If you have not paid back a loan or debt, the creditor who provided you with the initial loan may pass it off to a debt collector or collections agency. Continuing to ignore the issue can lead to a lawsuit and an eventual court order to pay back what you owe. Ultimately, the end result could be wage garnishment—when the debt is taken directly out of your wages before you even get your paycheck.
Clearly, it’s important to be proactive about your debt. However, you still have rights that ought to be respected by debt collectors and agencies. At Sue the Collector, we make it our job to help people who have been harassed, robocalled, or otherwise unfairly treated by people or businesses going after the repayment of a debt. We can help you with a FREE consultation to discuss the details of your specific case.
To schedule your meeting with a member of our team, simply call our office at (866) 768-6005. You can also reach us by filling out the form on our contact page. Together, we can hold debt collectors accountable for their behavior and pursue proper compensation for any instances of harassment or abuse.
Restrictions on Debt Collectors
Debt collection agencies do not have a license to pursue repayment in whatever means they desire. They must abide by strict rules that are designed to protect the rights of consumers like you. For instance, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) dictates acceptable, legal ways that debt collectors can pursue repayment. Below are a few highlights from the FDCPA.
Timing of Calls
Collectors violate your rights by calling at certain particularly inconvenient times. They are forbidden from contacting you except for:
- After 8:00 a.m.
- Before 9:00 p.m.
If you have received debt collection calls during the night, you likely have a case for compensation.
Content of Calls
Furthermore, debt collectors are restricted regarding what they are allowed to say to you. A collector or collection agency CANNOT engage in any of the following behaviors:
- Threatening you with harm or property damage
- Lying about the status of your debt
- Lying about the amount you owe
- Falsely threatening to take legal action against you
- Insinuating threats with “escalation” language (i.e., phrases such as “our lawyers will be happy to learn that you aren’t being compliant.”)
- Using derogatory language, swear words, or slurs in conversation with you
Recipients of Calls
Other parts of the law define who debt collectors are allowed to contact, and for what purposes. For example, they are prohibited from calling your family or friends to elicit contact information from them if they are already aware of your contact information. They are also barred from calling you at work if they know or have been told that you are not allowed to receive personal phone calls.
Violating any of these restrictions may qualify you for reimbursement. At Sue the Collector, we can help you bring lawsuits against these bad actors and get the compensation you deserve.
Additional Legal Protection
The FDCPA is not the only bit of legislation that protects consumers’ rights. Other laws can come into effect in your case, depending on the specific details of your lawsuit. For example, the Fair Credit Reporting Act may come into play.
Your credit score can seriously impact your ability to make purchases, get loans, and get ahead in life. As such, particular legal attention has been given to protecting the integrity of the credit reporting process. Debt collectors are barred from giving false or misleading information about your debt to credit reporting agencies, and those agencies are legally obligated to remove any false information they find in your report.
If you believe that a debt collector or collection agency has retaliated against you by providing false information on your credit report, get in touch with Sue the Collector today. This is a serious violation of the law and of your rights, and you deserve justice.
Schedule a FREE Consultation on Your Debt Collection Issue
Don’t just ignore a debt collector, but don’t let them run your life either. Just as you legally have an obligation to eventually pay back your debt, collectors have certain rules by which they must operate. Violations of your rights can lead to significant compensation, such as:
- $1,000 for harassment behaviors
- $1,500 for each illegal robocall you are subjected to
Schedule a FREE consultation with the team at Sue the Collector so that we can better assess how we can help you get justice. Call our office today by dialing (866) 768-6005, or fill out the easy-to-use form on our contact page and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
