Re: credit agency harrassment

Posted by CardReport.Com on February 15, 2001 at 00:54:48:

In Reply to: credit agency harrassment posted by Frank Ciaccio on February 10, 2001 at 17:10:03:

The first thing to do is find out if the company
making the demands is the original creditor, or
if it is a third-party outside collection agency
that is either working the debt on commission, or
has bought the debt at a deep discount from the
face value. After this period of time, my guess is
that it is most likely the second possibility.

On the first collection letter, there should be a
notation stating that you have the right to dispute
the validity of the debt in writing. So send a
brief letter to the address given, stating that
you want to see some documentation verifying the
debt. Do *not* say anything about paying it. The
documentation request will at least discourage them,
although they may still come up with it.

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
limits the level of harassment that collection
agencies can engage in, and it still applies even
if the agency has bought the debt. This law also
gives you the "cease and desist letter" option,
whereby you can simply request that the collection
agency stop making payment demand phone calls and
stop sending demand letters.

Check our *Credit Problems* section (the link is
at left), and read our Collection Agency FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) for more advice on
dealing with debt collectors, including references
to the FDCPA.

Good Luck.

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