I am having issues with someone that says they are an attorney and that they work with a payday company called Cash Advance America. I was harassed by a business who kept calling me about another persons debt. Next, demand that the collector send you a letter that proves the debt exists and belongs to you. And the One account I do have with JG Wentworth? Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. If bill collectors seeking your relative are harassing you, take notes of the number of calls, what they say and that you told them to stop. I am being thritened by a collection company for a payday looan back in 2012. Until you mail that written request, however, debt collectors have the right to call you in an attempt to collect the money you owe. They continue to call. She is always getting calls. Collectors may not harass you or lie when they try to collect a debt. I don't want some thief to figure a way to get into my income. Even if a debt collector stops calling, the debt is still there, … So, feeling backed into a corner, we filled out the application. Send a letter to stop debt collectors from calling. Sometimes this can be done over the phone, but if you are greeted by an automatic menu system it can be difficult to get … Regardless, you still need to make a commitment to pay your debt to end any kind of harrasment, even through mail. A debt collector has to send you that information within five days of … If you've not contacted us before, call us (free from all landlines and mobiles) for expert debt help, or take two minutes to answer a few simple … That number is . Get the name of the collector and the collection company, its address, and phone number. For this reason, … As long as the autodialer calls are not to your cell phone then they have done nothing wrong. When people are sued by a debt buyer or debt collector over an old debt, rather than show up and defend themselves they stick their head in the sand and lose by default. This is a great question. HI i have been receiving phone calls on a daily basis from this man saying i owe the money well he has not sent me nothing in the mail i have a sked him for his address becuse it just dont seem right to me he will not give me his address and told me the excuse that the last person they gave address to a employerr got beat up well then i have asked him for his professional license number and he totally voided to answer that ? Under federal law, debt collectors are usually prohibited from contacting a third party more than one time. 2. I called Castle Rock back and had them look up my account and they said I could just make regular payments to them. Please report this to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. You might even think that there is no way to stop debt collector calls, and the only option is to endure these calls until the debt is resolved. Because debt collectors can be aggressive with everyone, you are within your rights to call the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and report their tactics to stop the harassment. If so how much do you not owe and is it fraud? Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. When to make a complaint about a debt collector. Stop the Collection Calls! Sounds like you got scammed by a "company" pretending to be a legitimate debt collector. It will stop the solicitation by phone (which is unlawful to begin with) and force the credit collectors to do it the proper way, using registered mail. Debt collectors are required to abide by a federal law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Stopping Collection Calls 1. I have even spoken with the Supervisor of the billing department twice and both times she assured me she would resolve the issue. Voicemails as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have another medical debt collector who placed my Deceased Mothers bills on mine because I was her Power of Attorney when she was alive. Fortunately, there is a better way - one that lets you keep your number without having to deal with such calls. even asked to speak to a supervisor but was told there wasn't one available. If they don’t wish to be recorded then they shouldn’t call my number. Click here to register to the National Do Not Call Registry: I'm having issues with up to 12 noticed a day of "checks" being sent to me to accellerate my structured settlement income from a lawsuit which is supposed to be a lifetime thing. The debt collection law says every debt collector must send you a written “validation notice” that says how much money you owe. You can add the new number to the Do Not Call list to reduce some calls. They should know who they’re calling. Written communications work in your favor because it gives you a record of everything that is said. If you don't make your debt payments, a debt collector may contact you to collect money that you owe on a … I've asked them to change the due date but they won't. The letter would state that the collector should cease and desist further communication with you. How do I stop these calls? Ask the debt collector to stop calling I will have to get her to write a certified letter and get the creditors to stop calling. Debt collectors are allowed to contact you in person, by mail (except post card), and by telephone, telegram, or fax. I know I'm doing wrong by avoiding them and am really considering talking to them but I need to work up the patience to do so since they are not the friendliest people. We expect participants to treat each other and the bloggers with respect. Can I take legal action against Discover Bank & Smith,Debnam for violating my rights as a U.S. Citizen or should the U.S. Justice Department take Discover Bank & Smith, Debnam to court? "Debt Collection FAQs." You can stop debt collectors from calling you by simply telling them that you prefer to communicate with them in writing. I'm trying to figure out a way to finish remodel of lake TH I bought with my Ex for $30K 20 years ago but I can't find a decent crew to do the work. 200.00 collections from over 20 yrs ago, not on my crddit or affecting me adversely in any way- hadn't recieved a call from them until I called them to work out a settlement offer for my sister. It is irritating to me. Engage an attorney to represent you. This FTC article about debt collection explains that generally a debt collector may contact other people – but only to find out the address, home phone number, and workplace of the person who owes the debt. Send this letter certified mail with a return receipt and keep a copy of the letter and receipt for your records. Unfortunately, Caller ID is no longer a legitimate way to screen calls. By refusing to state your name they have no idea if you are the person they are looking for and cannot tell you what the call is for. Giving a debt collector the benefit of the doubt may be too generous, but calling you at work could be an honest mistake. You should not post your phone number on public forums. Is there a "form" letter out there anywhere that might help with writing a formal notice to stop calling the work number? I thought they could only call every so many days?? No anonymous person is going to get my info. Shortly after I received my new phone through safe link I started receiving numerous calls from debt collectors asking for the same person every time. For example, a debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree to it. Which I have never heard of. I explained to them that a POA is NOT responsible to PAY a persons debts from their own pocket but they seem to not understand this. Thought you had to have a court order to tap a phone. You can also contact your state Attorney General’s office. When Debt Collectors Contact You About Another's Debt. Here’s what you can do to stop collection calls: What if you’re getting vague messages that you suspect might be from a collections agency? They continually tell me they are going to remove my phone number but then the next day I receive another call. I'm not even 50 yet, how can I stop this? sent me emails saying that they were going to press charges against me if I didn't pay. I block one number they call from another. A cease and desist letter can stop collection calls in these cases too.. If you can talk with any of the callers, you can tell them about the number change and to stop calling you. My attorney and I have sent three Cease and Desist letters to the various collection companies and they continue to pass the debt, which is not mine, to other companies. Did you try answering the phone? After that, the collector is required to send you letters to … If there isn't enough money in the estate to cover the debt, it typically goes unpaid. I have 2 maybe 3 questions. I need help correcting a mistake I made when trying to register for the do not call registry. We will not post comments that do not comply with our commenting policy. I have called them several times and have told them that they are going to get me fired. Simpson, I’m calling … U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Comments submitted to this blog become part of the public domain. Now that I have asked them not to call me at work they call and let the phone ring one time and hang up. Contacting them did no good. Don’t recognize that debt? So my husband said no, we can't and the lady wanted us to go get a loan to pay them off and then said if we were not going to do that then she threatened to send the entire balance to collections. 5 The letter only applies to third-party financial obligation collectors who are working on behalf of the business you initially created the debt with. Under the law, you can stop a debt collector from calling you simply by sending what’s known as … I don’t call people without asking to speak to the person the call is intended for. This FTC article about debts and deceased relatives may have information you can use. Ridiculous right? Calls from debt collectors can make your life miserable when you're already pretty miserable from being in so much debt. Debt collectors will keep calling even after the bank stops. I continue to get calls from Meritrust credit union. Thankfully, there is another federal law that regulates debt collection calls: the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Those other numbers are scammers and I do not want them calling me again. Fraud, deceptive practices, EFT theft, violating Federal Banking laws. You don't want to provide the collector with useful collection … By using The Balance, you accept our. 3. That would be threatening, misleading, and harassing. So, if a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to get the story. In short: answer the phone, figure out why they think you owe money. A legitimate debt collector must send you a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. Most reputable credit counselors are non-profit and offer services at local offices, online, or on the phone. I do keep up with the times they called and delete the numbers. You must stop calling me.” If the debt collectors keep calling you, you should do the following. If you have a complaint about a lawyer, you can contact your state bar association and the bar association in the lawyer's home state. Debt collectors are strictly regulated in how they collect debts from consumers.. One common consumer complaint is that a debt collector is contacting a consumer’s place of work, family, or friends, in an attempt to collect a debt. They made it illegal unless the debt collectors get the person's permission or consent (and keep it). If you work with them on limiting calls by setting up dates for them to check in (where you again, answer the phone) and they continue calling you relentlessly anyways, then they have harassed you and you could potentially sue them. Get Collection Agencies to Stop Calling by Asking in Writing If you discover that the debt the collection agency is calling about indeed belongs to you, one way you can get a collection agency to stop calling is to request in writing that they only communicate with you in writing. He also informed me that I could not talk to anyone about these arrangement and that they had my phone tapped?? The easiest way to stop collection calls is to pay your debt, but you need to be careful when doing so. It can help sometimes, but scammers are "spoofing" calls and can make the Caller ID say anything they want it to say. Unless there’re breaking the law! You will never get anywhere like that. I'm just trying to protect my identity from thieves right now. How to deal with debt collectors. If you don’t want a debt collector to contact you, the FDCPA allows you to make a written request to stop all communications (commonly referred to as a cease and desist letter). They violate the law if they continue to contact you for contact information even after you have told them what you know. My bills are in North Carolina and Tennessee. The attorney?? I have medical debt collectors that call me EVERYDAY several times a day and leave me messages. Debt collectors are not telemarketers and are not bound by Do not call registries. "Collection Cease and Desist Letters: The Unintended Consequences." She demanded that we fill out a charity care application (their way of getting all your financial information) we said no thanks, we dont want charity, we want to continue paying our bill as we have been. I said I could try to send $1500 if I could get an advance so he said okay. In a nutshell, a debt management plan — DMP — puts a reliable, professional, experienced liaison between you and your creditors, and, because the … If they want to talk to bad enough, then there will be a real person on the phone when I answer. If you don’t want the collector to contact you again, ask for the collector’s mailing address and tell them – in writing – to stop contacting you. The law does allow debt collectors to contact a third-party to get a phone number, address, and employment information, but they can only contact a specific third-party once and they cannot reveal any information about the debt. This is a moderated blog; we review all comments before they are posted. The notice must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money. Did you establish a follow up date for your next phone call? If you have questions about whether you are legally obligated to pay a deceased person's debts from your own assets, talk to a lawyer. You Sent a Cease and Desist, But the Collector Still Calls. It’s possible the debt collector called your office by mistake because he was given the wrong contact information. A visit from a debt collector is a sign that you need debt help. If this happens, inform him that you are not permitted to take calls at work and follow up with a certified letter to reinforce the … I may be late but I make the payment every month. Follow these instructions to stop calls from debt collectors. Collection Cease and Desist Letters: The Unintended Consequences. When I filed the complaint with the CFPB, Discover Bank & Smith,Debnam,... filed a judgement against me because I complained. He kept telling me if I didn't pay within an hour I would call the police. For example, they cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time. If a debt collector wants to get a hold of me, then it should be a law that they use proper caller ID and no recorded msg when you answer the phone. Don’t worry—there’s a way out and a proper way to get collection agencies to stop harassing you. You have the right to make this request, thanks to the FDCPA. My aunt has been dealing with debt collectors for some time. I kept trying to get the individual off of the phone, but the individual kept pushing towards the Debt I finally hung up on the individual. Here’s what to do. your rights when you deal with debt collectors. If you don't want a debt collector to contact you again, write a letter to the debt collector saying so. If you are the attorney, spouse, or parent or guardian of a minor who owes debt, the collectors are allowed to contact you. If you don't want a debt collector to contact you again, write a letter to the debt collector saying so. I have given them his employer information and the last known cell number he has. I realized after I confirmed those 3 numbers that they wanted my phone number. What kind of letter do you need? People who have recently changed their phone numbers are often plagued with calls from collectors trying to reach that number's previous owner. Congress knows that people hate this. Make the First Move. I have fought tooth and nail to stop the harassment calls, including attorney involvement. Accessed Feb. 10, 2020. When debt collectors can call you. This FTC article explains more about your rights when a debt collector calls. Here’s what you need to do if you want to put a stop to debt collector calls. Your Attorney General’s office can help you determine your rights under your state’s law. Contact a lawyer… Here’s what to do. Ask them for their address over the phone, so you can send … This will provide proof that the letter was sent and received. The information you give will go into a database that law enforcement uses for investigations. What to Do When a Debt Collector Calls 1. The surest method to stop debt collectors from calling you is by sending what is referred to as a cease and desist letter – credit repair. The surest method to stop debt collectors from calling you is by sending what is referred to as a cease and desist letter – credit repair. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives you the power to stop debt collection calls and letters. He said I had one hour to make a payment of $600 which needed to be sent Money gram. Want to Stop Debt Collection Harassment Now? Accessed Feb. 10, 2020. Instead, you should send a cease and desist letter as if the debt were yours. There are four primary ways you can stop debt collectors from calling: Ask the debt collector to stop calling you. He has been gone for over two years and I received three calls over the weekend and i explained to all of them that he is no longer there and hasn't been. If you continue to receive these calls … So if a debt collector is calling you at work, you’re legally allowed to tell them to stop. Which i did n't pay mistake? be careful when doing so get. Ring once harassing you … make the first ring after you have when. Desist further communication with you time for a letter to collector to contact you any more with 20... 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