My first question is Is there any difference between a Discover Card and a Visa Card? Looking forward for any answer. My other question... I'm from Massachusetts, where I've heard that the courts are supposed to be consumer friendly. I had to bring something to court today and had some time so (out of curiosity), sat in the small claims session for a while..

There were 2 lawyers sitting up in the front who answered for all the cases that didn't have a lawyer present. Before the magistrate came into the room, they were calling up people to have them just sign a form and agree to the amount and make payments in installments. When the clerk called the list, the people who didn't show up received a default judgment (and there were quite a few)! There were a lot of cases for Midland, Portfolio and Arrow and people didn't show up and got default judgments. When I was there, with the exception of 1, all others signed a settlement..

The one who did want their hearing questioned the validity of the debt. Claimed they had sent a dispute to the collection agency who did not provide any info to them. Provided copies of 2 signed letters sent requesting the info. Well, the attorney for the collector just had a printout of charges and an unsigned letter that supposedly came from the person - stating they acknowledge the debt and agree to make payments. The person stated they did not send that letter. Well, the magistrate said that the collection agency did not have to provide any info to the person and said the unsigned letter the collection agency attorney had was the more credible document! I was sitting there in disbelief! When the person said that under the federal laws that when a debt is disputed that the other person needs to provide proof it is their debt, the magistrate brushed them off.

Told the person it was only $400-something, so just pay it!.

I left the courtroom and the guy came out, totally bewildered about the whole process. I stopped him and told him I could not believe what I just saw, but that he did have appeal rights (check the form when it comes in the mail). He said basically this magistrate said that any lawyer can send someone a letter stating they are collecting for anyone and they owe this much and pay it and there's nothing one can do! Though I did agree with him in this case, that's what the magistrate did, he should come onto this board and read, read, read! The guy said he would probably just pay it to get it out of the way, but was worried he would have a judgment on his credit report..

Apparently the spotlight the Boston Globe did a few years ago on debt collectors in MA and how magistrates in courts just push through the cases without requiring proof and the courts' promises to not do that any longer has fallen by the wayside...