There is a bill meant to help individuals deal with aggressive debt collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a guideline that must be followed when a debt collector is attempting to collect payment on a debt. It is prohibited by law for a collector to call your home before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.. They are prohibited from disturbing you with calls after you have insisted they do so, neither can they threaten to seize your salary. For more information go to => www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm#801.
Use your answering machine to screen your calls before picking them up. Adding anonymous call blocking to your phone line can also help from receiving the unwanted collection calls. Well, at least from having to talk with the person on the other end. Should you decide to pick up the call, you can ask that the debt collector to stop calling you. Once you have stated to them that you don't want any further phone calls, legally they have to stop the phone calls to you.
You should seriously consider reaching an understanding with the agency to return what you can before taking drastic steps. In many cases, the collector is authorized to reduce the amount owed in order to collect the money. The calls from the agency will cease if you can reach an understanding on payment arrangements.
Do try to keep a record of calls that take place between the collectors and yourself. If you agree to any form of payment, it should be recorded on paper and it should bear both your name as well as the other party's name. Do try to keep your word and keep to the arrangements made and if you are facing difficulties, do alert the agency as soon as possible. If you have indicated that the collector cease calling you, you can record any further calls made to you by them. Be sure you alert them to the fact that the calls are being recorded. It is usually helpful in reducing the number of disturbing calls.
For most of the time, you can usually bargain for the amount of cash you need to pay. It is common for the agency to get a small cut of the amount they can successfully retrieve. Thus, for many debt collectors, they are willing to collect smaller amounts to offset their losses. Any amount of money is better than nothing.
Should there be an agreement to smaller payments, you must ascertain that there are no black marks made against your credit history. Also, be instant that they promptly report the payments made as well as adjusting the amount that is owed on your credit report.
When you have made the first payment, an agreement should be reached. The contract should reflect the amount owed as well as the specific terms of agreement. Keep your first payment to a minimum as far as possible. This will ascertain that they keep to their word and do as the contract states.
How To Stop Bill Collectors
In a debt game, the loan you have borrowed need to pay back with interest, else the debt will continue to snowball with the adding of interest from month to month. At some points, it will goes beyond your capability to pay it back and you try to ignore it. Then, the nightmare will comes when bill collectors start to contact you politely to ask you to pay your debt, but soon they will use various harassment to call you, visit you at your home and at your workplace, making you so stress and affect your daily life. You want to stop the harassment from these bill collectors, but you have financial problem to settle your debt, what should you do?
If you have played the debt game, then the only way to exit the game is by paying off your debt. Although, it is impossible for you to pay it with one lump sum, if you willing to pay it, then it is negotiable with the creditors to pay off your debt in certain period of time, and if you are lucky, they may allow you to waive the interest or reduce the interest rate so that it is easier for you to work out financially to pay them. The bottom line is you need to take the initiative to look for solution to resolve your debt problem.
You may want to look for professional help to negotiate with your creditors. There are many debt settlement or debt negotiation companies available where you can approach for help. If you want to know your options available to resolve your debt issue, then you might want to get the advices from a counselor of a consumer credit counseling agency. Normally, the consultancy from credit counseling service is free of charge. The counselor will normally get to understand your current debt issue and your financial affordability first before he proposes a potential debt solution that meets your current financial situation. And you may ask to sign up debt management plan that may involve some monthly fee, but it is optional.
There is a better way to stop the harassment from bill collectors...the proactive way by earning more money to pay off your debt. Beside your day job, you might want to get a second or part time job to increase your earnings so that you have more money to pay your debt. Other than traditional job, internet is a good place to earn extra income online. There are various online money making channels that you can use to increase your income, but you need to make sure you get the right tools to start it right, else you might burn out more cash then you earn. The best part of making money online is it requires little capital to get started and if you start it right, you could start to generate a good income which you can use to pay off your debt faster.
Summary
The rule of debt game required debt to be paid back with interest; else you can't stop the harassment from bill collectors. There are many ways to resolve your debt issue which include making more money online, the proactive way to pay off your debt faster.
Both Moses Wright & Cornie Herring are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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