Five Little Known Facts About Debt Collectors' Rights
If you still owe money on debts, you may already know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, also called the FDCPA, says that you have the right to demand that debt collectors use certain ethical debt collection practices.
The FDCPA outlines when and how debt collectors can contact you, and what they can say to you in order to collect a debt. For example, a bill collector cannot lie to you in any way, or misrepresent the facts about your debt. This Act was created as a result of a long history of abuses by debt collectors. What you may not know about the FDCPA, though, is that bill collectors have rights, too.
The first is that they have the right to communicate with you to let you know that you owe a debt. They can communicate with you via telephone or by letter. In this phone call or letter, they can tell you exactly how much you owe, including any fees or penalties.
Second, they have the right to contact you until you let them know in writing that you don't owe them money, that you don't owe as much as they say, or that you demand that they provide verification that you owe the debt. Of course, under the FDCPA, they're limited in when and how they can communicate with you, but if they stay within the rules of the FDCPA, they can keep contacting you until you tell them to stop.
Third, if that debt collector is actually the creditor to whom the money is owed, or an in-house agency owned by the creditor, they can continue to contact you even if you request that they stop contacting you. This is because the FDCPA does not recognize creditors as debt collectors, so they are not subject to the same rules as collectors are. Of course, they still have to abide by the rules of decent behavior outlined in the law, such as not harassing people you know, or calling at all hours of the night.
Fourth, a debt collector has the right to contact others about your debt. They can only do this once, though, and they can only do it to find out your address, your telephone number, or the place where you work. They are, however, prohibited from contacting any third party multiple times, because that would be harassment.
Lastly, debt collectors have the right to sue you in court to collect a debt from you. Of course, you can defend yourself in court, but if the judge decides against you, you may have your wages garnished to repay the debt.
When dealing with debt collectors, make sure that you know your rights under the law. But also make sure that you know the rights that the law gives to debt collectors. This knowledge can help you to better deal with them when and if they become a problem. - 23208
The FDCPA outlines when and how debt collectors can contact you, and what they can say to you in order to collect a debt. For example, a bill collector cannot lie to you in any way, or misrepresent the facts about your debt. This Act was created as a result of a long history of abuses by debt collectors. What you may not know about the FDCPA, though, is that bill collectors have rights, too.
The first is that they have the right to communicate with you to let you know that you owe a debt. They can communicate with you via telephone or by letter. In this phone call or letter, they can tell you exactly how much you owe, including any fees or penalties.
Second, they have the right to contact you until you let them know in writing that you don't owe them money, that you don't owe as much as they say, or that you demand that they provide verification that you owe the debt. Of course, under the FDCPA, they're limited in when and how they can communicate with you, but if they stay within the rules of the FDCPA, they can keep contacting you until you tell them to stop.
Third, if that debt collector is actually the creditor to whom the money is owed, or an in-house agency owned by the creditor, they can continue to contact you even if you request that they stop contacting you. This is because the FDCPA does not recognize creditors as debt collectors, so they are not subject to the same rules as collectors are. Of course, they still have to abide by the rules of decent behavior outlined in the law, such as not harassing people you know, or calling at all hours of the night.
Fourth, a debt collector has the right to contact others about your debt. They can only do this once, though, and they can only do it to find out your address, your telephone number, or the place where you work. They are, however, prohibited from contacting any third party multiple times, because that would be harassment.
Lastly, debt collectors have the right to sue you in court to collect a debt from you. Of course, you can defend yourself in court, but if the judge decides against you, you may have your wages garnished to repay the debt.
When dealing with debt collectors, make sure that you know your rights under the law. But also make sure that you know the rights that the law gives to debt collectors. This knowledge can help you to better deal with them when and if they become a problem. - 23208
About the Author:
Sean Payne is loves to talk about getting out of debt. After paying off his own debt, he devoted over a decade to discovering the easiest way to pay off debt, and keeping your cool while dealing with debt collectors. To learn more about debt collectors' rights, and what you can do to preserve your peace and quiet, check out his excellent debt reduction course.
posted by X - Men @ 7:02 AM
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