How to Respond to Debt Harassment
From the first correspondence to the last, make sure you take notes of every conversation, record it if possible. If the debt collector turns into a debt harasser, the more evidence you have, the stronger your case will be. From the start make sure the collector is following the guidelines in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Some of which include:
- Only calling between 8am and 9pm.
- Only calling a person’s residence.
- Using a professional tone, no physical threats, name calling, profanity or obscene language.
- No threats of arrest or imprisonment for not paying the debt.
- Not calling in excess in an attempt to harass, intimidate, or annoy the debtor.
- Not misrepresenting who they are, or what is within their scope of power.
Many times a debt collector will follow these rules, and there will be no problems. In fact, often those being collected upon are thankful that the debt collector was courteous and able to help them out of their financial hole. Unfortunately, debt harassment is a very real issue too. In fact, debt collections made up over 200,000 of the complaints fielded by the FTC in 2013.
If you find yourself on the receiving end of the harassment, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with an attorney from . They will help you in your quest to not only deter the debt harasser, but you may also be entitled to compensation.
Since the debt harasser is not following the legal guidelines in the first place, they will most likely not heed the law that states they are only allowed to contact your attorney, and not you. After you have hired legal representation, keep records of all contact that is directed toward you instead of your attorney. Then notify your attorney immediately after any contact has been made.
Contact Phillips Dayes
The debt collections industry is more than a $50 billion dollar industry. The professional debt collectors make up a big portion of the industry and play an important role in the US economy. Unfortunately, there are those who do not follow the laws, and they end up causing harm to those in debt. If you live in Arizona or Utah, and you have been harassed by a debt collector, Fill out the contact form on this page, or call 1-800-917-4000 right away to schedule your free initial consultation with an attorney.