Monday, March 8, 2010

Debt Collector Harassment

Googled a random phone number and found a site where a poster had posted some good advice. The bulk of it appears to have been taken from the Federal Trade Commission website, but as long as it's correct, then a big thank you to the poster.

None of the links have been verified or scanned at all. Please, as always, investigate at your own risk.


File complaints with

Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

Your State Attorney General is in every state they have offices
Link to all State Attorney General Websites www.naag.org

If you or they are located in NY – use this SPECIAL Link www.NYDebtHelp.com

Also report your calls and contacts with debt collectors at http://www.budhibbs.com/index.html
If the company is listed under agencies – report there. If not on the list YET, click on Watchlist! and add to the list.
You can also post here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum2/index.php?board=2.0

Dealing with Debt Collectors http://www.budhibbs.com/start.html

Statute of Limitations by State – always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm

Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Websitehttp://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm

From Federal Trade Commission Website –
FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
If you’re behind in paying your bills, or a creditor’s records mistakenly make it appear that you are, a debt collector may be contacting you.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Here are some questions and answers about your rights under the Act.

What types of debts are covered?T
he Act covers personal, family, and household debts, including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill, and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn’t cover debts you incurred to run a business.

Can a debt collector contact me any time or any place?
No. A debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night, unless you agree to it. And collectors may not contact you at work if they’re told (orally or in writing) that you’re not allowed to get calls there.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter – even if you don’t think you owe the debt, can’t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don’t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector – in writing – to stop contacting you. Here’s how to do that:Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a “return receipt” so you’ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?
If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don’t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people – but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney.

What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?
Every collector must send you a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don’t think you owe the money.

Can a debt collector keep contacting me if I don’t think I owe any money?
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don’t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact.
For example, they may not:
  • use threats of violence or harm;
  • publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies);
  • use obscene or profane language; or
  • repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt.

For example, they may not:

  • falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
  • falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
  • falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
  • misrepresent the amount you owe;
  • indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren’t; or
  • indicate that papers they send to you aren’t legal forms if they are.

Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that:

  • you will be arrested if you don’t pay your debt;
  • they’ll seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages unless they are permitted by law to take the action and intend to do so; or
  • legal action will be taken against you, if doing so would be illegal or if they don’t intend to take the action.

Debt collectors may not:

  • give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company;
  • send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn’t; or
  • use a false company name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt.

For example, they may not:

  • try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt – or your state law – allows the charge;
  • deposit a post-dated check early;
  • take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or
  • contact you by postcard.

Can I control which debts my payments apply to?

Yes. If a debt collector is trying to collect more than one debt from you, the collector must apply any payment you make to the debt you select. Equally important, a debt collector may not apply a payment to a debt you don’t think you owe.

Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages?

If you don’t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, like your bank, to turn over funds from your account to pay the debt.

Wage garnishment happens when your employer withholds part of your compensation to pay your debts. Your wages usually can be garnished only as the result of a court order. Don’t ignore a lawsuit summons. If you do, you lose the opportunity to fight a wage garnishment.

Can federal benefits be garnished?

Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:

  • Social Security Benefits
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
  • Veterans’ Benefits
  • Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
  • Service Members’ Pay
  • Military Annuities and Survivors’ Benefits
  • Student Assistance
  • Railroad Retirement Benefits
  • Merchant Seamen Wages
  • Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Death and Disability Benefits
  • Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits
  • Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance

But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Do I have any recourse if I think a debt collector has violated the law?

You have the right to sue a collector in a state or federal court within one year from the date the law was violated. If you win, the judge can require the collector to pay you for any damages you can prove you suffered because of the illegal collection practices, like lost wages and medical bills. The judge can require the debt collector to pay you up to $1,000, even if you can’t prove that you suffered actual damages. You also can be reimbursed for your attorney’s fees and court costs. A group of people also may sue a debt collector as part of a class action lawsuit and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector’s net worth, whichever amount is lower. Even if a debt collector violates the FDCPA in trying to collect a debt, the debt does not go away if you owe it.

What should I do if a debt collector sues me?

If a debt collector files a lawsuit against you to collect a debt, respond to the lawsuit, either personally or through your lawyer, by the date specified in the court papers to preserve your rights.

Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?

Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General’s office (www.naag.org) and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov). Many states have their own debt collection laws that are different from the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your Attorney General’s office can help you determine your rights under your state’s law.

For More InformationTo learn more about debt collection and other credit-related issues, visit www.ftc.gov/credit and MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government’s portal to financial education.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

i truly love all your writing taste, very useful,
don't quit as well as keep posting as a result it just that is worth to read it,
impatient to look over even more of your current content, good bye :)

Anonymous said...

GypDbf [url=http://www.outletmonclerspacciopiumini.com/]Moncler Piumini[/url] SeyQky http://www.outletmonclerspacciopiumini.com/

DvzFdp [url=http://www.vnikefree.com/]Nike Sko[/url] EfbAyf http://www.vnikefree.com/

WvuCfa [url=http://www.outletmonclerspaccio.com/] Moncler Spaccio[/url] PatMtk http://www.outletmonclerspaccio.com/

FhoKlz [url=http://www.Jakker2canadagoose.com/]Canada Goose Parka[/url] KwfZby http://www.Jakker2canadagoose.com/

PvmKzq [url=http://www.parkajakker4canadagoose.com/]Canada Goose From Canada[/url] IdvZme http://www.parkajakker4canadagoose.com/

BteXxt [url=http://www.jakke2canadagoose.com/]Goose Jakker[/url] TzyFlh http://www.jakke2canadagoose.com/

LwtFwn [url=http://www.canadagoosefromcanada.com/]Canada Goose From Canada[/url] DpgXiu http://www.canadagoosefromcanada.com/

Anonymous said...

When we think about the meaning of the saying really like, installing comparison to its an intimate romance together with a further, nevertheless to be a emotion that is engendered when you have miltchmonkey a much better partnership on your own also : or simply like a sense of more significant unity with the family or simply man ( blank ) then it results in being all the more crystal clear that every one everyone needs to have is certainly really like.

Debt Collector Harassment Chicago said...

I think people can avoid debt collector harassment all together if they are responsible enough to pay for their standing balance.

Anonymous said...

During last season's Toronto Fashion Week, the folks at Mercedes Benz Start Up generously handed over the reins to their Twitter account to me to live tweet the finale of their inaugural, nationwide fashion design competition. http://www.lateuggboots.com Bradley Cooper is a Philadelphia born actor. http://www.manyghdhair.com The high school aged students are still running with the dark colored gothic look or the dark and torn-up grunge look. north face The reason is that, in its original spot, it interrupts the cliffhanger ending between and New Guy, and although that worked fine when it first aired because of the months in between each episode, it flows much better back-to-back when watched chronologically, and this is the spot where it fits in. http://www.softuggboots.com Everyone loves Coricraft furniture.

Anonymous said...

It is a great accessory for parties. ghd hair Appirio . north face outlet Roku also better watch themselves. ghd iv styling set Your boss and co-workers don know what you don tell them.. ghd scarlet collection Because the sections are painted onto a foil, the color saturation is even from roots to end, creating a consistent streak throughout..

Anonymous said...

This is the last point I will make. north face Also, if you a regular Stanford student that makes a few mistakes now and then, you should probably keep reading.. http://www.lateuggboots.com Nomiya Space is a rectangular glass box about the size of a shipping container. ghd hair straightener Death Monument near Blake unmarked grave in London On the day of his death, Blake worked relentlessly on his Dante series. ghd dark They function better than any eye make up.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it ;
) I will revisit once again since i have book-marked it.
Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue
to help other people.

My website; oakley frogskins fake

Anonymous said...

I love what you guys tend to be up too. This type
of clever work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I've incorporated you guys to blogroll.

My blog post ... ray ban australia

Anonymous said...

I am really thankful to the owner of this website who has
shared this great piece of writing at at this place.


Also visit my homepage; cheap nike free run
my page: cheap nike free run

Anonymous said...

Thank you, I've just been searching for information about this subject for a while and yours is the best I have discovered so far. However, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you positive in regards to the source?

Also visit my web page :: fake ray bans

Anonymous said...

I write a leave a response when I like a post on a blog
or I have something to add to the conversation.
It's triggered by the sincerness displayed in the post I looked at. And after this article "Debt Collector Harassment". I was actually excited enough to post a comment ;-) I do have some questions for you if you do not mind. Is it simply me or does it look like like some of these responses appear as if they are coming from brain dead folks? :-P And, if you are writing at other online sites, I'd like to keep up with you.

Would you list every one of all your shared pages like your linkedin profile, Facebook page
or twitter feed?

Also visit my page - cheap mac makeup

Anonymous said...

Your method of telling the whole thing in this article is actually
pleasant, every one can effortlessly be aware of it, Thanks
a lot.

Also visit my weblog; fake ray ban sunglasses