One of the toughest things about not being able to pay your debts are the calls and letters from creditors. When you can’t pay, you start getting endless phone calls and letters demanding payment. It's just too stressful. The good news is there are laws about how debt collectors may behave.
- Debt collectors can’t threaten you with arrest or by taking action to harm your credit rating
- Lie to you or misrepresent who you are talking to in an attempt to secure payment
- Share your personal information about your debt with anyone else, such as your employer or family. However, they can contact your family to locate you
- Call you before 8 am or after 9 pm, based on your time zone
- Call you at work, provided the debt collector is aware your employer doesn’t approve of these phone calls
- Harass, oppress, or abuse you
- Falsely imply that you have committed a crime
- Use unfair practices in an attempt to collect a debt
- Conceal his or her identity on the phone
- Disregard a written request from you to cease further contact
