How to Get Debt Collectors to Stop Calling
It's emotionally wearing to be struggling financially and then cope with harrassing bill collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act places some limits on their behavior. Here's the Federal Trade Commission's advice on how to apply this to your situation.
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Instructions
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Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe. The notice should also include the name of the creditor that you owe the money to and what you should do if you think you do not owe the money.
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Within thirty days of receiving the written notice, send a letter to the collection agency stating that you do not owe the money. This only works if the debt is a mistake or already paid. The collector is not allowed to contact you after that unless they can send you proof of the debt. This could be a copy of the bill for the amount you owe.
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If you owe the debt, but want to stop the collector from contacting you, take this step. Write a letter to the collector telling them to stop contacting you.
Once the collector gets the letter, they are not to contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to inform you of a specific action. When you send this letter, it does not make the debt go away. The debt collector or your original creditor can still sue you. -
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Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General's office and the Federal Trade Commission. Many states have their own debt collection laws, and your Attorney General' s office can help you determine your rights.
To file a complaint go to the website listed below or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). It's a free call.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have an attorney, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you.
If you do not have an attorney, a collector is allowed to contact other people to find out your address, phone number and where you work. They should not call these people repeatedly.
In most cases, the collector may not tell anyone other than you and your attorney that you owe money.
Resources
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Comments
View all 6 Comments-
eliptica
Feb 16, 2009
Ahhh I hate debt collectors. Thanks for the article
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maryellen1001
Jan 30, 2009
Great article. Very good information.
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SharonJeanne
Jan 21, 2009
This is very important information in todays tough financial times to help get debt collectors to stop calling you. 5*!
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Gail Martin
Jan 20, 2009
If you do owe the debt, you can tell them you can and will pay a certain ammount each month, usually a small amount that you can afford. Then do it and you will be left in peace.
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angel920
Jan 19, 2009
Good info. Thanks!
