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Suggest You - When Debt Collectors Cross the Line - Bogus Threats & Illegal Collection Tactics
Associate programs allow you to make use of a variety of services for an unlimited period of time but only pay for them when they are able to provide the exact results you’re hoping for. Whatever product or service your company is selling, it’s sure to benefit from the use of associate programs, especially if you’ve made the right choice.Types of Associate ProgramsComparison Shopping Sites and Directories – Websites like Pricegrabber allow customers to make their own comparisons of the rates offered by various merchant websites. A brief summary of features and other things to be expected from the product is usually included as well. If the customer likes the price together with other services or benefits you may be offering then he’ll be directed from the comparison shopping site t
One final point. The FDCPA technically only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor when collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, numerous other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector. So if an
Many solo service professionals who are venturing online for the first time don't have a great of time or capital to invest in a website. Most want something quick, easy and simple at the beginning. The quickest type of website to create is what I call a brochure web site. In many ways, it resembles a printed business brochure with an overview of who you are, what you do, whom you serve, and how to contact you. It's a quick, inexpensive way to gain an online presence.Here's the process and technology needed to get you started on your first website:1. Research your competition. If you don't already know know who comprises your competition, this is a great time to learn about them. Go to your favorite search engine and type in keywords that someone might use when looking for a
Collection professionals would probably respond that the enormous size of the industry and the sheer volume of collection activity accounts for the large number of complaints. However, only a small percentage of violations are actually reported by consumers, so the data collected by the FTC represents only a tiny fraction of the true scope of the problem. Even so, a pattern of abusive and illegal collection activity has been well-documented by the FTC, and it is getting worse instead of better.
Here are some common threats made by debt collectors:
"We're going to take your house unless you pay this bill immediately." This is a bogus threat. Unless the debt being collected is secured by the house in question (i.e., a mortgage or home equity loan), the creditor does not have the power to take your house away from you.
"If you don't pay this bill today, we're going to have a warrant issued for your arrest." Nonsense. Failure to pay a debt is a civil matter, not a criminal matter. Threatening a debtor with jail time or accusing them of committing a crime is totally against the rules.
"We don't care that you sent a cease communication notice. We're going to call you anyway." The FDCPA gives you the right to terminate contact efforts by a debt collector. Failure to respect a cease communication notice is a clear violation of Federal law.
"We're going to garnish your wages to recover this debt." A collector can only threaten action it has the legal authority to take, and the vast majority of collection agencies have zero legal authority. Your wages can only be garnished by a creditor after they have won a judgment against you in a lawsuit.
"We know where you live, so you better pay up." Yes, threats of violence still happen in this industry. Nearly 300 complaints against collectors received by the FTC last year cited the threat of violence as the cause of the complaint. This is absolutely illegal.
Aside from the usual bogus threats, collectors also use other tactics that are illegal. For example, discussing your debt with a third party is a clear violation of the FDCPA. Yet collectors routinely call neighbors, relatives, and employers to obtain information on debtors. So long as the collector does not discuss the actual matter of the debt, they still have their toes on the right side of the line. But as soon as they mention or even hint that they are calling about a debt, they have crossed the line.
Since many debtors have taken to screening their phone calls at home to cut down on the relentless barrage, debt collectors frequently call at work when they can obtain an office number. In theory, a consumer can get the collector to stop calling at the office simply by stating that they are not allowed to receive personal phone calls at work. That puts the collector on notice that such activity constitutes interference with the consumer's employment, which is not permitted. In practice, however, collectors routinely ignore this rule and continue to call at work.
There are many other techniques of harassment and intimidation that cross the line from permissible to impermissible collection activity. Use of obscene or profane language, shouting, constant and unrelenting telephone calls, failure to respond to written disputes, and publication of debtor information all constitute illegal activity as defined by the FDCPA.
So if you are on the receiving end of illegal collection actions, what can you do to protect yourself? First and foremost, it's important to know and understand your rights as a consumer. A description of your rights under The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act may be obtained directly from the FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm).
If you believe that a collector has violated your rights in their attempt to collect from you, then you should not hesitate to file formal complaints with the Attorney General for your state (www.naag.org) as well as the Federal Trade Commission. If enough complaints are received about a particular collector, then these authorities are empowered to bring an enforcement action against them, which may result in expensive fines that will make the agency or collector think twice about using such tactics in the future. You also have the right to bring a lawsuit yourself against a collector that harasses or abuses you, or otherwise violates your rights under the law.
One final point. The FDCPA technically only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor when collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, numerous other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector. So if an o
One of the most common requests I get from web design clients is "can I have a Flash intro with that?" These are words that good professional web designers dread to hear. Flash intros are an artifact of 90's web design; a fad and a novelty which is still so prevalent that some users still demand it. From the website owner's perspective, I can see how a slickly-made, animated Flash introduction must be good thing - what better way to show off their fantastic website than to decorate it with an expensive (and equally expensive-looking) introduction? The aim of this article is to explain why Flash intros are a very bad thing in terms of design, usability and search engine visibility.If you are considering adding a Flash intro to your website, ask yourself the following questions:
Here are some common threats made by debt collectors:
"We're going to take your house unless you pay this bill immediately." This is a bogus threat. Unless the debt being collected is secured by the house in question (i.e., a mortgage or home equity loan), the creditor does not have the power to take your house away from you.
"If you don't pay this bill today, we're going to have a warrant issued for your arrest." Nonsense. Failure to pay a debt is a civil matter, not a criminal matter. Threatening a debtor with jail time or accusing them of committing a crime is totally against the rules.
"We don't care that you sent a cease communication notice. We're going to call you anyway." The FDCPA gives you the right to terminate contact efforts by a debt collector. Failure to respect a cease communication notice is a clear violation of Federal law.
"We're going to garnish your wages to recover this debt." A collector can only threaten action it has the legal authority to take, and the vast majority of collection agencies have zero legal authority. Your wages can only be garnished by a creditor after they have won a judgment against you in a lawsuit.
"We know where you live, so you better pay up." Yes, threats of violence still happen in this industry. Nearly 300 complaints against collectors received by the FTC last year cited the threat of violence as the cause of the complaint. This is absolutely illegal.
Aside from the usual bogus threats, collectors also use other tactics that are illegal. For example, discussing your debt with a third party is a clear violation of the FDCPA. Yet collectors routinely call neighbors, relatives, and employers to obtain information on debtors. So long as the collector does not discuss the actual matter of the debt, they still have their toes on the right side of the line. But as soon as they mention or even hint that they are calling about a debt, they have crossed the line.
Since many debtors have taken to screening their phone calls at home to cut down on the relentless barrage, debt collectors frequently call at work when they can obtain an office number. In theory, a consumer can get the collector to stop calling at the office simply by stating that they are not allowed to receive personal phone calls at work. That puts the collector on notice that such activity constitutes interference with the consumer's employment, which is not permitted. In practice, however, collectors routinely ignore this rule and continue to call at work.
There are many other techniques of harassment and intimidation that cross the line from permissible to impermissible collection activity. Use of obscene or profane language, shouting, constant and unrelenting telephone calls, failure to respond to written disputes, and publication of debtor information all constitute illegal activity as defined by the FDCPA.
So if you are on the receiving end of illegal collection actions, what can you do to protect yourself? First and foremost, it's important to know and understand your rights as a consumer. A description of your rights under The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act may be obtained directly from the FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm).
If you believe that a collector has violated your rights in their attempt to collect from you, then you should not hesitate to file formal complaints with the Attorney General for your state (www.naag.org) as well as the Federal Trade Commission. If enough complaints are received about a particular collector, then these authorities are empowered to bring an enforcement action against them, which may result in expensive fines that will make the agency or collector think twice about using such tactics in the future. You also have the right to bring a lawsuit yourself against a collector that harasses or abuses you, or otherwise violates your rights under the law.
One final point. The FDCPA technically only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor when collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, numerous other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector. So if an
Since Internet Explorer 5.0 has been brought out, there is a splendid new ' joke ' Favicon. Favicon (short for Favorites Icon) is a feature that makes it possible to associate a special logo or other small graphic with a web page.Probably you also have these small pictures associated with some of your Favorites. Open your Favorites in Internet Explorer. Do you see that there are pictures for each Favorite? On many Favorites this picture is always the same. This is the standard icon of Internet Explorer. This Internet site did not made his own favicon.At some Favorites you will see, hopefully, an other picture. These are sites which have established their own favicon. Do you notice how these Favorites are distinguish from other Favorites? The effort worth therefore, to make a favic
"We know where you live, so you better pay up." Yes, threats of violence still happen in this industry. Nearly 300 complaints against collectors received by the FTC last year cited the threat of violence as the cause of the complaint. This is absolutely illegal.
Aside from the usual bogus threats, collectors also use other tactics that are illegal. For example, discussing your debt with a third party is a clear violation of the FDCPA. Yet collectors routinely call neighbors, relatives, and employers to obtain information on debtors. So long as the collector does not discuss the actual matter of the debt, they still have their toes on the right side of the line. But as soon as they mention or even hint that they are calling about a debt, they have crossed the line.
Since many debtors have taken to screening their phone calls at home to cut down on the relentless barrage, debt collectors frequently call at work when they can obtain an office number. In theory, a consumer can get the collector to stop calling at the office simply by stating that they are not allowed to receive personal phone calls at work. That puts the collector on notice that such activity constitutes interference with the consumer's employment, which is not permitted. In practice, however, collectors routinely ignore this rule and continue to call at work.
There are many other techniques of harassment and intimidation that cross the line from permissible to impermissible collection activity. Use of obscene or profane language, shouting, constant and unrelenting telephone calls, failure to respond to written disputes, and publication of debtor information all constitute illegal activity as defined by the FDCPA.
So if you are on the receiving end of illegal collection actions, what can you do to protect yourself? First and foremost, it's important to know and understand your rights as a consumer. A description of your rights under The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act may be obtained directly from the FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm).
If you believe that a collector has violated your rights in their attempt to collect from you, then you should not hesitate to file formal complaints with the Attorney General for your state (www.naag.org) as well as the Federal Trade Commission. If enough complaints are received about a particular collector, then these authorities are empowered to bring an enforcement action against them, which may result in expensive fines that will make the agency or collector think twice about using such tactics in the future. You also have the right to bring a lawsuit yourself against a collector that harasses or abuses you, or otherwise violates your rights under the law.
One final point. The FDCPA technically only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor when collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, numerous other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector. So if an
Have you been turned down by Traditional Lenders? Unable to get the loan you need? Frustrated and Desperate? If your Bad Credit history is to blame - Perhaps you should consider Credit Repair.The term Credit Repair refers to a series of steps that you may be able to take to either remove defaults from your credit report or over time build up a new and better credit history.The first step towards Credit Repair is obtaining your personal credit report. In Australia you are able to do this by contacting Baycorp Advantage. Your Credit Report will be mailed to you within 10 working days free of charge. Once you receive your report you will be able to take some action.Incorrect Entries on Your Credit Report?It is a common belief held by many that credit reports are alway
There are many other techniques of harassment and intimidation that cross the line from permissible to impermissible collection activity. Use of obscene or profane language, shouting, constant and unrelenting telephone calls, failure to respond to written disputes, and publication of debtor information all constitute illegal activity as defined by the FDCPA.
So if you are on the receiving end of illegal collection actions, what can you do to protect yourself? First and foremost, it's important to know and understand your rights as a consumer. A description of your rights under The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act may be obtained directly from the FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm).
If you believe that a collector has violated your rights in their attempt to collect from you, then you should not hesitate to file formal complaints with the Attorney General for your state (www.naag.org) as well as the Federal Trade Commission. If enough complaints are received about a particular collector, then these authorities are empowered to bring an enforcement action against them, which may result in expensive fines that will make the agency or collector think twice about using such tactics in the future. You also have the right to bring a lawsuit yourself against a collector that harasses or abuses you, or otherwise violates your rights under the law.
One final point. The FDCPA technically only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor when collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, numerous other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector. So if an
If you aren’t annoying your competition you’re not doing a good enough job.What???You heard me…you should be pissing off your competition on a regular basis.Here’s why…If you are annoying your competition you must be doing something they don’t like. One thing you are probably doing is taking their customers.Hey, that’s a good thing.People generally don’t get annoyed with other people if they are minding their own business and business people generally don’t get mad at other businesses people unless they are making their lives more difficult, stealing their customers or nabbing the lion’s share of the local business.Now, don’t you see why it’s so important to be annoying your competition?You need to be constantly making it difficult for you
One final point. The FDCPA technically only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor when collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, numerous other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector. So if an original creditor is harassing you or has crossed the line, you should still file a complaint with your state's Attorney General as well as the FTC. If a clear pattern of abuse emerges, the original creditor can be charged with unfair or deceptive acts or practices, either under state law or under the FTC Act that governs conduct of commerce in our country.
To sum up, if you are on the receiving end of collection harassment, don't just take it. Educate yourself on your rights as a consumer, vigorously dispute debts that you don't believe you owe, and take action yourself in the form of complaints to your Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. By standing up for your rights, you can put a stop to bogus threats and illegal collection tactics.
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