S3 E14: Debt Buyers & Trump Lawsuits: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Season 3, Episode 14. June 5th, 2016. John Oliver demonstrates how easy it is to start a debt-buying company, and Donald Trump's businesses come under fire in the media.
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[@jacquelinehart4355]

I recently had a debt buyer try to come after me for a debt I had paid off almost a decade ago and I had documentation to prove it. It went on for over a year and the total debt was less than $1000 USD and finally they tried to get me to pay a "Service fee" when I had proved I didn't owe the debt because "Well we don't work for free ma'am". I laughed and told them "Yeah that might be true but you also don't work for me".

[@sealyoness]

I apparently owe some debt collector $321. From 2 years ago. It impacts my credit rating - but the original debt was to OrthoIllinois. Which is medical, but not now.

[@jacquelinehart4355]

@Vesta_the_Lesser I will say in my case I was able to call my bank and have them pull my statements from the year in question to prove I had paid the debt, I also called the original debt holder and had them confirm in writing that I had paid my debt in full, because I absolutely did NOT have my original receipts after a decade and several moves later

[@marilynbables8071]

Trump University.😆

[@Absolute_white]

"Yeah that might be true but you also don't work for me". This should be taught in school.

[@PanTrimtab]

They need a hard no. "I'll have to think about this" "Let me look at my budget and get back to you" "What do you mean it will have a negative effect?" "Ahh, well that is compelling information, I will have to take that into consideration, thank you." At some point they will devolve into trying to get you to say you refuse to pay. They can take that refusal to a court and get you tried in abstentia and get lien and garnishments assigned. But if you just keep stringing them along they put a note in your file that you aren't worth the hassle. I've wasted hours, if not days of their lives, just going around and around semantic merry-go-rounds. I know I'm never going to buy a house, my generation doesn't even really have that as an option. I don't want to buy a new boat or a new car. That's literally all they threaten you with. Fuck em.

[@notbomba]

And unlike Oprah's give away, John gave it away tax free.

[@Absolute_white]

I love 26 year old me, I remember telling a collector something like this. "Why in the world would I want to buy my debt back from you? You bought it, you own it and Im not paying you for it. Enjoy my debt." That kid was rad lol.

[@nilsanieves3457]

A year after my second cousin passed, someone from the bank showed up at my door, trying to collect money from ME, a second cousin! He tried to appeal to my sense of loyalty to my cousin by making sure his good credit and reputation was not affected 😂😂😂😂. The guy is already dead, I don’t think he would lose any “sleep “ over his good credit 😂😂😂

[@williamlouie569]

How is your cousin's debt became your problem? These collections agencies are unbelievable! But they probably got some fools pay off the dead people's debt!

[@nilsanieves3457]

@@williamlouie569 My cousin was dying of cancer and I took him in for the last six months of his life. I didn’t have the heart to let him die alone (he had no children). The bank employee fried to persuade me that my cousin’s credit and reputation were in my hands. 🤬🤬🤬

[@dthomas9230]

"If you knew my cousin he always kept his debt secrets and credit rating buried"

[@sealyoness]

Ridiculous. Glad you didn't lose any sleep over it!

[@mariadelpilar1590]

John Williams, who owned Williams, Scott & Associates was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in shaking down more than 6,000 consumers nationwide.Williams was also ordered by a Manhattan judge to repay $4 million for the point of making an example out of the defendant.“There is a need to send a message that, ‘Hey, this is outrageous,'” the judge said, according to a published report.

[@tonytooshort]

Jon Oliver has been such a blessing to this country (as immigrants tend to be). Not just for material benefits like these, but for covering crucial stories like these the NEVER get told on msm, in an easy to follow digestible way that's fun and funny. Thank you sir, you're a TRUE American patriot. ✊🏽

[@Arian-gm4rx]

"tend" is a stretch

[@joshuawoodward9206]

​@Arian-gm4rx No it isn't. Grocery stores are full of 'em cause white people are too proud to take those jobs now too.

[@StrayingCat]

remember it’s comedy show, don’t take it too seriously

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

​@@Arian-gm4rxGuys, I think we found the hidden racist.

[@wh2960]

​@@Arian-gm4rx Arian, you (respectfully) give off "I'm not like other immigrants" vibes.

[@skabuoy]

The bit about trump's lawsuits should be on heavy rotation on fox.

[@mistiecantey1]

Or any of the corporate media.

[@dayoolaleye1265]

Hus bankruptcies, his failed marriages, his misdeeds, and moral ineptitudes... all things that would make him inadmissible into the US through immigration

[@ethantalbot1811]

It's funny seeing Mr. Drumpf claim he's proud of his heritage and where he comes from

[@eyedownload]

Fred Trump - authoritarian Nazi Father who went out from Alzheimers! Culturally and genetically bad seed!

[@mammajamma4959]

I had a legitimate response to a certain debt..."I have years of documentation on this bogus claim, please take me to court so I can counter sue". It worked and I recommend it!

[@Zalzany]

Sure it did, sound like the sovcit who just lost her house and claims her "land patent" means the bank auction on her home from unpaid mortgage is not legal lol Same deal she has "legit response" to them repoing her car as well lol And yes the bogus sueing threats is the battle cry of sovcits. Shit they put a fake 400k lien on the deed before the auction to try and scare buyers lol.

[@randomstuff-qu7sh]

@@Zalzany Well, if you consider that a lot of these debt buyers are hoping you won't show up, the tactic might work.

[@annieone-trick]

Imagine that there was once a day when Trump University was one of the biggest scandals involving Trump...

[@CraigThorsen-ph4cb]

I hope that RIP sends each person some documentation that the debt has been cleared so that noone else can go after these debts again. Great Job!!!

[@prescottwhynot]

The nonprofit he gave it to RIP Medical Debt (now, Undue Medical Debt) will handle all of that. Pretty awesome work they do!

[@jennmoslek921]

The "Clogged Drain At The Wonka Factory" is probably one of my favorite John Oliver quotes...EVER! 😅

[@jlt131]

this episode ended so well i forgot about all the trash in the beginning. well done John Oliver & crew. I hope this really turns life around for the better for a lot of people!

[@TasziGames]

So if you not paying dept, you can buy your dept, and forgive yourself? :D That's cool!

[@DrewSavo]

Yeah but you have to be absolutely, 999% certain that it yours. You may end up buying some other buggers debt.

[@Broockle]

for 1 cent on the dollar....?

[@rachelfox8108]

​​@@Broockle Yes, so a $3,000 debt can be bought for $30

[@Broockle]

@@rachelfox8108 neet

[@austintacius]

Bible clearly forbids charging interest to the poor, but we need those 10 commandments in schools. go go Cafeteria Christians!

[@tracy419]

Not just the 10 commandments. Now they are requiring the Christian Bible be taught in Oklahoma and teachers who refuse could lose their certifications. WTF?

[@edros4430]

With great power comes great responsibility. John Oliver! A real-life hero 💯❤️

[@grapesoda3414]

3500 lawsuits in 30 years that averages out to like 116 ish every year

[@kevs6402]

You are a wonderful man John Oliver.

[@californiacloud1036]

For the algorithm! Spread the word. Like, Share, and Comment.

[@morbidone88]

This explained a helluva lot about the bullshit we deal with daily with these assholes

[@jloyd33jl]

Really wish you could do a segment about preperation for a family members death with there assets, financies, property and belongings and how they can be stripped by Nursing homes and the goverment if planned poorly..everyone should learn about this. And could save countless familys from devastating discoveries that they could have avoided if educated on it.

[@rhunt0210]

I LOVE YOU, JOHN OLIVER! YOU'RE AN AMAZING PERSON!

[@richardlynch1094]

We were so naive back then. Goodbye from the future.

[@colorbugoriginals4457]

My fav Lego accountant ❤

[@kapitankidlattv9613]

You Sir Oliver is such a blessing to humanity, more power to you and to your show and may your tribe increase a hundred fold! Greetings from the Philippines!

[@anniedonikian6468]

Love John Oliver thank u for the upload 😊😊😊😊

[@thomasdeas1941]

I am thinking about buying my room mate's debt. That would be hilarious.

[@clintflippo917]

Youll never get it back.

[@tracy419]

That would be nice, but the reason it's in spreadsheet form is because they sell it in bulk. Lots of people's debt in package deals. I've heard recently of a town or state that did this with their residents medical debt and forgave it. Would be nice to see more of that. I've even heard of lottery winners doing it.

[@donaldwhittaker7987]

A blast from the past. This is priceless.

[@RWROW]

Wonder how many regulations limiting debt collectors that Trump has done away with?

[@raykyogrou0358]

The number of lawsuits has gone up significantly since being elected for his first term

[@lizlee5052]

I had a collection agency (over a time share) that if I couldn’t pay my debt I shouldn’t have had children. This was after trying for 10 years to have a child & he was a miracle.

[@rvdb7363]

That is absolutely horrible...

[@alderoth01]

Thank you for forgiving so much debt. You are a saint!!

[@Broockle]

did he buy 15 million debt for 150 thousand? Cause he said 1 cent on the dollar.

[@alderoth01]

@@Broockle I have no idea what he bought it for, all I know is he erased it for free lol. That's a God send to some of those people.

[@Broockle]

@@alderoth01 i'm just trying to understand how this works 😅 Not denying it's very generous of them. Imagine everyone could buy their own debt for 1% of the price. This could even be a business model lol

[@alderoth01]

@@Broockle from what I understand it's data brokers and debt collection. You don't need a license or any sort of major credentials to get started. He just said they placed a bid on some debt that was for sale, and they won the bid on it. Guess if you find the people doing the auctions on debt you can buy as much as you want lol.

[@Broockle]

@@alderoth01 that whole thing sounds dodgy AF 😅

[@InfiniteSoulRoots]

Historical giveaway!!! 🙌🏽❣️🙌🏽

[@fahlmancomputing8628]

Hang on, does this mean I could buy $20,000 of debt for just $100, and then just forgive it so that other person wouldn't have to pay it?

[@janetashforth7368]

John Oliver for President!

[@markpalmer7832]

His grand dad was a draft dodger there

[@bradcalhoun8976]

He really does look like an Oompah Loompa

[@Chrispy-sx4un]

Thank you John and crew you guys rock!!!

[@audreyhernandez121]

"WE THE PEOPLE, STILL HAVE THE VOTE"

[@paulagwhyte1720]

John Oliver, you are a legend!!

[@mhewwariya2395]

Thank you again for the full episodes! 😍

[@bobpurcell7175]

Why rerun all those old shows? (Watches as John Oliver breaks down why 3500 lawsuits is actually quite a few) Oh, yeah. There was way too much brilliance to catch it all on the first go-'round 😎 Still missing the significance of 'strawberry for the perverts' 😐 (wtf?)

[@kpenn100]

arkansas is doomed with polititcians like those

[@yoyoyohihihidude]

Who’s this younger looking Oliver clone

[@bobpurcell7175]

21:50 "Why shooting debt collectors should be decriminalized," Exhibit A

[@randyjenkins8896]

at this point anyone openly still financing this scammer pretty much deserves to feel ripped off. the kinda of person files for bankrupcy 5 times should not have a credit card.

[@robr177]

It's too bad that Fox "News" viewers don't watch your show, John. They might learn something.

[@Smokin_N_Jokin]

These bastards still call me over a debt from 2011...it's 2024 😂

[@TVBjak]

If your debt is placed on a market, you should be able to buy it at that price before the debt is fully secured by the purchaser.

[@DanielRibeiro-u7u]

This man has done more for the american people than actual fucking congress. We deserve what we get

[@TheRealEvilkitten3]

can't believe i forgot about carp.... i actually recently got a letter claiming i had six thousands dollars of medical debt from an organization i'd never even heard of and like if this is a debt buyer then idk what they think they're going to accomplish bc i've never had six thousand dollars in my life and i almost certainly never will so they're kinda just wasting their time.

[@prescottwhynot]

TL;DR: Americans are so financially burdened that no amount of forgiveness can catch up to the relentless credit/debt industry. 👇 So, the non-profit they partnered with to forgive this debt (RIP Debt), recently partnered with four universities (Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, LMU Munich) to relieve the debts of study groups and then study the mental and financial wellbeing of patients who've had their debt relieved. The study relieved $169 million in debt, and in follow-ups, found that there was no improvement in credit availability or worthiness, and no improvement in mental health, with a statistically insignificant WORSENING of mental health after forgiveness. This is all possibly caused by the medical debt forgiveness not being sufficient in of itself to improve patient's overall financial outlook, which in turn causes their anxiety and hopelessness to go up.

[@neashia23]

You GO John 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@DHxJarsyl]

Hitler's bunker review: It started off bad and I really hated it, but it got better at the end and really went out with a bang!

[@lupemerrit]

Finally…. I thought n thought nobody would ever open their eyes and see that Trump got to the White House using the Trump University technique. Lol.. how dumb can we get… very sad.

[@joannaloftus3104]

You are wonderful !

[@Daedalus117]

In case anyone wants an update on this story: debt collectors are still bastards

[@chandrahardy972]

Still, so hard to watch this even in retrospect! I can't believe where we are today! Groundhog Day nightmare!

[@Enjoyurble]

Oh boy, John. If you love buying up debt for people BOY do I have a deal for you. 😉 Ha. Ha Ha Ha. Aha. I'm crying, John. 😿 Oh no. I'm not a crying cat. I promise I'm not a crying cat, John.

[@AC3handle]

the 2016 election. GOD he looks so YOUNG!

[@Alexandra11090]

Think about how much debt all of the day time hosts could actually give away if they all came together and did this one year. How many people they could help. It would be random acts of kindness and help so many people.

[@bzpacksandgames451]

🎉 Congratulations Queen of Daytime TV

[@gavinbrown7336]

For High Achievement in the Field of Excellence

[@nikitopi6324]

If you read this, please send your healing thoughts and prayers. I've been facing health struggles for a long time.

[@MachinecoNY]

Trumps lawsuits are one huge stain on the national justice system. The fact he had so many is SO indicative of a rotten chahacter and ethics. NO none prosecutes nor needs that number of defenses, if acting honestly.

[@GENXJOPLIN]

I refuse to pay medical debt out of principle. It disappears from your credit if you stop answering your phone lol

[@cloudbrooks]

wait really? i gotta look into that

[@baoboumusic]

Huh. So nothing changed between 2016 and 2024 eh? Everyone is still in crippling debt and Trump is still in court. Nice.

[@NigelBarryMahabir]

9 years later , has anything changed ?

[@adamlaye5003]

You Sir, Are the Man!

[@NigelBarryMahabir]

Thought this was 2024.

[@andreaknights8370]

better call saul

[@rebgates]

All the Trump stuff in 2024 just...yeah

[@hansimuli]

I know a Professor Duncan, he teaches on Greendale Community College.

[@ilv1]

Why can't the debtors be offered to buy the debt first, before having it sold to anyone else?

[@tygrl1]

They are

[@paloma598]

I tried negotiating with a debt collector and they refused. I ended up getting sued and uno reversed by filing for Chap 7. Buying debt for pennies and then trying to force you to pay full price should be illegal.

[@austinemms9772]

It’s weird to see that a story about Debt Buyers isn’t the biggest story about something slimy and disgusting that was presented in this episode.

[@eliasvazquez6390]

13:10 Debt part starts here

[@holly50575]

Aaahhh. That really felt good!💙💙💙💙

[@andreware7638]

Good they have to give addresses to collect, so if any maje threats, the police better handle it or their workers will get visits.

[@D9t-p8w]

My mom is going thru that debt thing right now . Court in a few days. She said she wasn’t going I said that makes no sense because then you default. Then I see this 😊

[@sprj7792]

Please buy my debt and forgive it.

[@jennimarie1669]

🎉CARP 🎉

[@RobVanPelt-f7o]

I got a bill collector letter around a month ago. It was from a ticket I had in Illinois in 2003.

[@roblewis3799]

1:10 you ain't seen nuthin' yet

[@jaymanaventurier]

In Quebec, Canada, where I live, you can ask the debt collectors to only contact you by email! And then, it just goes straight to spam. I'm not saying it's better, I'm just saying I like it this way!

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Ron Oliver forgot Iron Side and Harvey Birdman

[@retched]

I think they were trying to count live action.

[@ChrisKewl]

I didn't see Perry Mason either.

[@zaccoop6727]

I hope this youtube video makes the money back from the debt forgiven... would be sweet if Last Week Tonight could do this often with some of this youtube funding? Unless, it is basically just paying salaries, which is decent too...

[@thomasdeas1941]

Because, we all picked our parents.

[@chandrahardy972]

Groundhog Day nightmare!

[@celevazquez7397]

It's always good to know that good people exist

[@jessiewilliams1440]

Imagine what a million could buy

[@christianmortimer98]

legendary

[@ErutaniaRose]

I’d be fucked over in debt if my Dad hadn’t helped me with medical bills when I was alone and a company trying to get me to pay fees despite getting no service and canceling subscription twice. $800 dollars saved my financial life.

[@ChrisFarrell]

I love John Oliver, but it was kind of funny to watch him do a whole bit on how much of the debt sold on these markets is illegitimate or uncollectible, and at best would probably settle for pennies on the dollar, only to pull a stunt at the end where he buys a bunch of this junk debt and claims to do the largest giveaway in TV history based on the debt’s meaningless face value. Still, since apparently this debt is quite cheap, it seems like a charity could do a decent amount of good by buying this stuff up (especially medical debt) and forgiving it.

[@ifirox666]

“A punchline that’s quickly becoming a nightmare”. BOY, hold on to your butt.

[@ryanengle7199]

It’s a shame the end of this episode didn’t get more attention than it did. Could you imagine if more people started doing this for society? I feel like that’s why it’s not publicized. Share this everywhere you can everyone!

[@KoreyThatcher]

If only we knew how good we had it back then

[@makolikeamfshark]

"To keep students alert" dawg i'd be asleep in 10 mins wtf

[@jmcmob608]

Thank you very much...

[@Broockle]

w8 so 1 cent on the dollar to get 15 million debt... Does that mean they bought 15 million dollars for a 150 thousand? uhh....