I received a phone call this morning (Saturday) concerning my gym membership. My account was delinquent because the card number my gym was using was no longer valid due to having lost the card.

I was actually about to be on my way to PAY the delinquent amount at the gym when a man id'ing himself as Mr. Sutherland from PBCM called. I explained the situation to him, and since he wanted the entire amount, both the past due and the fulfilled contract amount, I told him I wanted to talk to my husband, as I'm a stay at home mom.

When he placed me on hold to talk to his manager, the call was disconnected. I called back and spoke to a Mr. Anderson. This man was more insistent that I make a payment, but still polite (as was Mr. Sutherland), and when I told him I wasn't going to make any kind of payment until I spoke with my husband, he told me people tell him this kind of thing all the time and then never call back. I promised to call back within one hour, and got off the phone.

I then called my gym, hoping to work things out with them, as it was an honest, unintentional mistake. The man I would need to talk to wouldn't be available for 3 hours, so I called PCMB back, and was connected to a woman with a Latino last name, to update that I would not be calling in the one hour as promised, but in three hours.

She was less willing to help then the previous gentlemen. Because her office was due to close about the time I said I'd call back, she said I needed to make a payment today, that if I was planning on paying the gym, then I should just pay that amount to PBCM. I found myself repeating everything over and over, that I would not give her my husband's personal information since I don't want his name or credit harmed for my mistake, that I wasn't going to commit to a payment until I spoke with him, that I don't want to SETTLE my account but that I fully intend to pay every cent I committed to, because that's what I said I'd do...

She then put me on hold to connect me to a Ms. Weber. I reapeated everything I'd said for the fourth time to this woman. She said I couldn't wait until later because the office would be closed. So I asked what time they open on Monday, that I'd call then. She said she's not going to wait until Monday because how does she know I'll even call back... I told her that if I was just trying to get out of paying the bill, it wouldn't really matter if I told her I'd call in two days or two weeks, but that I wasn't going to commit to a payment until I spoke to my husband. She then informed me that I have two minutes to either make a payment and arrange a settlement, make a payment and arrange for monthly payments until paid in full, or pay nothing and have it go on my credit.

I told her that she wasn't being fair, I'm fully plan on paying my debt in full, that my delinquent account was the result of an honest mistake, and that I will call on Monday to take care of this matter. She told me that if I say another word about anything other than that I was ready to make a payment, this conversation is done, and she's going to put it on my credit.

I caved. I made the payment to PBCM that I was about to go make to my gym.

I cannot believe how rude this woman is. I wasn't trying to get out of my debt, I wasn't even interested in settling... I want to pay the bill, and this woman talked to me like I was a criminal. It is my understanding that telling me I have two minutes to make a decision was a threat, and unfair. I wish I'd just hung up on her...