Unfortunately for many, debt collection harassment is unavoidable – bills pile up and the phone calls start and seemingly never end. With careful management and some assistance, it is easy to end this cycle of nuisance.
Most creditors outsource to collection agencies to enforce payment through traditional methods like phone calls and letters. When that doesn’t work, the collection agencies resort to other tactics. It comes in many forms, from threatening legal action and wage garnishment to downright verbal abuse.
Before becoming the victim of debt collection harassment, try to work with your creditor. Avoid having your debt reported to a collection agency by calling your creditor and explaining that you are under financial duress, but understand your obligations. Attempt to negotiate a payment plan to end your debt with your creditor.
There are many online tools and calculators that you can use to establish a time frame of when you will be debt-free. With realistic milestones in place, you can in turn, give your creditor a guarantee that you are actively working to end your debt and will ensure regular payments in the future.
If you are already experiencing debt collectors harassment, you can send a letter to the collections agency asking them to cease communications with you. American consumers are protected from this trouble by federal law after a collection agency has been written a cease letter. Be sure to keep a copy of this letter for your own records.
In the worst-case scenario, if the problem does not cease, you can pursue legal action against collection agencies. Consumers have increasingly found that a cease letter needs to be paired with threat of legal action for harassment to end. Consumers that are represented by a lawyer are protected from debt collectors harassment and agencies must end contact as long as your lawyer responds to the collection agency’s inquiries.
Another resource for those in debt is, to seek the assistance of a debt consolidation firm. With counseling and guidance, a consumer can not only make a plan to eliminate their current debt, but will also gain the education to prevent getting into future debt.
With a debt consolidation firm, you will have just one debt-carrying bill to pay each month instead of several. This will give you opportunity to get your finances back on track and perhaps even put money aside each month for savings. A debt consolidation company can also work with your creditor to make sure that the harassing phone calls and threatening letters are all but eliminated. Again, because you are only dealing with one company—who is working to help you eliminate debt—you will no longer have to dodge phone calls from collection agencies.
The Federal Fair Debt collection Practices Act protects American consumers from being abused and harassed by debt collectors. If you feel that you are a victim of severe debt collection harassment, take action and fight back.
