Getting Rid of Pesky Creditor Calls

Early B. · June 2006

Does anyone know how to get rid of creditors when they call? They've begun calling 7 days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. I heard you can tell them to stop calling or you can report them. Not sure if this is true and if so, who to report them to.

Thanks.

Demiurge · June 2006

Paying the bill.

I don't know much of anything that works. Who are they looking for?

shack · June 2006

Can you stop a debt collector from contacting you?

You can stop a debt collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the collector telling them to stop. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify you that the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some specific action. Please note, however, that sending such a letter to a collector does not make the debt go away if you actually owe it. You could still be sued by the debt collector or your original creditor.

If they are after you, understand that once you do this the next step is legal action...usually no turning back.

If you owe it, pay it or make arangements.

Here is the Govt. site with your consumer protection rights.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm

ohskigod · June 2006

the above info aside, send each creditor a CERTIFIED letter detailing that you wish all correspondence in regards to your accounts/obligations to be done in writing. Then specify an address of course.
get them out asap.

in regards to further legal action, I am assuming these are probably unsecured accounts, hence why they are calling you 7 day a week and not doing anything else.

ohskigod · June 2006

if you look at Shack's link (good link by the way) thats the Fair debt collection act (a summary anyway) it says you can send a letter asking for no contact. I wouldnt do that, because that usually accelerates it right to legal (if its worth it to them). leaving the window for written correspondence keeps the flow of communication open, but ends the annoying phone calls.

Early B. · June 2006

Thanks, fellas. Nope, not my debt, but other folks in the household.

ohskigod · June 2006

Early B. wrote:

Thanks, fellas. Nope, not my debt, but other folks in the household.

equally annoying to all in the house.

wingnut4772 · June 2006

I still have some automated message that calls my phone for whoever had my number before I bought this house. It's annoying.

ohskigod · June 2006

oh, then you HAVE to send that certified letter explaining such and such a person is no longer at the house....and calls are to cease IMMEDIATLY or further legal action will be considerred.

just call the number back on the automated message and get the address from them. tell them verbally as well, and note dates and times of when you call and tell them, and when you send the certified letter.

then doc every call you get (day and time)

ohskigod · June 2006

certified mail is the key. most other letters are ignored, but they pay attention to the certified ones.

Kris Siegel · June 2006

ohskigod wrote:

oh, then you HAVE to send that certified letter explaining such and such a person is no longer at the house....and calls are to cease IMMEDIATLY or further legal action will be considerred.

He said they are in the household, not that they are no longer there.

ohskigod · June 2006

DOH! I took wingnut's comment as Early's. whoops, then just follow the original advice

now wingnut should follow the second set of advise I put. she should not be getting calls for people who are no longer at that address.

if its not collection related (the automated call) then putting your number on the do not call registry might help. if it is collection in nature for a previous inhabitant, the do not call registry WILL NOT get the calls to stop

jdhdiggs · June 2006

Which agency? I just wrapped up a project for a collection agency and most will stop if you threaten contacting the BBB or explain in writing how you would request no more phone calls. Or you could pay the bill...

Any of those would stop the credit agency I was working with from trying to collect anymore.

I-SIG · June 2006

I had some law firm in NJ that used to call me when I had a land line for some loser. I had also put that number on the do not call list. I finally got really snippy with them and threatned to use the FTAC Act and filed a report with the FCC.

Wes

rskarvan · June 2006

This thread should be entitled.... "How do you get those pesky deadbeats to pay their bill on-time". No sympathy here.

Dennis Gardner · June 2006

I would suggest changing your number and making it unlisted for awhile. Some telephone companies will do this for free if you let them know it is to avoid harassment. Caller ID and answering machines work well too.

The only place you actually have protection from the calls is at your work, but this is only if you have someplace at home for them to reach you.

honestaquarian · June 2006

Taken from personal experience with just this sort of problem.First of all according to information that i got not only from the FTC,but also the BBB,the Comptroller of Currency and the D.C.Department of Banking.Basically all of the laws are on the side of the CREDITORS and NOT the consumers.The fair debt collections act says that you CAN send a cease communication letter asking them to stop harrassing you.The best way is to do like they say above and send it certified mail-WITH RETURN RECIEPT REQUEST!This will be how you KNOW that they have gotten the letter.The return receipt will come back to you in the mail with the signature of whomever signed for the certified mail.

If it DOES happen to accelerate it to them taking legal action,then make sure if you get a certified letter from them NOT TO ACCEPT OR SIGN FOR IT.Also make sure no one in the house does that either.I am hoping that in other states they have laws similar to the District of Columbia.In that if they cannot show that it was the person who's name is on the letter signing for it,then the case cannot proceed forward against you,because they cannot prove legitimately that you EVER GOT the court summons.

What they would be trying to do is basically force you into some kind of payment plan with court papers to show that you agreed to it.If they have no evidence to show you ever got the certified letter containing the court summons,then the case will be either dismissed or continued to a later date.Again this is PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that i am talking about.

Rskarvan may be right about SOME people being deadbeats.However NOT everyone is.Some people wind up unwillingly in situations that are simply beyond their control and cannot pay what they owe.Being unexpectedly layed off or downsized out a a job without prior warning.Or being severely injured in a car accident and being unable to work for a period of time are prime examples of just that sort of thing.I have seen these things happen to others as well as some of them happening to me.TRUST and BELIEVE being homeless and getting nothing but judgements about all you did wrong and how your just a deadbeat(instead of moral support and HELP) AIN'T NO JOKE! Hated it!

Getting Rid of Pesky Creditor Calls

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