Are you sick and tired of being harassed by collection agencies? There are some things you can do but you have to know your rights!
Even collection agencies have to follow the rules. In this case, the rules are governed by the Federal Trade Commission of the U.S. government.
They can't use threats of violence, they can't use obscene language or use the phone to annoy someone.
They also can't make false statements like claiming they're attorneys or from the government when they're not. And let's face it, you don't want the collection agency telling everyone you know that you're a deadbeat, so there are some rules about how much information they can divulge about your debt.
Leonard Gordon of the Federal Trade Commission told NBC10's Harry Hairston, "Abusive Debt collecting continues to be one of the top areas that we receive complaints for year after year."
And some people feel with the way that the economy is growing, this could be a big growth area. Even though you don't think you could end up with a collection agency hounding you, it could happen.
So know your rights! In some cases, if you file with an attorney about a collection agency that is violating your rights, you can sue the agency that is breaking the law and actually put money in your pocket.
Watch our special Investigators Websclusive report and check out Debt Collection FAQs from the FTC.
And if you have a problem, contact the NBC10 Investigators at 610-668-5643 or wcauinvestigators@nbcuni.com.
