Debt Collection Calls, Do They Ever End?

When you are experiencing financial difficulties and your bills pile up, the last thing you need is another debt collector calling. It seems as though creditors are relentless in their efforts to collect on a debt, and many of their actions can even be abusive.

As the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on debt collection practices, many people are fighting back. In fact, some may be surprised to know exactly how many rights they have in handling the collection efforts of creditors.

Putting Your Foot Down

It is not uncommon for creditors to call your home, send letters to your home or even knock on the door. With the advancement in technology many creditors have begun to call people’s mobile phones or send text messages. Many of these collection attempts may even be automated  “robo-calls”, where a computer sends out repeated calls to a mobile phone.

Fortunately, these “robo-calls”, along with many other abusive and harassing actions, are prohibited by the FTC as debt collection practices.  The problem is that many people simply don’t know how to prevent these actions.

If you are experiencing abusive or harassing debt collection practices, you can take action by:

Contacting Your Creditor Directly

Make a formal request with your creditor to stop collection practices while you negotiate a repayment plan.  Many creditors are willing to work with debtors to develop a repayment plan and halt third-party collection attempts.

Contacting The Federal Trade Commission

Make a formal complaint against creditors that refuse to negotiate a repayment plan or stop collection practices. Reporting a creditor should only be done after a legitimate attempt has been made to contact and negotiate with the creditor directly.

Contacting A Bankruptcy Attorney

Filing for bankruptcy can immediately halt all collection attempts by issuing an automatic stay, which prohibits creditors from contacting the debtor once they have entered bankruptcy. Bankruptcy can prevent collection efforts and wage garnishments, while a debt repayment or elimination plan is developed.