by Amanda Froelich, True Activist
The host of Last Week Tonight and his team set out to expose the shady practices of debt collectors and ended up forgiving 9,000 peoples’ medical expenses in the process.
Recently, on a segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the host and his team exposed the shady practices of debt collectors and, in the process, ended up protecting 9,000 people from annoying, harassing - and even illegal - agency calls and letters.
Oliver first began by explaining that companies are willing to sell old, uncollected debts for next to nothing. This is because the debt is actually expired and, in effect, people are no longer required by law to pay it. Debt collectors know that and pursue it anyways, because when a debtor makes a payment, all their debt is back on the table.
It’s a dirty business, which is why the television host did what he does best: he exposed it in humorous - and mind-blowing - fashion.