What To Do If You Have A Bill Collector On The Phone

If you owe money to a creditor debt collectors are permitted to report your debt to credit bureaus, file lawsuits against you, and should be taken extremely seriously. The best way to protect yourself and your financial situation is a methodical approach. First, know why you are being contacted. Know where the debt is from and exactly how much it costs.

Find out the name of the person calling, the agency, the creditor, and the agency’s address and fax number. Under the FDCPA, you have the right to tell a collector over the phone that you want all future contact to be in writing. Follow up all requests with a written request.

Try to remember that if you ask the collector not to contact you at all it the agency has the authority to contact you once more to inform you how it plans to proceed. Another request that can be made is that you are the only person that should be contacted. It may be a good idea to keep a file including dates and details of phone conversations and when you mail out or receive letters.

If you do send any correspondence to the collections agency do this by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. This will make sure that the letter reached the collector, giving you a signed receipt as proof. If you negotiate a re-payment plan over the phone, request the terms of the plan in writing. In addition, any promise to remove or adjust credit history should without a doubt be documented.

Make sure that you pay the right party; payments should be made to the debt collector, not the creditor, unless otherwise instructed to do so. Carefully look over the amount you are being asked to pay. Get an assessment of any interest, fees or charges that have been added.

If you feel that your collector is being abusive, be certain to complain to the agency and keep this complaint on file. But most importantly, don’t ever ignore a bill collector even if you think that the debt isn’t yours; they will continue to contact you and it may mean more trouble and time in the long run.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a medical collection agency.

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