No matter how much money you owe, you should know that you have rights against debt collectors, and they have strict rules and regulations that they have to abide by. They have to follow the guidelines set forth by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act which are there to protect debtors from harassment. If a debt collector is contacting you when you told them to stop or if they’re calling you before 8 in the morning and after 9 at night, for instance, then you could have recourse against them. But other things can constitute harassment. Let’s take a look at how you can identify debt collector harassment and what you can legally do if you’re a victim.
Identify Harassment
Before you can have recourse against harassment, you have to know what harassment is in the first place. As we mentioned earlier, debt collection agencies cannot call you before 8 AM and after 9 PM and they cannot make threats of any kind against you. They cannot make repeated calls and you can send them a letter for them to stop contacting you. Once they receive the letter, they are obligated to stop making phone calls and if they continue, then it’s harassment. You can also block them from contacting you at your place of work.
What to do If You Are Getting Harassed
If you’re indeed getting harassed, the most important thing to do is formally tell them to stop and record everything you can. You need to keep a phone log for every time they call you and keep every email and letter they have sent. Try to get as much information as possible about the people you speak to and write down the time and date of the phone calls. Try to document what was said on the phone call as accurately as possible as it will be used to build an eventual case.
Speak with a Credit Attorney
The next step would be to speak with a lawyer or law firm that specializes in these kinds of cases. These law firms know how debt collectors operate and know how to deal with them. Working with an attorney will keep pesky debt collectors off your heels and will help you get compensation as well. If you’re looking for a great team, we suggest you check out Fair Credit attorneys.
A lawyer will also let you know if you have an actual case against the agency. If you do, then they work as a middle person between you and the agency to make the calls stop, or they can deal with them so you can settle your debt. An attorney will also present you with different options in case you want to press action.
Be Honest and Don’t Hide
One thing you shouldn’t do, however, is try to exploit the law to duck your debt. You are still legally obligated to pay that debt and you could put your assets and any guarantors or person that could end up legally responsible for that debt in jeopardy. So, if you want to avoid getting into serious trouble and eventually have the courts involved, try to settle the debt and be as truthful as you can about your situation.
This is all you need to do if you think you’re getting harassed by debt collectors. The most important part is gathering as much evidence as you can, knowing your rights, and assembling a solid team around you.
