How Do You Tell a Bill Collector To Not Call You?
Once you fall behind on debt payments, you may begin to receive phone calls from bill collectors seeking payment on the money you owe. If these calls become too cumbersome and stressful, there are a couple of methods you can use to eliminate them. Either work out a plan to repay the debt in smaller installments or write a cease and desist letter, which will legally obligate the collector to stop calling you.
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Instructions
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Cease and Desist Letter
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Write a cease and desist letter to the company trying to collect a bill. In your letter note that under provisions of Public Law 95-109, Section 805-C, otherwise known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are asking them to cease and desist attempts to collect the debt.
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Request in the note that no derogatory information be placed on any of your credit reports after the receipt of the letter, as is required by the FDCPA.
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Send the letter certified mail with return receipt requested to verify that the company has gotten a copy of the letter.
Pro Rata Plan
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Create a pro rata debt list that shows all the debts you owe and the payoff amounts on each. Use these numbers to calculate the total percentage of debt each item on the list accounts for your total debt. For example, if you owe $2,000 on a credit card and your total debt is $10,000, the card account for 20 percent of your debt.
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Develop a budget that lists your total income and expenses to determine how much disposable income you have. Use this number to determine how much you will pay toward each debt. If you have $300 in disposable income you would put $60 (or 20 percent) toward the payment of your credit card debt each month.
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Send the pro rata debt plan and budget to each of your creditors each month with your payment. This should help ease some of the pressure that bill collectors put on you, according to financial guru Dave Ramsey.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not use a cease and desist letter unless the circumstances are dire. If you stop communications with your creditors, you greatly increase your chances of being sued to collect the debt.
