Some collection agencies will do whatever it takes to get you to pay your overdue bills, even if the practice is illegal. As a debtor, you have certain rights, and you must do what it takes to protect those rights. This means that you must report illegal practices when they happen. Not only does this protect your rights, but youre also helping thousands of other debtors that may come in contact with the collection agency.
Instructions
- 1
Make note of the date and time in which the illegal practice took place. The organizations you report the illegal practices to will need this information for their records.
2Write down everything that happened. It doesnt matter how small the illegal practice is; you must write down everything. The more information you can provide, the better. If the caller used explicit language, write it down. If he made threats, write it down. All of this information can be used against the collection agency should it be taken to court.
3Report the collection agency to the Federal Trade Commission. When you report illegal practices to the Federal Trade Commission, it can compare your report to others on file. If the collection agency is performing illegal practices with other debtors, the FTC will begin to see a pattern. This provides enough information to be able to investigate, and even prosecute, the collection agency.
4File a report with the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau collects reports from consumers. It uses these reports to better inform other consumers of which companies they need to avoid. The Better Business Bureau will also contact the company to resolve the issue. Most of the time, this is enough to make the collection agency stop contacting you.
5Call the police. If the collection agency is performing illegal practices that involve threats, its time to get the police involved. Call the police and give them all the information you have collected. You will also need to give them phone numbers and addresses of the company.
0 comments:
Post a Comment