If you’re behind on credit card payments or any other type of bills, you’ve more than likely heard from a debt collector. You may even be to the point that you’re avoiding their phone calls and tossing their letters straight in the trash. If this is the case, you’d be doing yourself a favor by looking into debt consolidation, so you’re not facing the battle alone.

However, in the mean time, you should know that there are some things debt collectors can’t do:

1. Debt collectors can’t call you really early or really late without your permission (before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.)

2. Debt collectors cannot try to represent themselves as attorneys or representatives of the major credit reporting agencies.

3. They also can’t use the phone to make nuisances of themselves (calling repeatedly) or to threaten or verbally abuse you.

4. They also can’t threaten you with arrests or jail time; they don’t have that authority.

5. Debt collectors cannot try to create problems for you at work by calling you at work when you’ve asked them not to or by notifying your boss that you have bad debt.

6. And, debt collectors cannot manipulate “official” looking documents to scare you.

According to the Consumer Law Web site, you can file complaints about wrongful debt-collecting tactics with:

• The Federal Trade Commission, which says consumer complaints about collectors have topped their lists for three years running. They’re at https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01.
 
• State attorneys general also handle consumer complaints.


To avoid dealing with debt collectors, check out debt consolidation programs!