Common Bill Collection Ploys

Debt collectors are relentless, but the government and society have deemed their tactics to be intolerable. There are many different tactics they use in order to reach and get a hold of your money. They use caller ID. So if you call them, make sure to use *67 so they cannot see the phone number from which you are calling. It will not work however with toll-free numbers.

The only tactic for that type of call would be using a public phone. Avoid giving a creditor or bill collector a postdated check even when they ask you to. Sometimes intentionally writing a check without sufficient funds is a crime and gives the creditor the added leverage of threatening criminal charges or challenging discharge of the debt in bankruptcy.

Also be careful not to agree to a payment plan when you’re disputing any part of the debt. The FDCPA requires debt collection agencies and lawyers to stop collection efforts until they obtain verification of the debt and that every mistake made is corrected. If the dispute involves a revolving account, a credit-card account, or an electronic transfer of money, federal regulations provide you 60 days after receiving an erroneous bill within which to send a letter to the creditor indicating a billing error.

Taping a bill collector’s call without consent is illegal in some states and risky in all. But it can help alleviate your situation if the collector is using repugnant or harsh voice.

If you have fallen behind on your bills and are being harassed by creditors contact a Stockton bankruptcy attorney at Law Office of Robert W. Fong Douglas Pharr by calling (209) 475-0499 to see if you qualify to file bankruptcy and get a new fresh start.