Good Samaritans in Australia are coming forward with reports about how they are being contacted by debt collectors after calling for ambulance services for others. One woman, who called for an ambulance after seeing a homeless man get hit by a car, received two calls from a collection agency seeking payment for the unpaid ambulance bill.
The ambulance company forwarded the woman’s phone number — which it had by virtue of her calling for the ambulance — to the collection agency, which then contacted the woman. The company called her once on her home line and then again on her mobile phone. After going to the media with her situation, the news outlet contacted the ambulance company, who agreed that individuals like her should not be billed for the trip. Individuals like the woman should be applauded for stepping up to help others in emergencies, the ambulance company said.
The woman is claiming it was a breach of her privacy for the ambulance company to forward her phone number to the collection agency.
