subject: How To Stop Being Harassed By A Debt Collector [print this page] It is an old story consumers stop paying debts because they fall on hard times, creditors sell the bad debts to collections companies and debt collectors begin to diligently pursue debtors for the balances they owe plus interest and fees. Unfortunately, these collection practices have been less than humanitarian in the past, which is perhaps why the federal government implemented the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to protect consumers from inappropriate debt collection attempts.
Stopping Collection Attempts
You have the right to stop collection attempts while you are at work by sending a letter in writing to your debt collector demanding that he or she not contact you while you are at work. If you want the collector to stop contacting you altogether, send a letter in writing requesting no further contact. Be sure to make a copy of the letter to keep for yourself and send it via certified mail as proof of your submission.
Keep in mind that forcing a creditor to stop pursuing your for debts does not negate your liability to those debts, and your debt collector may in turn decide to sue you for the balances you owe or otherwise continue reporting the delinquency to the three major credit bureaus. If you are concerned about your ability to repay your debts due to financial strain, you may consider filing bankruptcy to legally relieve you from your obligation to pay, or otherwise work with a debt relief company, such as CreditNowUSA, which works to negotiate the balances you owe to a more affordable amount.
Find Out If Your Debt Collector is Harassing You
Federal law and the Federal Trade Commission prevent creditors from calling you to collect a debt between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Additionally, creditors cannot discuss your debts with anyone other than yourself, your spouse or an attorney hired to represent your financial circumstance. Unfortunately, creditors may contact your friends, family and co-workers for the sole purpose of finding out your whereabouts or contact information.
If, however, your debt collector is not abiding by these terms, or if he or she is threatening you, using profane language, making false statements, or using unfair tactics against you, such as depositing a post-dated check early, you may report him or her to the Federal Trade Commission for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If a judge finds your creditor guilty of harassment, you may be paid a cash retribution for the unfair collection attempts.
For more information, go to Collection Practices at http://www.creditnowusa.com/Collection-Practices
