Law and Personal Finance

In 1977, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has been implemented to protect the consumer right from illegal collection practices. The Act has been amended by the Congress several times although it has been amended recently in 2006. The FDCPA has been imposed to put an end to the illegal collection practices, abuse and deception in order to retrieve the owed amount. Therefore, it is advisable to enroll in a debt consolidation programs in order to avoid threatening collection calls. So if you are not aware of this Act then you can read here to get complete information on it.

1. The FDCPA will cover the debt collection practices of the collection industry until debt has been collected. When the debt collector tries to find information regarding you then he cannot disclose your financial fact while finding details about you from other people. The debt collectors can send an enclosed letter to the debtor so that no one is aware of the financial situation of the debtor.
2. You can take legal action against the debt collectors if you receive collection calls after 9 p.m. and before 8 a.m. You should remember that the debt collector cannot contact you at work if your employer does not entertain such calls. The debt collectors are not allowed to disclose the financial details of the debtor to his relatives and friends. If you give a written notification to the debt collectors to cease communication then he will be forced to stop correspondence.
3. The debt collector cannot use offensive language or threaten you with violence while giving a collection call. Remember that the debt collector cannot publish your name in the list of the debtors and he can’t even harass you for collecting the debt. The debt collector cannot disguise himself as government officials in order to collect the debt. You can lodge complaint against the debt collector if you find he is misrepresenting information in order to collect the debt.

Therefore, if the creditors are found to be violating the FDCP Act then you can lodge complaint against them. The official body will take stern action against them so that the debt collectors abide by the law.