Creditor harassment is something that no one should have to deal with. It is unfair to you to have to worry about a creditor calling you at all hours or threatening you with vulgarity.
There are many things that creditors cannot do when trying to collect on a debt. Among them are a few common tactics that some bad collection agencies use, such as threatening to have you arrested if you don’t pay or trying to get you to pay debt that you no longer owe.
Know what creditors can and cannot do to protect yourself
Creditors are not allowed to shame you publicly, continue calling you after you ask them to stop, or harass you in other ways. Some of the common mistakes collections agents make that could lead to you having a lawsuit against them include:
- Calling you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. without permission.
- Calling you at work when you’ve already written to ask them not to.
- Threaten you with violence or harm.
- Use vulgarity or obscene language.
- Contact you, if you have forbid it in writing. In that case, they can only reach out to your attorney.
While there are some exceptions, such as one allowing creditors to contact you if a lawsuit is filed, most of these protections keep you safe from unnecessary harassment.
There are in-house debt collectors who aren’t subject to the FDCPA
You should keep in mind that in-house debt collectors aren’t necessarily subject to the FDCPA, which means that they aren’t stopped from doing the above things through this particular act.
However, if the original creditor sells your debt or hires a collection agency, then those two kinds of collectors are subject the rules in the FDCPA. Violating them could give you the right to seek compensation for them violating federal law.
If you’re in debt, there are options that can help
If you are dealing with heavy debt and are being harassed by creditors, there are steps you can take to help yourself. You may want to look into the FDCPA and getting further legal support for your case.