我在澳洲竟然被追債

我的租客前幾天跟我在微信裡說，有我的幾封信。我不是很在意，我早已搬家一兩年了，也早早改了地址。這些信估計都是廣告之類的，除了政府的信，特別是council的繳費單外，我大都不會太關注。

這次不一樣，我收到兩封相同的信，都是同一家追債公司發來的。

我實在無法接受，竟然有討債公司，找我追債。

匆匆瀏覽信件後，我終於明白了：去年年底，我週末的一次外出時，自己一時糊塗，在途中等綠燈時，我忍不住用手去關閉手機上運行的導航系統，一時大意，腳下失控，讓車滑行，撞擊上了停在前面的車的後背。

車主下車要了我的駕照，我當時雖然很懊惱，但是看到自己的車沒有任何損害，也就很快淡忘了。

前幾周，我忽然接到一個電話，對方操著印度口音，聲稱是追債公司，說我欠了一家保險公司的錢。我一時激動，粗言暴語，說是騙子。

後來就淡忘了，根本就沒有把這個電話當成一回事。

沒有想到，真的有這麼一家追債公司，是替R保險公司追債的。

一時間，我無法從這一系列的暴風雨衝擊中，回過神來。

很久很久之後，我才定下神來，按照信件的要求，先找自己的保險公司，申報事故。

好在最後期限前，還來得及，否則，這家追債公司，真的會啟動法律程序。

我很懊惱自己，整個程序我都是被動挨打。我根本就不知道自己牽涉到追債公司裡去。

去年的事故早已過去了九個多月了，為什麼保險公司不主動找我，更何況我們是同一家保險公司，也就是說，被撞車主的保險公司也是R公司，我的車也是走的R保險公司。

我已經是R保險公司將近10年的客戶，保兩台車和兩個房屋保險。

這家可惡的R公司，在澳洲是有頭有臉的大公司，在交由追債公司討債之前，為什麼不查查自己內部的數字庫，我也是你們的客戶呀！主動找我，不就解決了這麼一個簡單的事情了嗎，沒什麼要拖至今日，陷我於追債中。

等事情解決好了後，我會退去這家保險公司，另尋一家。

公司跟人與人之間的關係也是如此，一旦失去信任，很難再挽回。

A few days ago, my tenant told me via WeChat that I had some mail. I didn’t pay much attention to it, as I had moved out a year or two year ago and updated my address long ago. I figured the letters were probably just advertisements, and apart from government letters—especially council bills—I don't usually bother with them.

But this time was different. I received two identical letters, both from the same debt collection company.

I was shocked. A debt collection company was chasing me?

After quickly skimming through the letters, I finally understood. Late last year, on a weekend outing, I made a careless mistake. While waiting at a red light, I tried to turn off the navigation system on my phone. In a moment of distraction, my foot slipped, and my car rolled forward, bumping into the rear of the car in front of me.

The driver got out and asked for my license. Although I was annoyed with myself, my car was undamaged, so I quickly forgot about the whole thing.

A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from someone with an Indian accent, claiming to be from a debt collection company, saying I owed money to an insurance company. I got angry and cursed, thinking it was a scam.

I soon forgot about the call and didn’t take it seriously.

To my surprise, it turns out there really was a debt collection company, working on behalf of R Insurance.

I was stunned and couldn’t process the series of events that led to this.

It took me a long time to calm down. As the letter instructed, I contacted my own insurance company to report the accident.

Thankfully, I still had time before the deadline, or else the debt collection company said they would take legal action.

I was frustrated with myself. Throughout this entire process, I had been passive. I had no idea I was involved with a debt collector.

The accident happened over nine months ago. Why didn’t the insurance company contact me sooner? After all, both the other driver and I are insured with the same company, R Insurance.

I've been a customer of R Insurance for almost 10 years, insuring two cars and two homes.

R Insurance is a well-known company in Australia. Before handing this over to a debt collection agency, why didn’t they check their own records and see that I’m one of their customers? If they had just reached out to me, this simple issue could’ve been resolved long ago, without all this unnecessary trouble.

Once this situation is sorted out, I’m going to leave R Insurance and find a new company.

Just like in relationships between people, once trust is lost, it’s hard to get back.