As you may be aware, debt collectors have a negative reputation for being rude, crude, and down right obnoxious. Not every debt collector is taking part in debt harassment, but as the old saying goes, “a few rotten apples ruin the entire barrel.” It’s a good thing that the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA for short, was enacted in order to protect your rights. The bottom line is that debt collectors are not allowed to partake in overly annoying and or abusive behaviors in order to attempt to collect debt, however many debt collectors ignore the law.
For example, they may pretend to work for a government agency, even though the FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from pretending to work for any government agency. This includes law enforcement. Debt collectors cannot claim that they are working for a consumer reporting agency or credit reporting agency either. Debt collectors are not allowed to try to publicly shame you into paying money that you owe. In fact, they’re not even allowed to contact you by postcard. They can’t publish the names of people who owe money in any manner.
They can’t even discuss the matter with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney. Debt collectors are permitted to contact third parties to try to track you down, but they’re only allowed to ask those people for your address, home phone number, and place of employment. In most cases, they may not contact those people more than once. In addition, Collection agencies cannot falsely claim that you have committed a crime or say you will be arrested if you don’t repay the money they say you owe them. In fact, they can’t issue arrest warrants or have you put in jail.
Furthermore, failing to repay a credit card debt, mortgage, car loan, or medical bill in a timely manner doesn’t land you in jail or prison. However, it may land you in court. Yes, they can sue you. If you fail to appear the judge can issue a warrant for your arrest. Some debt collectors knowingly or unknowingly rely on incorrect information to try to get money out of you. This is not allowed under the FDCPA. The creditor you originally owed money too may have sold your debt to a collection agency, which in turn may have sold it to another collection agency. A mistake somewhere along the way could mean that the collector contacting you has incorrect information.
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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