FDCPA REVISITED

Whether you are new to The Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) or not, there is no denying the country’s current economic status. As more and more Americans become awash in debt, it is imperative the public understands the difference between ignoring debt collectors, harassment from debt collectors and the benefits of utilizing the FDCPA.

The purpose of the FDCPA is to prevent abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices by debt collectors. Under no circumstances are Collectors permitted do any of the following: Contact you at inconvenient times or places; Harass you with threats of harmful or obscene language; Be Deceptive about what you may owe; Tell you you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay; Tack on extra interest that is not allowed under law; Contact you at work if you’ve told them not to; Discuss your debt with anyone other than you; call you excessively or generally harass you.

More than 1.8 million complaints were filed in 2011 with the Federal Trade Commission. Since 2009, complaints for debt collectors rose from 88,000 to 180, 928 in 2011. As the debt collectors become more aggressive with better technologies over time, it is important as a consumer you are aware of the benefits of the FDCPA.

If you file an FDCPA case, you can expect:

1. The calls to stop;

2. Cash compensation (even if you owe the debt);

3. Payment of your Attorneys’ fees

Accordingly, you get help for free and you help in policing this aggressive industry in hopes that they may dial it down a bit in the future.