How Do I Report Harrassent by Collection Agencies?
You may have fallen behind on payments for mortgages, credit cards, cars or other bills, and are receiving harassing phone calls from a collection agency. Collection agencies are hired by creditors to collect money owed to them. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was initiated in 1977 by the U.S. government's Federal Trade Commission to help prevent collection agencies from using abusive and deceptive tactics to collect money owed by you. They are also not permitted to call your home before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Stop the harassment of collection agencies by learning how to report them for violating the law.
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Instructions
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Write a letter to the collection agency and tell them to stop contacting you. Make sure to keep a copy of the letter. Send the original by certified mail to the collection agency and ask for a return receipt as proof that the collection agency received it. Once the collection agency receives your letter, they are required by law to not contact you again, except to inform you if a lawsuit has been filed.
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Register a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, since it often takes action against the most egregious collection agency offenders. Go to the FTC website at ftc.gov and file a complaint online by clicking "Consumer Protection" and then "File a Complaint."
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Contact your state's current attorney general to learn your state's collection laws. Write a detailed letter to the attorney general if you feel the debt collector has violated state law. Include in your complaint letter all the collection agency's behavior that violates the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act and the laws in your state.
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File an ethics complaint with the American Collectors Association, which is a national organization made up of member collection agencies. Register your complaint through the American Collectors Association website at acainternational.org.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep a careful record of each of the phone calls by the debt collection agency, including the names of the individual debt collectors. Maintain detailed notes of the content of all conversations and any threats or other verbal abuse made by the debt collectors.
