How to make creditors stop harassing you

You are enjoying a quiet dinner at home with your family. The phone rings. You pause for just a moment. It rings a second time and you go to the phone to check the caller ID. It’s a long distance number you don’t recognize and you know it’s another one of those annoying creditors.

Have you ever wished you could just stop all the harassing calls? They embarrass you by calling you at work. They threaten you and scare your children. Have you wondered what your rights are?
There are a number of things you can do to stop creditor harassment. As soon as you receive the first harassing call, send the creditor a “Do Not Call” letter tell them how to contact you about the incurred debt. Send the letter via certified mail so have documentation that the letter was received by the intended party.

Call the company that you owe the debt to as soon as you know you will not be able to make your payment on time. Explain your situation to them and ask if you can make a payment arrangement that is mutually agreeable. This will show the creditor that you are sincere about paying your debts and you want to work something out.

Keep a notebook next to your phone and log every time a creditor calls. Mark the date and time of the call, the debt in question, the caller’s name and the creditor they represent. If it is legal in your state, record your conversations with the creditor. If you don’t record the call, tell them you are. This may “scare” them into changing their personality and may stop future calls.
There are some things a creditor simply cannot do without being in violation of federal law. Creditors cannot call before 8 am or after 9 pm. They cannot harass you at work. They can only call you one time after you send a “do not call” letter to inform you that they will no longer call you.

They cannot threaten you with action they cannot carry out nor can they threaten your children. They cannot use offensive language. Creditors cannot talk to an uninvolved party about your debt such as your neighbor, employer or relative. They can, however, talk to your spouse, attorney or a co-signer.

Creditors cannot seize or garnish your wages without a court order. They cannot send you to jail nor threaten to do so. There are only three things a creditor can do legally. 1.) They can stop doing business with you. 2.) They can report your failure to pay to a credit reporting agency. 3.) They can sue you to collect the debt. It is doubtful, however, that they will actually sue you because it is not generally worth the legal costs they will incur to collect what you owe them. If you have collateral on the debt, it can be confiscated if you fail to pay your debt.

You don’t have to be a victim of creditor harassment. You, as a citizen and as a human being, have rights. If you feel that you are being unjustly harassed or verbally bullied by a creditor, there are actions you can take to stop the embarrassment, mental stress and scare tactics of creditor harassment. You deserve respect as a human being and shouldn’t be treated like a criminal just because you are a little behind in a bill that you fully intend to pay.