The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects consumers from creditor bullying. If you are experiencing bullying tactics from creditors, a personal injury group can help file a claim against a creditor for damages, if he or she deems you have a case.

Some of the consumer rights that are protected by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act include:

• The collector may not call by telephone before 8 AM or after 9 PM
• He or she must call your attorney instead, if you have informed the creditor that you have an attorney you are working with
• The creditor may not phone you at your job if he or she has been informed that the boss does not allow such calls at work
• The collector cannot misrepresent who he is, such as claiming to be a government official if he or she is not
• He or she may not send you documents that look like legal documents but in fact they are not
• Depending on the state in which you reside, the creditor may be restricted to contacting you no more than once per month
• The creditor cannot threaten to sell your property or garnish wages if it is not legal for them to do so
• They cannot threaten to have you arrested
• They cannot threaten you with any type of violence
• The collector must tell you who they are and who they are calling for
• A creditor can sue you to recover money that they are owed, but they cannot threaten this is they have no intention of actually suing you
• The collector is required to provide you with information regarding your debt, including the name of the original creditor that assigned the debt to them.
• They must tell you how to dispute the debt if it in fact is not owed

Anyone can get behind, even the most financially responsible individuals. It happens without warning, you come down with a serious illness, experience an accident resulting in an injury or you lose your job. Monthly payments fall behind and the creditor calls begin. It is important for you to understand your legal rights when being pursued by creditors as many use intimidation tactics that are not legal.

The reality exists that creditors have a job to do and your bills are in fact behind.  However, there is no excuse for disrespectful and bullying behavior. A personal injury group can help you to understand what rights you have when it comes to facing creditors and their often bullying practices. Falling behind on your bills does not entitle anyone to call you names or be otherwise verbally abusive on the telephone. Creditors cannot harass you at your place of work if you have told them your boss does not allow such calls. If you have an attorney, you can refer the creditor to them and the creditor must not call you again. These are enforceable laws that are designed to protect you from being bullied by creditors.