Stop Debt Collector Calls at Work

Are you getting debt collector calls at work? You might be surprised how easy it is to stop debt collector calls at work.

Why You Get Debt Collector Calls at Work

It is a common practice among debt collectors and collection attorneys to call consumers at work to collect debt. The reason they do so is because calling a consumer at work is a very effective collection tool. Consumers feel threatened and pressured by debt collector calls at work. The calls at work cause a fear of losing their job or suffering the embarrassment and humiliation of having their personal financial information being exposed to coworkers and supervisors. Debt collectors are keenly aware that putting this kind of pressure on consumers forces a lot of consumers to pay, whether just or not.

Stop Debt Collector Calls at Work

Although it is generally legal for a debt collector or collection attorney to call you at work there are ways you can stop the calls. The first way is to simply tell the debt collector your employer doesn’t allow collection calls at work. Do so only if it is true however. If you are close to your employer or supervisor you could have them tell the debt collector that debt collector calls at work are not allowed. Either way the debt collection agency is on notice to cease any further calls to you at work. If the collector continues calling you at work after it knows your employer doesn’t allow collection calls at work it is violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

The more drastic way to stop debt collector calls at work is to send the collector a letter notifying it to cease all further communication with you. This is drastic because a cease communications letter stops the collector from contacting you by any means at any place. The debt collector calls at work have to stop but so do the collection calls to your home and cell phone. The collection agency is even required to stop sending you letters to collect the debt.

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act the collector must stop most additional contact with you after it receives a cease communications letter. The only contact the debt collector can have with a consumer after it receives a cease communications letter is to notify the consumer that its collection efforts are being terminated or that it may invoke a specified remedy against the consumer. The cease communications letter may also prompt the debt collector or collection attorney to sue you so please contact a consumer protection attorney before taking this drastic step.

Stop Debt Collector Calls to Your Employer

Sometimes debt collectors and collection attorneys contact your employer rather than you. Calls to your employer or coworkers can be even more stressful, embarrassing, and humiliating than typical collection calls. Fortunately, under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act debt collectors and collection attorneys can only call a third party to acquire or confirm location information and they can only do so once. That means that if the debt collector calls your employer or coworker it cannot do it again. If it does it is breaking the FDCPA and you can sue the debt collector. And you don’t have to send a cease communication letter for this prohibition to apply. The FDCPA prohibits a second communication to your employer or coworker without any further action on your part.

Sue Debt Collectors

If the debt collector or collection attorney continues calling you at work after you tell it your employer doesn’t allow collection calls or after you send a cease communication letter your best way to stop the collection calls at work is to sue. If the debt collector calls your employer or coworker more than once an unfair debt collection lawsuit is also an excellent way to stop the abuse. If you are reluctant to sue that’s okay. Just keep in mind that the collection attorney is not reluctant to sue you nor are they reluctant to abuse, harass, or humiliate you.

Conclusion

Fortunately stopping collection calls to your employer or coworkers is usually easy. First, tell the debt collector to stop calling you at work and that your employer does not allow collection calls. If the collector calls after that notification they are violating the FDCPA. If the debt collector calls your employer or coworkers more than once or even just once to do anything other than acquire or verify location information they are also violating the FDCPA. If either violation occurs, filing a debt collection lawsuit to stop the debt collector calls at work is probably your best option.

If you have questions about these and other possible Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations please feel free to contact us for assistance.



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