Just as you are getting ready to relax after a long day at work, your phone rings for what seems to be the tenth time today. It is a debt collector calling again about a debt that you don’t even owe. Even worse is the fact that the debt collector harasses you every time that you pick up the phone. Don’t worry. You’re not alone.
According to Money, debt collection harassment is shockingly common. Although debt collectors are supposed to stop calling once they receive an official request to stop communicating with a consumer, they often don’t stop. In fact, Money found that 75 percent of consumers that have asked for the calls to stop keep getting harassed by collectors.
Debt collection is responsible for more consumer complaints than any other financial service or product. That is no surprise given the amount of harassment that consumers have suffered from collectors.
According to the survey by Money, 40 percent of people received more than four calls a week from debt collectors, and they sometimes called at all hours. This is illegal under federal laws. If this is happening to you, there are ways to make it stop.
You don’t have to put up with these unfair debt collection attempts. There are federal laws in place to protect you against this practice.
What Are Some Of The Most Common FDCPA Violations?
As a consumer, the very first thing that you want to do in fighting debt collectors harassment is to familiarize yourself with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA. Then you will see exactly how the law protects you.
The FDCPA was established to protect consumers from unethical debt collection practices. FDCPA laws prohibit debt collectors from using inappropriate methods to collect a debt.
Under the FDCPA, you have the right to send a letter to a collector asking them to stop calling you. Once you mail this letter to them, they have to stop calling you. The law also bars creditors or debt collectors from using shady debt collection practices to try to manipulate you into paying.
Examples of inappropriate or unfair collection practices include:
- Calling repeatedly after you have asked them to stop.
- Threatening to publish information about your debt.
- Harass or embarrass you on social media.
- Threaten to harm you if you don’t pay.
- Tell you that you will go to jail for not paying the debt.
- Calling you offensive names or using obscene language.
- Pursue you for debt that is not yours.
- Call you all hours of the day and night. Debt collectors cannot call before 8 AM or after 9 PM.
- Impersonating a law enforcement officer.
- Calling you at work after you inform the collector that you can’t take calls at your workplace.
If you are experiencing any of the above forms of abuse from debt collectors, ask them to stop. Make sure that you put the request in writing and send it to them certified mail so that you have proof that you mailed it.
Next, keep detailed notes of every single call. Make sure you note:
- The time of day of the call.
- The telephone number.
- The name of the agency.
- The representative’s name.
- Notes of what was said.
After asking the collector to stop calling you and taking notes, contact an experienced FDCPA attorney.
No More Unfair Debt Collection Calls – Call an FDCPA Attorney
You have rights. Don’t let a debt collector push you around. And don’t ignore debt collector phone calls. The problem will not go away. If debt collectors are not confronted and told to stop, they will just keep calling. You have the right to sue for compensation if you have been a victim of any of the above FDCPA violations.
With an FDCPA attorney on your side, dealing with debt collectors is easy. Once you hire an attorney, the collector is not allowed to call you anymore under FDCPA laws. They must communicate directly with your lawyer.
A lawyer can help you recover statutory damages of up to $1,000. If the collector uses a robocaller to harass you, you might be awarded as much as $1500 per telephone call.
Call (323) 842-1582 if you want to get help with stopping unfair debt collection attempts.
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