Debt Collectors Have to Follow Special Rules
The intent of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is to stop debt harassment. It was added to the Consumer Credit Protection Act in 1978. It restricts bill collectors from using certain collection techniques that are considered harrassment.
You can learn more about the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act – FDCPA – and how it protects you from debt harassment by visiting FairDebtHelpers.com for a free evaluation of your case by an experienced fair debt attorney.
First, the FDCPA limits the ways that bill collectors can contact people. It is illegal to call before 8 am or after 9 pm. It is also illegal to call places of employment after being told that the employer doesn’t allow it. Debtors must also be informed that they can dispute the debt.
Upon receiving notification of the right to dispute the debt, the consumer may request verification of the debt within 30 days. The bill collector’s response must contain the amount owed and the creditor’s name and address. They may not use profanity, or call repeatedly with intent to annoy, abuse, oppress, or harass.
Bill collectors are restricted in telling third parties about the debt. Specifically, they may only give information about the debt to the consumer’s attorney or spouse. They may not contribute consumer information to a “bad debt” blacklist. Debt collectors may also not send debt collection notices on post cards, or mark envelopes as a debt collection notice.
In bad cases of harassment, attorneys get involved in debt collection issues. If the case does go to court, it must be either where the consumer signed the contract, or where he or she lives.
If a person has a good case under the FDCPA, the person being harassed can threaten to sue. In some cases that is enough to change the behavior of the debt collection. Such action may also lead to the debt collection agency writing off the entire debt in order not to be sued and possibly lose their license.
Learn more about the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act – FDCPA – and how it protects you from debt harassment. Visit FairDebtHelpers.com for a free evaluation of your case by an experienced fair debt attorney – http://www.fairdebthelpers.com
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