 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Creditor Questions How may a debt collector contact you? A collector can contact you in person, by mail, telephone, or fax. However they may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree. A debt collector may not contact you at work if the collector is aware that your employer disapproves. Can you stop a debt collector from contacting you? You can stop a collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the collection agency telling them to stop. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify you that the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some specific action. May a debt collector contact anyone else about your debt? If you have an attorney, the debt collector can contact the attorney, rather then you. If you do not have an attorney, a collector may contact other people, but ONLY to find out where you are, what your phone number is, and where you work. Collectors are usually prohibited from contacting these third parties more then once. What must the debt collector tell you about the debt? Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector MUST send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe; the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money; and what actions to take if you believe you do not owe the money. May a debt collector continue to contact you if you believe you do not owe money? A collector may not contact you if, within 30 days after you receive the written notice, you send the collection agency a letter stating you do not owe money. However, a collector can renew collection activities if you are sent proof of the debt, such as a copy of a bill for the amount owed. What types of debt collection practices are prohibited? HARASSMENT. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third party they contact. This includes repeatedly using the telephone to simply annoy someone. |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
