Debt collection harassment specifically refers to conduct by a debt collector that is intended to intimidate, abuse, coerce, or bully a person who is believed to owe a debt in order to get that person to pay up. More often than not, such harassment takes place over the phone via calls or text messages to landlines or cell phones. It can often be more than merely annoying, it can be intimidating or frightening to receive such calls and threats. With so many debt collection agencies overstepping their boundaries, it’s important to note that two federal laws exist to protect consumers like you.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act are two federal laws supported by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Miami consumer law attorneys that aim to protect the privacy rights of Americans. These two laws place severe restrictions on the actions that debt collectors can take to collect on debt.
Since the 1970s, debt buying has been a prosperous industry. Debt collectors often took advantage of their ability to collect on debt by using tactics that were menacing or harmful to consumers. Today, collection agencies can purchase debt for as little as 3 to 10 cents on the dollar. They have a huge incentive to collect on debt and many collectors use any means necessary, even going after the wrong people to try and trick them into paying up.
While the FDCPA places restrictions on what time collectors can call and what types of behavior they are barred from displaying, the TCPA prohibits companies from getting to your cell phone using an autodialing system, and yes, this includes texts. In fact, each TCPA violation can bring you $500-$1500 in damages with the aid of an experienced TCPA attorney. Under the FDCPA, collectors cannot use threatening language, call more than once per day or five times per week, or call outside the hours of 8 AM to 9 PM in addition to numerous other restrictions. If you find that a company is targeting you and breaking these rules, you must take action. It is likely that you may sue for damages and receive a significant recovery.
Unfortunately, your local police department likely does not have the resources to take on this type of criminal activity. In fact, there is very little the government can do. While you may be able to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, the grand majority of these are never addressed. Your local police department does not consider debt collection calls to be harassing unless there is threat of physical violence. There is also hardly anything your phone company can do about it, as these collectors often call from several unknown numbers to deceive consumers.
Although these calls are completely frustrating and can sometimes go too far in invading your privacy, not all hope is lost. Jibrael S. Hindi and his team of competent consumer law attorneys in Fort Lauderdale are with you every step of the way to put an end to these calls once and for all. When you collaborate with The Law Offices of Jibrael S. Hindi, you do not pay a dime until they recover for YOU! Put an end to the calls and get PAID! Call (844) JIBRAEL or contact us online for a free legal consultation.