Nationwide Collections, who handles more than 350,000 past due accounts from Columbia House (those are the folks who sell you 27 CDs for a penny, provided you agree to buy 700 more in the future), has an expansive view of effective debt collection, according to the Buffalo News.

Justin Thompson received a letter from his friends at Nationwide about an old debt for $16.39.  But threatening to sue him over this account wasn’t good enough.  No baby, this was a make-or-break debt, and Nationwide went all out to collect.

The envelope was addressed to “S–t Face” and the letter’s salutation read “Dear S–t.

“When I first received the letter, I was shocked. Very upset,” said Thompson, who is 25 and coincidentally works in the payroll department of an area collections company.

Mind you, Thompson’s collections company would never send out rude, insulting or demeaning letters.  They are very professional, and would always insert the “Mr.” or “Ms.” before a name.

Nationwide, on the other hand, says it’s really a bunch of good guys:

Nationwide’s president said the swear word slipped through the largely automated system that handles all of the active accounts for the firm.

“The bottom line is we haven’t done anything wrong,” Phil McGarvey said.

But McGarvey was apologetic and said Thompson won’t have to pay his debt any more.

You would think that would be enough for Thompson, but no, this greedy little s–t face isn’t satisfied with beating Columbia House out of $16.39, and he’s suing Nationwide. 

On the other hand, McGarvey, Nationwide’s president, presents an interesting corporate policy when he says “we haven’t done anything wrong.”  After all, it’s not like these people aren’t a bunch of deadbeats, right McGarvey?

The business of debt collection has never been pleasant, and there are certainly good reasons to look upon some who deliberately refuse to pay their bills with disdain.  But the harassing telephone calls, the abuse and now the name-calling really isn’t the type of conduct that restores dignity to the calling. 

Mr. McGarvey, Nationwide did do wrong.  So stop being a s–t face about it, ‘fess up and deal with it.  And forgiving the guy’s $16.39 just isn’t that magnanimous.