Corrugated City

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Got Debt?



I don't get much post. I don't think anyone loves me. So when something that isn't a bank statement does come through my door, I tend to open it no matter who it's addressed to. Most of the post that arrives is for people who haven't lived in this house for many, many years and 99.999999% is junk mail. And the only way I might get in contact with the intended recipients is by opening their post. At least that's what I tell myself.

Anyway, the other day, an unmarked envelope arrived. So I opened it. It was for a long gone occupant and it was from Falabella, Chile's biggest department store chain. Apparently, this person owed Falabella 995,804 pesos (about us$2000). But Falabella doesn't want the person to pay back 995,804 pesos. Falabella is happy to receive just 262,745 pesos. In return, the person's debt is cancelled. That's a 74% reduction. Bargain.

So if you're thinking of buying a 42" LCD telly, go to Falabella, get yourself a CMR card and debt yourself up to the max, safe in the knowledge that if you wait long enough, Falabella will write off 74% of what you owe. That's good business, to my mind.

Now sit back and wait for c.hileno's comments about wealth distribution, minimum wages and debt. Or will he be able to resist the obvious temptation? :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not tempted, but rather obliged, since you're missing the point. Several points actually:

1. Don't buy from faladeuda it's all cheap crap and/or overpriced.

2. If you do, then get credit. Because if you buy on credit it's FREE, not 74% discount. (Actually the letter doesn't describe 74% "discount" because the total sum is after years of 80-some-odd% interest i'm sure). Point is, that person ain't payin' nothin' back, despite faladeuda's desperate attempt to wonderbra its profit margins. You don't have to hurl yourself under a train like MB just don't pay. Matt will tell you otherwise because he wants you to have good credit so you can take out a mortgage and buy his houses. If you wanna buy his houses then don't shop a faladeuda in the first place. (BTW: My understanding is that faladeuda is connected to "Dicom" which is a subsidiary of Equifax, one of the three major US Credit Reporting Bureaus. I imagine this translates to the Chilean credit score?)

3. Now I know your address Matt I'm gonna start sending you fan mail.

Matt said...

woo-hoo...real post for me and not some up to the eyeballs in debt unknown...

Anonymous said...

....I would be putting a big 'return to sender - He no live here no more' on some of these letters - lest you have a collection agency tearing down your door (...and what a nice door it is BTW!)...