Practical Advice For Victims Of Debt Harassment

Consumers who feel as if they have suffered from debt harassment, as in been victims of unfair or deceptive debt collection practices, can file civil suits against the collectors. That being state, you must do so within one year of the violations. If successful in court, you may be awarded damages for actual losses incurred because of the violations, any court costs or attorneys’ fees, and up to $1,000 in additional damages. Consumers who are filing class-action lawsuits can recover up to $500,000 or 1 percent of the net worth of the debt collector, whichever amount is lower.

Consumer advocates have complained that the $1,000 damage cap for individual, which was set back in 1977 when the law was originally enacted, is too low by today’s standards. A significant exclusion from the fair debt collection law is the so-called in-house collection departments. These are the collection divisions of banks, retailers or other companies that issue credit. Customers who miss one or two monthly payments may be called or receive letters from these in-house collection agents. However, laws that protect consumers from abusive language, threats and other unfair practices when dealing with third-party debt collectors do not apply to in-house collectors.

You are probably asking yourself why at this point? The answer is a simple one. Lawmakers who drafted the federal law felt credit card issuers had a vested interest in retaining good customer relations and were less likely to engage in harassing or threatening behavior. Unfortunately, that reasoning hasn’t proven true. According to the FTC, complaints about in-house debt collection practices nearly doubled from approximately 13,000 to more than 21,000 in recent times. Consumer advocates also recommend that you keep all copies of any written correspondence that you have made or received from debt collectors.

This includes any letters that are sent by certified U.S. mail. You should also get a return receipt for all correspondence sent by mail. It is also a smart idea to keep track of the day and time of the calls when a debt collector or multiple debt collectors contact you. You can keep them in a journal in order to stay organized. This becomes even more important if there are multiple debts with multiple debt collectors that are calling you. Due to debt buying, where old credit card and consumer loan debt may be resold multiple times, you may actually be contacted about the same debt multiple times by different debt collectors or collection agencies.

If you feel that you are being treated unfairly by a creditor or collection agency, please contact us immediately. Legal Rights Advocates, PLLC is a consumer advocate law firm that focuses on consumer rights protection services across the Unites States. We have well over twenty-five (25) years of combined experience helping consumers that are experiencing Debt Collector Harassment, Social Security Disability issues, and a whole lot more. LRA is truly your consumer rights advocate. We take great pride in the fact that our job is to protect you from deceptive and or abusive debt collection practices.

Our goal is to assist you each and every step of the way regarding your rights for consumer protection. Please call us today for more information at 855-254-7841 or click here to visit our website. We look forward to working with you.