TIRED OF BEING HARASSED BY BILL COLLECTORS?Dealing with Debt Collection Agencies
If you are behind on your debt payments, you may have received that
annoying call from a creditor or collection agency about your overdue
account. Typically these callers are rude, unprofessional, or
downright mean. They will say or do anything to get a payment out of
you, even if you cannot afford to make one. Consumers will usually
deal with collectors in one of four ways:
Avoid them. Many consumers will stop
answering their phones when they know collectors are calling. Or they
will answer and say they are not home. In short, many feel that if
they can avoid the problem long enough, it will just go away or work
itself out. It won’t.
Get embarrassed. Some people get very sad or
embarrassed when a collector calls. They feel that they have done
something wrong and are ashamed. Often they will empty their heart to
the voice on the phone, hoping to elicit sympathy. It rarely works.
Be afraid. Many others are simply afraid of
collectors or creditors. People have all heard the stories about being
sued or losing their house. Some even think you can be sent to jail
for failing to pay a credit card debt. There is nothing to be afraid
about.
Grow angry. The most common reaction is
anger. People resent being called at home, during dinner, or at
night. They get angry at the collector immediately or slam the phone.
While many collectors deserve such abuse because of their own methods,
still others are simply doing their jobs. Getting angry will not solve
your financial problem.
If you understand how collectors work and what they want to hear,
then you can be prepared the next time they call. You should also know your
rights as a debtor. Knowing your rights and asking the right
questions and providing the proper answers can help you to respond to
these calls effectively. This can help alleviate some of the anger or
fear you may have in dealing with collectors.
The first thing is to know your rights. The Fair Debt Collection
Practices Act deals with what a collector can and cannot say to you.
For example, a collector cannot lie to collect a debt. A collector is
not supposed to call you at work if your job could be threatened. A
collector is not supposed to threaten you and cannot throw around the
threat of a lawsuit unless they truly will file the suit, and an out
of state collector cannot sue you unless they retain an attorney in
your state. To read the full Act, click HERE.
Once you know your rights, you are ready to answer the phone when
they call. There is no reason to avoid them; they will not stop
calling you. The best policy is to be honest. Tell the creditor why
you cannot pay. You do not have to tell a creditor anything if you do
not want. These are not attorneys and you have no legal right to even
speak with them. With that said, it is usually best to be honest.
Collection agents are usually paid on what they can collect. That
is why they will say anything to elicit a payment. It is just a job to
them. They probably do not like making the calls any more than you
like to receive them. Be friendly, yet firm. Tell them why you cannot
pay. Take control of the call. You may be surprised that often a
collection agent wants to work out a solution with you. They know that
a lawsuit, while a common tactic, will rarely work. A lawsuit is time
consuming, costly, and does not promise they will get paid. They would
much rather work out a mutual solution. If you can explain your cash
flow issue, many will work with you.
You should find out all you can from the credit agent as well.
Find out what their next steps are, what your current balance is, and
what their procedures are. Get their name, number, time of calling.
Make sure you know what creditor they are calling for as well. Many
people talk with a strange collector on the phone with no knowledge of
who they are or for whom they are collecting. Feel free to propose a
plan to the representative. If the agent raises his or her voice or
threatens you, ask for a supervisor.
Remember, if it comes down to it, you can hang up. There is no law
the requires you to speak with them at all. They cannot ‘take your
house’ or send you to jail as they often threaten. The legal process
is long and arduous. Do not EVER tell them what you earn, what your
assets are, or how much equity you have in your own. Do not volunteer
any information other than what your hardship may be. Never let them
pressure you into making an unaffordable payment.
If you are working with your creditor directly (the actual credit
card, not a third party collection agency), you need to make it clear
that they should not turn your account over to collections or an
attorney. They often try to intimidate you with this tactic. You can
often work out a payment plan with a creditor. Be friendly, be
courteous. The person on the phone usually has the ability to work
with you if they choose.
Professional Debt Advisors has dealt with hundreds of collection
agencies and law firms over delinquent debt. We know the laws and know
what we can and should not say to a collector. The best is, we will
not get emotional on the phone. A collector cannot threaten us so we
will be well equipped to handle them. We are experts at getting the
best of these collectors and can do so for you as well.
If you are tired of speaking with them or simply do not want to
put up with any more of their harassment, let Professional Debt
Advisors work for you. We can typically reduce your whole balances by
40-60% and have you debt free in as little as 12 - 36 months. For a
FREE consultation fill out the form on the right. Or call us toll-free
at (866) 559-3328 for an immediate consultation with a caring and trained
Financial Advisor. Remember, we work for you, not your creditors.
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Debt Settlement - Straight Talk