Do you remember the feeling you get when a letter from a bill collector shows up in the mail? The queasy feeling you get in your guts when you're told that you owe money that you are unable to repay? And later on, when the phone calls and letters hound you for money that you don't have?
It's time to turn the tables. It's time to learn your rights and to exercise them.
A Federal law known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (also known as the FDCPA) tells you exactly what a debt collector can and can't do to collect a debt from you. The FDCPA puts hard limits on exactly how a debt collector can contact you.
An example of what a debt collector can't do is to call you at work, unless they're doing it to find out a telephone number to call you at your house. They're also not allowed to inform other people, such as your employer, about any debts that you owe.
Also, debt collectors can't call you or continue to contact you if you tell them that they aren't to do so anymore. That's what we're going to learn to do.
The magic debt collector letter consists of two parts:
The first thing is your identifying information. This includes your name, address, account number of the debt that the bill collector is trying to collect on, and any other information that they need to identify you.
The second thing is to tell them that you want them to cease communicating with you in any way.
These two steps are all that the FDCPA requires from you in order to keep the debt collector from further harassment. The only way the debt collector is allowed to contact you in the future is to let you know that they will stop contacting you, and if they intend to pursue legal action to collect on the debt.
When sending this letter, it's wise to send it via certified mail with delivery receipt requested. This means that when the letter is delivered to the debt collection agent, you'll receive notification that is now in their hands. Make sure to save this receipt to prove that the letter was actually delivered to the collection agent.
According to the FDCPA, if the bill collector contacts you in the future in violation of the law, you have the right to report the bill collector to the FTC. The FTC is the Federal Agency that enforces the FDCPA. Once you have notified the FTC of the bill collector's violation of the law, they can pursue legal action against the bill collector.
Be aware that even after you notify the bill collector of your wish not to be contacted, they still have the option of pursuing legal action against you. This letter is only intended to shield you from being harassed by bill collectors. It cannot protect you against a lawsuit filed by the bill collectors in an attempt to collect on a debt. - 29866
It's time to turn the tables. It's time to learn your rights and to exercise them.
A Federal law known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (also known as the FDCPA) tells you exactly what a debt collector can and can't do to collect a debt from you. The FDCPA puts hard limits on exactly how a debt collector can contact you.
An example of what a debt collector can't do is to call you at work, unless they're doing it to find out a telephone number to call you at your house. They're also not allowed to inform other people, such as your employer, about any debts that you owe.
Also, debt collectors can't call you or continue to contact you if you tell them that they aren't to do so anymore. That's what we're going to learn to do.
The magic debt collector letter consists of two parts:
The first thing is your identifying information. This includes your name, address, account number of the debt that the bill collector is trying to collect on, and any other information that they need to identify you.
The second thing is to tell them that you want them to cease communicating with you in any way.
These two steps are all that the FDCPA requires from you in order to keep the debt collector from further harassment. The only way the debt collector is allowed to contact you in the future is to let you know that they will stop contacting you, and if they intend to pursue legal action to collect on the debt.
When sending this letter, it's wise to send it via certified mail with delivery receipt requested. This means that when the letter is delivered to the debt collection agent, you'll receive notification that is now in their hands. Make sure to save this receipt to prove that the letter was actually delivered to the collection agent.
According to the FDCPA, if the bill collector contacts you in the future in violation of the law, you have the right to report the bill collector to the FTC. The FTC is the Federal Agency that enforces the FDCPA. Once you have notified the FTC of the bill collector's violation of the law, they can pursue legal action against the bill collector.
Be aware that even after you notify the bill collector of your wish not to be contacted, they still have the option of pursuing legal action against you. This letter is only intended to shield you from being harassed by bill collectors. It cannot protect you against a lawsuit filed by the bill collectors in an attempt to collect on a debt. - 29866
About the Author:
Sean Payne can tell you a lot about how to get out of debt. After more than a decade of dealing with his own debt problems, he has developed a powerful strategy to stop bill collectors calling. You can discover his secrets for getting out of debt at his debt payoff tips website.
