Outsmarting the crafty debt collectors – FDCPA and your legal consumer rights
No one goes through a fun experience when he falls back on his monthly credit card payments and feels strapped for cash. Credit card debt issues can be tough to manage as the seemingly-attractive plastics carry outrageously high interest rates. If you’re one among such people who is going low on his personal finances and has amassed a huge amount of credit card debt on all his accounts, it is most likely that your accounts will be turned down to collection agencies. Collection calls from persistent debt collectors can make a challenging financial situation all the more stressful and annoying.
While most debt collection agencies abide by the laws that are in practice, yet debt collection scams are on the rise and you need to be aware of some tactics that can help you avoid the harassing debt collection calls. If a credit card company hires a third-party agency to recuperate the delinquencies of their business, they must comply with the FDCPA laws that are in practice within a state. The good news for all the debtors is that they have the laws that can work in favor of them and help them outsmart the crafty debt collectors. Have a look at some of the rules that a debt collector must follow when contacting a debtor for an unpaid credit card bill.
- No early morning or late night calls: According to the FDCPA laws, a debt collector cannot call a debtor after 8.00 p.m in the evening and before 9.00 a.m in the morning. No matter what amount of debts you owe to your creditors, you have the right to a peaceful evening and a peaceful morning. If a collector calls you late in the evening, simply refuse the call.
- No calls at workplace unless you request: Unless you request the debt collectors to call you at your workplace, they can’t do so. Make it clear to the debt collection agency that your employer disapproves such harassing calls while you’re working within the office premises.
- No verbal abuse: As per the clauses of the FDCPA law, a debt collector can verbally abuse a debtor for not repaying his unpaid credit card bills. He must also not threaten the debtor and falsely imply that you’ve committed a crime by failing to pay back your high interest debts.
- No contacting friends and relating the same situation: The debt collector cannot contact your friends and family members and tell them about your distressed financial situation. If they do so, they’ll be breaking the rules of the FDCPA and you can easily complain against them. If they call your family members or your friends, they can only do so for taking your phone number or address.
- A written notice on debt on request: If the debtor requests for a written request, a debt collector will be bound by the rules to provide you with the same within 5 days of contacting you. He has to mention the amount of money that you owe your creditors and their names.
- Honor a request of no further contact: If the debtor sends a letter requesting the debt collector to stop any further contact, he must abide by it. You have to send this letter just after 30 days you get the letter initiating the debt collection process.
If you owe an overwhelmingly large amount of credit card debt, it is always better to repay them by managing your personal finances. Remember that a legitimate debt will never run away simply if you stop getting calls from debt collectors. Thus, take the necessary steps to repay your debts and all such kind of harassing behavior.