Justice Junction's Bill Collectors - What They Can and Can Not Do!

Tired of the using an answering machine to screen your calls? Tired of Cross Country Bank calling you ten times every single day? Is your boss getting on your case because they keep calling you at work? Well .. tell them to stop, in writing that is! Read the following guildelines for dealing with credit collectors and use the advice given.

There are two types of bill collectors, in house bill collectors and third party. Only third party bill collectors who are hired by collection agengies must adhere to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. However, most companies have adopted the same policy in their collection endevors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices act was passed 1978 by Congress. It was passed to stop third party bill collectors from using unfair, abusive or deceptive means to collect a debt. It also requires that collectors supply certain information to the consumer. The courts have also developed rules which prohibit abusive collection practices. If a collector treats a consumer in an abusive, deceitful or otherwise illegal manner, the consumer may be able to take the bill collector to court.

Things that third part collectors can not do:

Call you on the phone late at night or very early in the morning.

Call you if they know you have an attorney. They must communicate with the attorney instead.

Call you at work if the bill collector knows your employer prohibits such calls.

Use or threaten to do violence or harm to you, a member of your family, your reputation, or property.

Use offensive or abusive language.

Publish or threaten to publish lists of debtors who refuse to pay bills.

Say things about the amount of legal status of any debt that are not true.

Try to collect any money that is not legally owed.

Threaten to put you in jail for failure to pay your debt.

Threaten to take any of your wages, income, or property unless the action threatened is lawful and the bill collector intends to take that action.

Falsely claim to be an attorney.

Use any papers that look like they were made by a court or government office.

Use false or misleading information.

Charge amounts, including interest or fees, unless the law or contract allows for it.

Send the consumer a postcard or envelope that shows to other people that it is a debt collection.

Use any harrassing, abusive, or deceitful means to collect a debt.

This site was last updated on: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:05 AM