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Has an aggressive collector made you question whether their behavior is illegal? With the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA for short), there’s a good chance it was just that.
The FDCPA is a vital piece of legislation that keeps you protected against unfair collections tactics. It helps ensure that while collectors can be aggressive in attempting to collect on an outstanding debt, they can only go so far with that aggression within the boundaries of the law.
Fact: The FTC received 117,374 FDCPA collections
complaints for third-party collectors in 2011.
Understanding the FDCPA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was originally put into law in 1978 as a piece of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. It establishes standards of practices for collecting on outstanding debts. This includes all types of debts, including credit cards, car loans, mortgages, and even unpaid medical bills.
The following list provides a breakdown of the most essential regulations set in place by the FDCPA:
- Limits hours when collections phone calls can be made — so a collector cannot call you at all hours of the day and night.
- Gives restrictions to the number of calls that can…
