Those phone calls never stop. When you default on paying your bills, the bill collectors call and call and call. It’s enough to drive you mad.

Frequently we file bankruptcy cases for elderly clients living on protected Social Security income. They don’t have to file a case since their income is already protected, so why do they elect to file? To stop those collection calls.

They call at home. They call your work. Sometimes they call your neighbors and family. And often those calls reach a point of being illegal.

How do you stop those call?

WRITE A LETTER:

Dear Debt Collector,

Please stop calling me. Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) 15 USC §1692(c), you are hereby notified to immediately terminate any contact with me, or any members of my family or household, regarding any matter concerning the collection of an alleged debt you are attempting to collect.

Sincerely,

Deeply N. Debt

It’s really that simple.  Send a letter and the bill collector will stop calling.

Here is a better letter already written for you!

FDCPA APPLIES TO BILL COLLECTORS BUT NOT TO THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR:

Take note that the FDCPA applies to phone calls for debts assigned to a bill collector. It does not apply to the original creditor itself.  The credit card company may continue to call you, but the bill collector will not once you send them a letter to cease communications.

BILL COLLECTORS MAY SUE YOU EVEN IF THEY CANNOT CALL:

Sending a bill collector to stop harassing phone calls will help restore peace of mind, but it is temporary relief and the bill collections will eventually file a lawsuit to collect the debt.  So use this time to organize a way out of debt. Make a list of your debts from largest to smallest. Meet with reputable debt relief professionals to come up with a strategy to pay, settle or wipe out the debt. Just remember the relief a letter to a bill collection gives is temporary and take the next step to SOLVE the problem instead of DELAYING the pain.