How To Stop Collection Calls - End Bill Collection Calls

How To Stop Collection Calls - End Bill Collection Calls Today

If you are in debt, you understand how frustrating it can feel each month when the bills arrive in the mail and how horrible it can be to have collectors calling your house at all hours hounding you for repayments you may not be able to make. However, if you are wondering how to stop collection calls, here are certain steps that you can take to stop them cold.

It may not fix your finances, but by following these tips, you will be able to stop collection calls from third party collection agencies.

When consumers are being harassed by bill collectors, youmay feel that your only option is to turn off the ringer or ignore the phone calls. However, you do actually have options that can help stop these annoying calls.

If your delinquent credit card bill has been sent to a collection agency, you should know that collectors work under the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act).

Under this act, both the individual collector and the company that they work for can be held liable if they break these laws which were designed to protect you the consumer.

Know The Rules

The first step in figuring out how to stop collection calls is understanding the guidelines of the FDCPA. If a collector cannot find you, they are allowed to call your neighbors or relatives to find your phone number.

However, when they call these people, they are not allowed to tell them that you are in debt.

The bill collectors may say that they are trying to reach you regarding a personal business matter. If they reveal the nature of the call to your friends or family, you should immediately report their behavior to their company and to the attorney general in your state.

Additionally, if your phone number is listed or if they have already spoken to you, they are not allowed to search for you by contacting your friends and relatives. If they do this, they are in breach of the law and can be stopped.

Once a collector finds you, they may start to call you incessantly. According to the FDCPA, you may verbally stop a debtor from calling your cell phone or your work phone. During the first contact with the collector, you should tell them to no longer contact you on this number. Its as simple as that.

For instance, you may say something like I verbally request you cease from contacting me at work. If they contact you at that number again without your permission, they are breaking the law.

Your home phone number works slightly differently than your work or cell phone number.

Stopping Bill Collectors From Calling Your Home

Unfortunately, you cannot verbally stop a collector from calling you at home.

BUT... By law, they may not call you too often.

However, the law is not specific on the number of times that they may attempt to call you.

Reasonably, they should not call you more than five times per day, and if they exceed that number of attempts, you may wish to submit a complaint. If you answer the phone, you are at an advantage because they are only allowed to have contact with you once a day.

Thus, if you answer the phone, identify yourself, and hang up, they are not legally allowed to call you again that day.

If you do not want them to contact you at your home, you can stop them from calling you. You must send a written request to the collection agency that tells them to stop calling you at home. However, even this step can be problematic.

When most collection agencies receive a letter from a debtor ceasing them from calling their home number, they simply send the debt to another agency.

Then that new debt collection agency may start calling you. They must send you a placement letter which you receive the first day that they call you or a day or two later. This placement letter will have the address where you should mail your next letter telling them not to contact you by phone.

The Ultimate Solution To End Harassing Phone Calls

The only other way to stop collection calls is by getting out of debt. Many people who are overwhelmed turn to bankruptcy, and that can be a viable option for some people. However, if you can avoid declaring bankruptcy, you should look for alternatives.

There are many non-profit entities called CCCS (Consumer Credit Counseling Services) who can help you to organize and reduce your debts. Banks may be willing to give you a consolidation loan if you have a friend or family member who can cosign for you.

Most of the tips outlined in here apply to people who are being harassed by bill collectors. These collectors work for third party collection agencies, and they try to collect debt that has been given to them by the credit card companies.

However, if your debt is still with your original creditor, you may be able to take other steps. You should contact your creditor and discuss options for a repayment plan that fits your budget. They may be willing to offer you a solution that works with your financial situation. Most creditors are more willing to work with debtors than they were several years ago.

For instance, they may be willing to lower your interest rates and give you reasonable monthly payments. These steps are the best way of stopping bill collectors from calling. Knowing how to stop collection calls is about knowing the law and following the process outlined above.

If you follow the tips above, you can look forward to turning your ringer back on and enjoying your time at home in peace again.