Debt collectors must abide by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), an act enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. This act classifies certain practices, behaviors and actions as illegal and harmful to the person these collectors have targeted.
In order to fully protect yourself from debt collector harassment, it is important to understand what this harassment can look like. You must understand what the FDCPA can provide protection from, too.
Can a debt collector call 24/7?
The Federal Trade Commission examines information about debt collectors, along with frequently asked questions. First, how and when can debt collectors get in touch with you? They can contact you through most means, such as text, email, written correspondence and over the phone. However, when it comes to phone calls, they cannot call between the hours of 9 P.M. and 8 A.M. unless you give them express permission to do so.
Measures of privacy protection
Debt collectors must also abide by some measure of privacy-keeping. They can contact people you know in order to get information like your workplace and phone number. However, they should not discuss matters of your debt with anyone other than you and your spouse.
Know you can also control which debts your payments apply to. A debt collector cannot apply your payments to debts that you say you do not owe, nor can they select the debt to repay on your behalf or force you to choose a specific debt to repay first.
Consider seeking legal aid as you go through this process. They can counsel you and ensure your debt collection agent is not overstepping their bounds.
