An Arm and a Leg Logo
  • Listen
  • Explore
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Starter Packs
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Our Impact
    • Our Partners and Supporters
    • Contact Us
  • Support Us

Get the First Aid Kit Newsletter!

Summing up the practical lessons we've learned about surviving the health care system, financially.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.
Thumbnail for How to handle debt collectors, with the TikTok Mom and an expert lawyer

How to handle debt collectors, with the TikTok Mom and an expert lawyer

October 15, 2020
Share
Copy URL
SEASON 4-ever – Episode 6

There’s a reason Shaunna Burns went viral with her videos about dealing with debt collectors: She used to be one, so she knows a few things. (Also she’s smart and funny.)  We fact-checked her advice with a legal expert: Jenifer Bosco, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center.

Who said: Yep, most of Shaunna’s advice totally checks out.

This one’s full of useful tips,and it’s fun, so please pass it around. Debt collectors are out in force, and as you’ll hear in this episode, they can be super-unscrupulous. But, as you’ll also learn: We’ve got rights. Scroll down for some resources….

 

You don’t need to have heard our earlier episode about Shaunna and her story; you can just start right here. (There’s lots of strong language in both this and the previous Shaunna episode, so maybe save them for when the kids aren’t around. Wanna read up right away? Here’s a transcript.)

Meanwhile, here’s a bunch of links to resources:

The National Consumer Law Center, where Jenifer Bosco works, publishes the book Surviving Debt

  • There are chapters on medical debt, dealing with debt collectors, and what to do if you get sued
  • The book is updated every year
  • It’s free to read online at https://library.nclc.org/sd

Consumer-finance expert Gerri Detweiler, who helped fact-check one big question for this episode, has a VERY useful-looking site called Debt Collection Answers.

  • She just published a new article with answers to questions like “Can medical bills be sent to collections if you’re making payments?” (yep) and “How do I dispute a medical bill in collections?
  • There’s another, more-general primer on medical debt/collections, also updated recently.
  • Gerri and co-author Mary Reed offer their e-book Debt Collection Answers as a free download. (It was published in 2015, so it may not be as up-to-date.)

Shaunna’s dealing-with-debt-collectors TikTok videos

Be sure to note Jen Bosco’s legal caveats, but these are great and will get you in a fighting spirit

  1. Rapid-fire advice: They can’t just call whenever they want. There’s a statute of limitations on debt. You can, and should , demand documentation.
  2. If they can’t document that this debt is valid… you’ve got options.
  3. You’re under no obligation to give them any information.
  4. If the debt is valid, BE NICE. Take their calls. You may eventually be able to work out an OK deal.

Send your stories and questions: https://armandalegshow.com/contact/ or call 724 ARM-N-LEG

Support us: https://armandalegshow.com/support/

Reporting on why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it.
More about us →
Logo for Arm & A Leg

Latest Episodes

More stories about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it.
August 7, 2025

A wild health insurance hustle

July 17, 2025

The great American drug shortage isn’t an accident, it’s artificial (from Organized Money)

July 2, 2025

Robots sing: The Prescription Drug Playbook Song

See More

Looking for something specific?

For topic-specific deep dives and recommended reading, start here or use the search bar below to explore our site.

Follow the Podcast

Image

More of our reporting


Starter Packs

Jumping off points: Our best episodes and our best answers to some big questions.

Explore our Starter Packs →

How do I shop for health insurance?

Picking a health insurance plan can be super confusing. Here's our best advice.

Help! I’m stuck with a gigantic medical bill.

Don't freak out. We've laid out tips to help you manage your medical bills.

The prescription drug playbook

The high cost of prescription meds in the US is a crisis: one in four adults say they’ve skipped taking a prescription in the past year because of cost.

Why are my meds so expensive?

Getting your meds shouldn’t feel like mission impossible. Here’s a hand-picked mix of our most practical tips, background stories, and real listener experiences—so you can save money, understand the system, and know you’re not alone.

See All Our Starter Packs

If you don't know where to start or are just getting to know us, we recommend you start here.
Explore All

Logo for First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit

Our newsletter about surviving the health care system, financially.

Explore our First Aid Kits →
August 7, 2025

They thought they bought insurance. Turned out, they had a new “job”

And other insurance nightmares to avoid.
July 25, 2025

Medical debt news update, plus an announcement!

Our new website is here — with a new, useful feature.
July 18, 2025

Why drugs cost so much — and can be hard to even find

Zooming out from our "Prescription Drug Playbook."
July 9, 2025

What’s cooking at An Arm and a Leg

We’re building something we hope you’ll like.
July 2, 2025

A local clinic might have a line on affordable meds

Your mileage may vary, but here’s a roadmap.

See the First Aid Kit Archive

Our most useful tools for surviving the health care system, financially.
Explore All

Get the First Aid Kit Newsletter!

Summing up the practical lessons we've learned about surviving the health care system, financially.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.
Support Us
Contact Us
Follow the Podcast
Image
Find us on Social
  • About Us
  • Listen
  • First Aid Kit Newsletter
  • Starter Packs
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners and Supporters
  • Our Impact
  • Editorial Independence Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
ⓒ 2025 Copyright Public Road Productions
Site by Hafi
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
  • About Us
  • Listen
  • First Aid Kit Newsletter
  • Starter Packs
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners and Supporters
  • Our Impact
  • Editorial Independence Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Manage Cookie Consent

To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Not consenting may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}