If you have a debt or multiple debts that have gone unpaid for a while, chances are high that the creditor has sent your account to a professional debt collection company. When that happens, the original creditor is no longer responsible for collecting the money that you owed them. That responsibility now falls on the debt collector. By the way collection agency are another phrase for debt collector. There is a big difference when a debt collector has your account instead of the original creditor. The creditor is not in the business of collecting debts.
They are in the business of selling products and or services to consumers or to other businesses. On the other hand, collection agencies are in the business of collecting debts. The collection agents do this for a living, which means they may be a bit more aggressive in their collections efforts than the original creditor. Some collection companies are so aggressive that they are actually committing debt harassment. That basically means that they are breaking the laws of debt collection as set forth by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA for short. The FDCPA is a set of rules and regulations that debt collectors must follow.
It was enacted to in order to protect consumers from the overly aggressive tactics that far too many collection agencies used and continue to use to this day. The good news is that if a debt collector violates the FDCPA, you can sue them in a court of law for any damages that they caused you. That’s why it’s important for you to know the facts about debt harassment. For example, a debt collector can’t call you repeatedly at work if your boss doesn’t allow it. They can’t falsely threaten to sue you or take your house if you don’t pay up on old credit card bills. When first contacting consumers, debt collectors need to inform you of your rights to dispute the debt.
This is referred to as the “mini-Miranda” disclosure information, which is actually a reference to the Miranda rights statement law enforcement officers must give prior to arresting criminal suspects. In addition, the must inform of you about the amount of the debt, the name of the original creditor, and that the debt is considered to be valid unless you dispute it within 30 days. The debt collector also needs to state that you can ask for a verification of the debt. The debt collector can provide you with this information over the phone, or must send it to you in writing within five (5) days of the first phone call, email, or text message.
If you feel that you are being treated unfairly by a creditor or collection agency, please contact us immediately. Legal Rights Advocates, Inc. is a consumer advocate law firm that focuses on consumer rights protection services across the Unites States. We have well over twenty-five (25) years of combined experience helping consumers that are experiencing Debt Collector Harassment, Social Security Disability issues, and a whole lot more. LRA is truly your consumer rights advocate. We take great pride in the fact that our job is to protect you from deceptive and or abusive debt collection practices.
LRA is an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, and we have well over 500 Five Star Rating Reviews online from across the United States. Our goal is to assist you each and every step of the way regarding your rights for consumer protection. Please call us today for more information at 855-254-7841 or click here to visit our website. We look forward to working with you.
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