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Helpful resources to stop collection calls

Debt collection can result in creditor harassment which is illegal. There are proper Office Of Trading guidelines,established in the year1973 (OFT) to deal with customer protection law. The FDCPA law protects the rights of the consumers against creditor harassment. The consumers can get a consultation from their attorneys and educate themselves regarding the laws and regulation and protect their own rights. There is a requirement for an experienced attorney to keep the consumers updated with circumstances that they can face in the near future and find a resolution to it.

Police assistance: Police assistance by far is not very likely, as any category of prosecution is possible only with criminal or fraud acts, but as a future protection this can be kept as a store!

Complain to the trading standards: The trading standards will be able to access whether or not the debtor had been a victim in the hands of the creditors, and if proved to be right then there can be a penalty or can also lead to a serious implication of holding a credit license.

Full and final settlement to clear debts: Making a full and final settlement to the debt collection agency, by settling debts. It is known that companies do help consumers to make settlements at a much lower percentage. This is by far the best way to avoid creditor harassment.

Cease and desist letter: A customer can send a cease and desist letter to the creditor stating the dispute on the validity of the debt. The customer can go ahead and ask for sufficient support on the assertions of the debt, the original copies of the application of the account, and any suitable supporting bills associated with the account, etc. The customer can ask the creditor to cease all communication with him regarding the debt and also notify the creditor not to furnish any inaccurate information, as according to the FDCPA law it is illegal and unlawful.

(1) SAMPLE LETTER TO VERIFY THE DEBT AND DON’T CALL OTHERS ABOUT THE DEBT

Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip
Date:
Name of the Collection Agency
Address
City, State, Zip
Re: Acct #XXXXX
To Whom It May Concern:
This will serve as your legal notice under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to cease all communication with me in regard to the debt referenced above. Do not contact me, or any third parties regarding this debt.

Furthermore, I formally dispute the validity of this debt. Receipt of this formal dispute letter requires you to provide me with documentation that sufficiently supports your assertions that the above-referenced debt belongs to me and that I owe the exact amount alleged. Please send me copies of the original application for this account, any signatures associated with this account, any bills associated with this account, etc. You are also notified that should you furnish any derogatory or inaccurate information to any credit reporting agencies, appropriate actions will be taken pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Your Name

(2) SAMPLE LETTER TO DEBT COLLECTORS IF THE DEBT DOESN’T BELONG TO YOU

Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip
Date:
Name of the Collection Agency
Address
City, State, Zip
Re: Acct #XXXXX
To Whom It May Concern
This will serve as your legal notice under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), to cease all communication with me in regard to the debt referenced above. Do not contact me regarding this debt.

Furthermore, (I do not owe this debt and have made your agent(s) aware of this fact) or (I am aware that you are allowed to contact me one time for purposes of obtaining location information, and that you have already called me more than once to do this in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.) For this reason, any further attempt to contact me would be a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

You are also notified that should you furnish any derogatory or inaccurate information to any credit reporting agencies, appropriate actions will be taken pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Your Name

(3) Debt collector phone communication Log

Once a customer had sent the cease and desist letter to the creditor, he must stop with the phone calls as well, consumers are given the freedom to maintain a phone communication log which is also a way of fighting against creditor harassment .This list will maintain the entire documentation of the type of calls received, any conversation that seemed to be foul or harassing should be noted, along with the person contacted. Any mails received from the collector should be saved including the envelope.

If you receive anything in the mail from a collector, save it, including the envelope! Don’t throw anything away!