Your options for dealing with debt collectors.



The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act sets guidelines for what debt collectors might or may not legally do when trying to collect a debt, they can not, for example call prior to 8:00am or after 9:00pm nor can they threaten to garnish money in states in which it's illegal or harass you with constant telephone calls if you tell them to stop, for more information you may access the Act at the ftc website.

As a result, you have considerable alternatives, you may simply refuse to accept the call, many modern answering machines allow screening of your calls before picking up and if you have telephone caller ID/call blocking you might be able to screen the telephone call out altogether. Should you elect to take the telephone call, you can demand that you not be contacted again in the future, and the agency is legally obligated to quit telephone calling, Should you've sent a Cease and Desist Letter.

Firstly, you should consider paying the debt, If you can and If you actually owe it, you took on the loan in good faith and the creditor is entitled to be paid, notwithstanding, If you are seriously short of funds, you may couple this with negotiating for a reduced rate. Should you adhere to the commitment, the phone calls will cease, debt collectors, despite their sometimes bad attitude, are just performing a service for which they get paid they may move on to others, once the agreement is in place.

Importantly, be sure you keep a diary of any telephone calls made or accepted, and note any different terms agreed to, note down if you've demanded they quit telephone calling you, especially should you have been telephone called at work, you may tape the call should that be legal in your state, sometimes it requires notifying the other person that you are doing so. Very few debt collectors will make any statement that's out of line, Should they know they're being voice taped, that recording or diary are often especially important, Should you have negotiated a reduction in the debt.

Most debt collectors have the ability to accept substantially less than they're asking for, naturally, since they receive payment a percentage of what they collect, they're going to try to keep the total amount as close to the initial total amount as possible, notwithstanding they may accept less should you press the point, a large majority of debt collectors know that 40% of $1,000 is better than 100% of nothing. Part of the agreement should include a commitment on the debt collector's part not to put any additional black marks on top of what could already be on your credit report. You should take that one step similarly and insist they report instantly any payments you do make and to adjust any total amount owed.

Acquire in writing the agreement prior to you sending anything more than a token good faith payment, it's ok to forward a little money to demonstrate the seriousness of your commitment to the agreement, forward too much and they have little incentive to make the effort to comply with the terms binding them.

Patience, realism and maintaining your calm during discussions will go a long way toward making an inherently bad situation less stressful.