If
you are behind in paying your bills, you can expect to hear from a debt
collector. A debt collector is someone, other than the creditor, who
regularly collects debts owed to someone else. Lawyers who collect
debts on a regular basis are considered debt collectors, too.
What You Need to Know
You have rights: Federal law requires that debt collectors treat you fairly. In short, that means:
a
debt collector may contact you in person, by mail, telephone, telegram,
or fax, but may not contact you at inconvenient times or places – for
example, before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m – unless you agree. A debt
collector may not contact you at work if the collector is aware that
your employer prohibits it.
if you have an
attorney, the debt collector must contact the attorney, not you. If you
don’t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people only to
find out your address, your phone number, and where you work.
a debt collector may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact about you.
a debt collector may not lie or mislead anyone when collecting a debt.
