Credit Card Debt Relief Tips To Stop Debt Collector Harassment
Mounting credit card bills is a massive problem in the American society. Many people fall behind in their payments and end up becoming prey to debt collection agencies. Creditors and the debt collectors engaged by them resort to mean methods while trying to collect the payment from debtors.
Whether you owe a debt or not a debt collector must employ fair methods to collect the debt from you. The collection tactics employed by the debt collectors often cross the borders of fair collection practices. The aggressive approaches employed by the debt collectors are considered as illegal and punishable under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
Many consumers are not aware of the FDCPA and bear with the harassment of debt collectors. The Act is designed to protect consumers from debt harassment tactics.
The Act prohibits the debt collectors from harassing you by calling you repeatedly and at inconvenient times. The debt collectors do have a right to call you but cannot harass you by calling late at night or early in the morning or calling more than three times a week. If you don't wish to be contacted, you must inform the debt collectors in writing and they must stop. Also if you have engaged an attorney to represent you the debt collector should contact your attorney.
Calling repeatedly combined with abusive and profane language is a big crime and severely punishable under the FDCPA. They cannot threaten you with garnishment of wages or legal action that is not meant. Unless you have signed your home or car as collateral, debt collectors cannot threaten you to attach your home or car.
The debt collectors harass you because they are assured of your lack of knowledge of the FDCPA rights. If you engage an FDCPA attorney you have a fair chance of settling the case in your favor.