- The law that governs consumer rights in debt collection is called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and it covers debt a person or household might owe for car payments, health care and other consumer credit. According to the law, debt collectors cannot deceive or harass or otherwise abuse debtors while trying to collect a debt.
- Debt collectors must say who they are on the phone, and cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. They cannot call you at work without your permission, and cannot make repeated phone calls within a short period, lie about your debt, or threatening you with prison or other impossible punishments. If you ask them in writing to stop calling, they must stop.
- If a collection agency violates the law, document as much of their activities as you can. Some states allow consumers to tape phone calls. Then file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, by mail or on line. Also send a copy of your complaint to the consumer protection agency of your state, as well as the creditor on whose behalf the debt collector works. If the violations are extreme enough, you might have grounds to sue the collection agency and your creditor in small claims or another court.
previous post