We’ve all missed a credit card payment at some point. Life gets busy and we forget, right? What if you’ve missed a few payments, your accounts are now past-due, and the credit card companies or collection agencies seem to call non-stop. Can they do this? Yes, technically they can per the card member agreement you signed with them when you opened the account, but they are not permitted to harass you! Most of us don’t read the fine print when we open a new credit card, but even those who pursue debt collection have laws to abide by. Let’s learn more about your rights if you are past due on payments!The Federal Trade Commission enforces The Fair Debt Collections Practice Act (FDCPA), which is the main federal law that governs debt collection practices and makes it illegal for debt collectors to use abusive, unfair or deceptive practices when attempting to collect debts. Many of us are unaware of our rights and don’t know that these types of practices are unlawful, and we CAN request that it be stopped.Here are some of the top questions regarding debt collection practices as outlined by the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.ftc.gov.
- What types of debts are covered?
- Can debt collectors contact me any time or any place?
- How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
- What are debt collectors not allowed to do?
- Threaten you with violence
- Use obscene or profane language
- Repeatedly use the phone to annoy you
- Misrepresent the amount you owe
- Represent themselves as an attorney or government official if they are not
- Falsely claim you’ll be arrested, or legal action will be taken against you if it is not true
- What should I do if I’m sued by a debt collector?
- Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?