STEP 2: REVIEW YOUR RIGHTS


Do to the unfortunate economic conditions, debt and debt collection activity is very high. It is an additional misfortune that some debt collection agencies use tactics that are abusive, harassing, or violative of your rights – and the law. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was put in place to combat abusive debt collection activity by debt collection agencies (bill collectors). It does not matter if you owe a past due debt, if your rights have been violated, you can receive up to $1,000 under the FDCPA. You do not have to put up with telephone harassment or any other debt collection abuse. Review your rights, be informed, and get help in Step 3 if your rights have been violated!


COMMON VIOLATIONS OF THE ACT:


  • Repeated excessive calls (including computerized automated calls) from a debt collector.  It does not matter if they are just causing your phone to ring, leaving messages, or talking to you.
  • Debt collectors can not inform most third parties that you owe a debt.
  • Debt collectors must not call you before 8:00am or after 9:00pm.
  • A debt collector must not fail to identify themselves when calling you or a third party about you.
  • A debt collector is prohibited from engaging in any conduct a normal person would find to be harassing, oppressive, or abusive. This includes making of any type of threats (including threats to "garnish your wages"), cursing, harassing telephone calls, etc.
  • A debt collector may not call your work after knowing or having reason to know that your employer has forbidden such calls.
  • A debt collector may not continue to make collection efforts until after 30-days if you have demanded in writing that they provide proof of the debt and information on the original creditor.
  • A debt collector can not send you something in the mail in which reference to a debt is printed on the outside of the envelope.
  • A debt collector may not use any false representation or otherwise deceptive means to collect a debt or obtain information about you.

Note: There are limited exceptions to some of the debt collection activity as provided above. Contact an FDCPA attorney (see Step 3) to determine whether a violation of the Act has occurred under your particular circumstances.

STEP 1: MAKE A SELECTION


If you are not the person that the debt collectors (bill collectors) are calling for, click here to find out how to STOP THE CALLS. Any victim of debt collector TELEPHONE HARASSMENT has the right to recover up to $1,000 as stated in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. It does not matter if you don’t know the person they are calling for or if they are your friend, family member, roommate, etc.

OR

Proceed to Step 2 to review your consumer rights if you are the person the debt collectors are trying to reach, regardless whether you owe the debt, don’t owe the debt, or are unsure. If a debt collector has violated any of your many rights under the FDCPA, you may recover up to $1,000 You do not have to pay any past due debts to be eligible for compensation as a victim of debt collection violations.

STEP 3: TAKE ACTION IF YOUR RIGHTS
HAVE BEEN VIOLATED


If you have determined that your rights have been violated or think they might have been, proceed to contact an FDCPA consumer protection attorney and recover up to $1,000 under federal law. The harassing calls or other violation(s) will be stopped. The FDCPA attorneys listed below will represent you in FDCPA violation cases without billing any legal fees to you. The FDCPA provides that attorney's fees may be recovered from the violating collection company if necessary to exert your rights. The reason for this is to allow victims to obtain legal help without cost. You have nothing to lose by getting legal help. You may receive up to $1,000 or not, but you won't pay for your legal help.

The following FDCPA consumer attorneys provide representation without charging you (fees recovered from the collection company at no charge to you):


CENTENNIAL LAW OFFICES
Submit a DEBT COLLECTION VIOLATION REPORT to get immediate assistance from an FDCPA attorney. We will stop debt collection harassment. (You will pay nothing for this service).

DC.