Stress from Debt Collectors
Anyone who is in debt knows that a debt collector is capable of bringing more stress than the debt itself brings. Such practices are not a habit with these people. These people may have purchased your debt from the original lender at a lower price and are now trying to recover the money for a profit.
They may be getting paid a poor salary for doing so, however. They are in most cases, only paid commissions on the money that they manage to recover. Under the circumstances, they will make every attempt to recover the money from you. In the process, they will either make mistakes or go against the law.
You should understand your rights when dealing with a debt collector. Instances have come to light where people have been harassed for debts that did not belong to them. Because they knew about their rights, they have gone against these debt collectors and won judgments against them. These are the things you should be aware off.
Do you know about your Basic Rights
First of all, you must understand that a debt collector may only contact you between the hours of 8 AM and 9 PM; not before or after. They may contact your employer to get your residential address verified once. You are free to act against them if they insist on doing so consistently.
They are not allowed to contact your neighbors in relation to your debt. Make sure that you maintain a log of all contacts made, along with the time, for your records. You can request that the debt collector stop sending you written correspondence. However, you will have to do this by sending a letter yourself. Keep your records updated with a copy of the letter. If action in the form of a lawsuit is sought after by them against you, they may contact you in writing.
Are you Sure the Debt is Yours
If you have felt that you have been wrongly targeted for debt, you do have the right to ask for proof or validation that the existing debt is yours.
After you receive the notice you have 30 days to make this request. The debt collector is required to provide you with the name of the original lender, the amount owed and your name on the lender’s documents. However, there is no time limit that is set for which a reply has to be sent. Debt collectors are required to provide all information about their companies. They must give you the information about who they are collecting the money for and the outstanding amount they are trying to collect. Debt collectors cannot resort to threats or represent themselves in a misleading manner in any circumstances.
They do not have the right to take the law into their own hands. You can go ahead and inform them to stop all contact if you have a lawyer representing your case. They may not pass on any information that is not true about themselves or discuss your case with people not associated with the debt. If you feel that you have been unfairly treated, you have a right to make a complaint with the attorney general of your state and take legal action against the debt collector for harassment.
