There are many things in this world that annoy us ever day. You have certain insects such as mosquitos, which always have that urge to land on you and feast. Then there’s germs and bacteria afloat throughout our daily lives. Anything that would cosmetically harm you is highly annoying; warts, pimples, blemishes, and the like. To top everything else, you have bill collectors. You’re more than likely to get a call from a bill collector if you’re behind on bills, whether they revolve around rent or medical services. A bill collector may also contact you in reference to a loan that still needs to be paid off. While they’re obligated to contact you in regards to owed debt, there are ways of getting rid of a debt collector.
Dispute The Debt
A collector is mandated to send you a validation notice within a 5-day period after they contact you for the first historical time. This document will state the amount you apparently owe and the name of the creditor(s) the debt is going to be paid to. If you feel that you don’t owe the specified debt, then you can write or type out a letter stating so. It’s safe and within your right to do this. You may also request further verification for absolutely determining whether you happen to owe a debt or not.
Be sure to send out the letter stating that you don’t owe the specified debt and that you’re requesting verification of the debt within 30 days of receiving the validation notice. If you receive no response from the original collector, then they must not try to collect nor contact you in the future.
Pay It Off
If it turns out that you truly happen to owe the specified debt, then inquire about a payment plan. Try to do so in a polite and calm manner. There’s also the route of just simply paying off the debt entirely in one shot, if you can readily afford to do so. Tone of voice has the potential of making a difference, especially if the collector is threatening you or speaking offensively to you in any way. If they talk to you in either manner, then ask for a manager or supervisor to escalate the issue. Doing this may grant you a payment plan, since the collector was more than likely to not cooperate in the first place.
Specify When They’re Allowed To Contact You
A bill collector can’t get away with constantly calling your house phone or cell phone. They’re not even allowed to contact your employer(s). As long as you tell them verbally or in writing that they’re not allowed to call your employer(s) and at certain times during the week, a bill collector must comply. If they fail to do so, then you can take them to court and potentially win yourself $1,000. A bill collector can, however, still contact you if they actually send out a verification of the debt, in which case you may have to satisfy the debt. This is even if you win the case in court.
While a bill collector may have a right to their money, you actually have more rights than they do as a consumer. Whether you owe the debt that’s cited by a collector or not, these tips will surely help you get rid of them.
Don’t let bill collectors bug you anymore – dispute, pay off, and specify when they can call you with these tips!