided this was worth getting loud about after an entire year of silence? They’re sure efficient, aren't they?
But seriously, I gotta ask—who is actually footing the bill for all this nonsense?
Like, between the court fees and all these specialized oversight roles—kind of like those trustee positions—if someone's pulling in, I don't know, maybe $10k gross, then over 12 months that's like $120k a year, and if you stretch that over five years, man, that adds up fast...
Since it's obviously the banks, the service providers, and us consumers who are really at fault here, I'm assuming they're the ones picking up the tab, right? Or is it just me again, being the absolute idiot who keeps paying my bills on time while the banks and the government just take whatever they want?
John Clark6, you better not forget about those legal fees and court costs because they aren't exactly pocket change, plus you’re looking at years of litigation if the court system even decides to wrap things up eventually...
I mean, if you get a little bit lucky, maybe—and I say maybe here—they won't go completely bust before you actually manage to collect whatever you're owed...
Look, neither you nor I actually reached that breaking point where we felt this desperate need to milk those perks dry.
The whole thing boils down to the fact that banks basically threw caution to the wind back then. They were taking massive risks by handing out loans, overdrafts, and credit lines to people who barely had a year or two of work experience and absolutely zero assets to their name—stuff I honestly couldn't pay back in my wildest dreams.
Even that overdraft was somehow approved based on some inconsistent, sporadic payments from freelance gigs rather than an actual steady paycheck.
I remember this guy at American Express trying to convince me that if I swapped my basic green card for a Gold one, I could get up to $16667 in credit, and even more, like $33333 with the Gold version (don't quote me on the exact numbers, but that's how he was selling it, acting like the Gold card was just way better and more profitable for me).
So, you tell me—how on earth could they approve all that for someone making my measly $2000 salary with zero net worth and actually expect me to pay it back? It makes no sense. They just took a gamble and figured they'd deal with the fallout whenever it hit the fan.
So, we can't exactly say people are solely to blame for everything that happened, right? That’s why I said, in my opinion, the blame should be split pretty much fifty-fifty.
Back when I was just 19, I had zero issues getting an American Express or a Diners Club card, and over at Chase, they even let me run an overdraft of more than $300 because, you know, on top of my paycheck, I had other income hitting my account, so they basically calculated my whole limit based on that extra cash.
Then, by the time I hit 21, they actually reached out to me themselves—like, they sent me a message saying that based on my salary and how much I was spending (back then, I thought it was so cool to pay for everything with my American Express, so I was pushing through maybe $1333 in monthly transactions), I was eligible for a Gold card. That was after only two years! They were basically offering me a massive spending limit, which I only realized because I asked them, "Why would I even want that?" and they told me, "Well, the limit on that specific card is way higher."
But pretty soon, I realized I was actually paying way too much for all that plastic. And by "pretty soon," I mean right after those first two or three years once I started working steadily and those fancy things like American Express and credit cards just weren't such a big deal to me anymore. So, I canceled everything. When I was in the process of closing accounts or cutting stuff I wasn't using, I was blunt with them; I told them straight up that the problem was I was paying a ton of membership fees and stupid little charges for absolutely nothing.
Before I knew it, they literally started bombarding me. It was constant—free annual fees for both the American Express and the Diners Club, a million different perks, instant express loans without having to visit a branch, the whole nine yards. They hit me via mail, email, phone calls... honestly, it started feeling weird, like I was being harassed. Eventually, I had to start threatening them with legal action just to get them to back off.
So, speaking from firsthand experience, it was a pretty dirty game. I really think the banks are largely to blame here; they're at least fifty-fifty when it comes to how they treat clients, and they should really be looking into every single case individually.
And if they file a lawsuit right when the statute of limitations is about to expire, it’s basically a trap, because everyone just automatically starts the renewal process as the deadline nears, and suddenly costs are just spiraling out of control.
It’s gonna be a wild ride when they start cracking down on people working abroad for this stuff and other things too, I swear. I know plenty of folks who are living overseas but left a mountain of debt behind here, and they even end up paying for daycare for the kids staying back like it's some kind of social welfare program, mostly because their American tax records are totally empty and nobody bothers to check what's happening with foreign income, and then you’ve got them collecting child benefits the same way, and so on.
If they ever actually start swapping data between agencies—especially if they decide to go after people retroactively—it’s going to be absolute chaos. I mean, if you look at the fine print, like, really tiny fine print, it says that under material and—this is the big one, listen—criminal liability, you are personally confirming that all the data is accurate. Oops...😁
So, you're asking if they can just swoop in, right?
Oh, absolutely, man. They can basically sit right on top of everything you own—your entire estate, your apartment, your car, even the random junk inside your place. I mean, literally anything they can legally tie back to you.
And honestly? If that's what you're worried about, they’ll do it without blinking an eye, though maybe not all at once.
First, they're gonna bury you under a mountain of fees—you know, lawyers, bailiffs, the IRS, the courts, various collection agencies, and all that other fun stuff—and then, just to make it even better, they'll pile a massive heap of interest on top of all that.
David Clark said:There's no statute of limitations??? I thought the whole question was just whether it was 5 or 10 years... If that's the case, could someone please weigh in on Article 50, Paragraph 11 of the Enforcement Law Jurisdiction...
...and it's not that I'm trying to dodge the debt, there are just other reasons why I wouldn't want to settle with them—specifically how the Bank treats me as a client, the sheer rudeness of their staff and agents, and all the various threats and provocations coming from their side...
...I already understand the "if I find a job" part... and thanks for the info regardless...
Also, I'm curious about how the actual garnishment process works... will they call me to court or what? I see there are some law changes coming up, so could you comment on this:
People have already been talking about this exact thing on this thread. There are like a million ways they can extend a seizure or just restart the whole process from scratch, so there's really no escaping it.
And honestly, the reason they act so entitled is because they're incredibly protected, but on the flip side, you spent the cash, so it's only fair you pay it back, right?
I mean, what kind of person would you be if someone owed you money and you just didn't pay it back? Trust me, I know how that feels firsthand, and let me tell you, it isn't exactly a pleasant experience.
As for what happens next, I'm not totally sure, but if you filed an appeal, then you head to court and wait for a summons; if you didn't, there's no court involved—they just go after you through the IRS, and if you don't have anything, they'll just sit there waiting until you do, while those killer interest rates keep piling up.
Like I said before, keep it simple: don't expect any legal miracle, because at the end of the day, the government and the banks are in cahoots, and the state is always going to side with them rather than you. That article you posted is basically just for guessing when they might collect, but the bottom line remains—that interest is still hitting you on the full amount. So yeah, nothing positive for you in there.
Statute of limitations doesn't really exist once they actually come after you for payment, especially when you factor in all those interest charges and extra fees. Right now, it feels totally pointless to try anything because the interest just snowballs way too fast—I think we're looking at 12% annually plus whatever other junk costs they tack on.
If you ask me, my best advice is to just throw down at least $33 a month and make sure you hang onto every single receipt. That way, if things ever get messy, you can actually prove you were acting in good faith, showing you did everything possible and paid what you could afford.
If enough time passes and you're still stuck without a job, you’ll actually be in a pretty strong spot to sit down and negotiate with them—maybe get them to waive part of the interest, or even all of it, since you're unemployed and showed you were trying your hardest to find work while still chipping away at the debt, even though you weren't technically required to. You're basically asking them to meet you halfway, even if they aren't legally obligated to.
On the flip side, if you do land a new gig, they'll probably just garnish about a third of your paycheck for a few months until the debt is cleared.
I honestly don't get why everyone is chasing some legal loophole to avoid paying when the money is legitimately owed. I mean, I get it if you're trying to dodge the massive interest rates or the ridiculous lawyer and collection fees, but when it comes to the actual principal amount? I just don't get it.
Legally speaking, there’s zero connection to his mother, but honestly, from a moral standpoint, maybe they want to step up since things are hitting the fan, you know? Like, they're probably just trying to make sure he actually has a way to survive once he gets back.
I wouldn't recommend working under the table to anyone, seriously, because the penalties are brutal and you're basically risking a criminal charge—it looks like you're straight-up defrauding your creditors on purpose. And that's not just some fine, it could actually mean jail time.😉
And as for personal bankruptcy, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if anything actually comes of it or how it plays out in the real world when the time comes.
If I were him, I’d try to be reasonable first and just sit down with the creditors, explain the whole mess, and maybe ask for some debt forgiveness... I mean, in a situation this bad, they might actually bite.
Regarding what you asked, legally, two-thirds of the paycheck is protected regardless of what they claim, so I guess your friend should probably check in with the IRS first, or look for free legal clinics, or even hit up a consumer protection group if he can't afford an attorney to walk him through his rights.
Also, you really need to find out exactly what he signed; if he gave consent for everything to be seized, which, let's face it, he probably did, then they can take whatever they want. The only way they can't is if he specifically signed off only on wage garnishment. But hey, I'm not saying this is 100% certain, so he better go verify that using the methods I mentioned above.
I’m looking for some guidance if anyone can offer it.. My brother has been living in a commune for about a year now; he's divorced and has a child around eighteen months to two years old. Recently, my mother tried to check through the IRS to see exactly how much debt he carries and whether there are any pending garnishments that might eventually land on her doorstep.. What she found was quite significant—a total debt of $13 with interest reaching roughly $20 stemming from various sources (Verizon, AT&T, traffic fines, etc.). Can anyone suggest a way to stop this debt from spiraling? Is there any mechanism to halt the interest accrual, or perhaps a way to have some of it forgiven?.. It’s becoming incredibly difficult for Mom to cover this out of her own salary, and she’s feeling lost; she can’t take out a loan because she’s already maxed out on her existing credit.. If anyone understands the best course of action in a situation like this, please reach out with advice. I suspect my brother won't be returning anytime soon, and even when he does, paying this off will be an impossible task.. the amount is almost certainly going to balloon further.. Thanks in advance!
Maybe try waiting until the start of next year; word is that's when personal bankruptcy might actually become an option.
If your brother doesn't have any assets to his name, this might be the only way you guys can escape these debts, though it’s a process that takes a few years to play out.
He’ll basically have to pay back as much as he possibly can over the next couple of years, but if he can't clear the whole thing—or at least a big chunk of it—within that timeframe, and if he actually sticks to whatever terms they set for him, he’ll most likely get the rest of the debt wiped clean.
Honestly, it’s a brutal process and definitely isn't for everyone, but in a case like this, it might be the one (and only?) good solution left.
I had to dig into this myself because I have a debtor right now who is just sitting around waiting for personal bankruptcy so he can dodge all of us trying to collect money from him. From everything I've read so far—and man, I hate to admit it—there's a huge chance he'll pull it off this way (he has zero assets and he's either making minimum wage or working under the table).
Your other option is to try and go directly to the people he owes money to. Just explain the whole mess and ask if they'll waive at least the interest and fees, provided you agree to settle the principal as fast as possible. They often jump at deals like that if they realize they won't get a dime otherwise. If I were in your shoes, I'd honestly take an offer like that immediately.😁
Does anyone actually get what those guys over at Mercedes were even thinking when they pulled that move? I mean, seriously, was there really nobody on the pit wall who could’ve just done a quick headcount of the tires before they committed to such a ridiculous strategy?😁
I don't really get it, I mean both Vettel and Rosberg still have one pit stop left, and since Rosberg is going to come out on tires that are clearly two seconds faster per lap, how on earth is that supposed to be good for Vettel?
Man, I am seriously relieved to see I’m not the only one feeling totally lost here.😁 Because, honestly, I’ve just been going off whatever is written right here on the first page of this thread.
darkmarlin16 said:You think he’s running late? Honestly, knowing how things work around here, I wouldn't be surprised if we're all just sitting around waiting for absolutely nothing, but yeah, my money is on him being behind schedule.
Well, I mean, if it was supposed to kick off at 8, isn't that what the very first post in this thread actually says?