Dealing with Debt Collectors: Know Your Rights and Theirs

Debt collectors are notorious for some of their sneaky tactics used to collect debts from customers. Many debts are time-barred, discharged in bankruptcy or invalid for other reasons, and those debt collectors have no actual right to ask you for your money.

Many debt collectors use unfair practices in an attempt to collect a debt. Debt collectors often make empty threats about debts they cannot actually force you to pay. Debt collectors call at all hours to harass alleged debtors and sometimes harass people about debts that they do not even owe.

By law, debt collectors cannot harass you or threaten to sue or ruin your credit.

Upon your request, debt collectors must provide you with written details about the bill, additional charges, and the business that sent the bill to collections.

Debt collectors are more than willing to push the legal envelope because experience shows that many people will pay at least a portion of what they owe if someone harasses them enough and scare them into submission.

Collectors are just trying to make their money since most are paid by commission or bonus. One of the main reasons debt collectors are so darn persistent and aggressive at times is money. Commissions for debt collectors are based on what they do each month, you may want to try negotiating near the end of the month for valid debt collections.

NEVER do 'checks by phone' as debt collectors could empty your bank account, because you have gave them permission to get into your bank account.

Every day, millions of Americans receive intimidating phone calls. Federal laws give you rights that protect you from such calls. They cannot call you before 8am or after 9pm, or call you at work in most states if they know that call can get you fired.

They cannot harass you, but calling repeatedly, dominate, or abuse you. Bill collectors may not lie to you or falsely imply that you have committed a crime. Lastly, they cannot conceal his or her identity on the phone with you

Fighting Back

When you want to stop calls from debt collectors, it must be communicated to them in writing, so send a simple Cease and Desist Letter asking them to stop.

You should gather and organize all the information you can about the debt, as well as the collection efforts of any past or current collectors who contacted you. File all collection letters and keep detailed notes of collection calls in a notebook. If they disregard a written request from you to cease further contact, make sure you write it in your notebook.

Contact your lawyer, who is better equipped to handle these debt collectors.

Some material for this article was found at this web site.