Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How to Stop Receiving Collection Agency Calls

How to Stop Receiving Collection Agency Calls

Collection agencies often call morning, noon and night, making it difficult to complete common tasks due to these constant phone calls. Even if you do owe the debt, you should not be harassed by credit agencies, and you can take steps to stop the harassing phone calls. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), collection agencies are not allowed to call before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. local time; and if they do, they are in violation of the Fair Credit Act.

Instructions

    1

    Inform the collection agency, during the phone conversation, that you no longer wish to receive collection calls at work, home or on your cell phone. Request that the only communication you receive from the company will be in writing. Ask for the agent's name and the company contact information when you talk to the collection agency so that you can record whom you talked to.

    2

    Tell the next agent who calls from the same collection company that you are keeping track of this further violation of your rights.

    3

    Ask the caller for her name, and record the name and time she called. Ask for a company address so that you can put your request in writing. According to the FTC, once you tell the collection company to stop calling and that you are sending a notice in writing, the company is required to stop calling. Make detailed notes in the letter that you write, documenting how many times they called in a day, the agents who called you and the information they gave you in the letter.

    4

    Write the collection agency and state that they need to stop the harassing phone calls at work, home and on your cell phone. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse website, if you state that all communications from the collection companies should come in writing or you will refuse to communicate with them, the agencies are required to comply.

    5

    Advise the collection agency in your letter that you plan to document any violations of this request and that you will take the matter to your lawyer if they do not cease and desist from calling you. According to the FTC, the collection company is required to agree to your desired form of communication once you have sent it in writing.

    6

    Send the letter via certified mail and keep a copy for your records. Write down each time the agency calls after you have sent the letter and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

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