A debt collector’s job is to get you to pay your loans and any other outstanding debts. One way they do this is by calling you to discuss your loan and come up with a payment plan. The debt collectors use many ways to get your phone numbers, which may end up being your work number. Unfortunately, these calls at your workplace could disturb your working abilities, cause inconveniences, and even put you at risk of losing your job.
Can Debt Collectors Call You at Work And What Are The Rules?
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act dictates that debt collectors can call you at work, but they must follow certain rules. There are rules on what should or should not be done when it comes to calling the borrowers at work.
If the debt collectors know that your employer disapproves of them calling your place of work, then they are not allowed to. The debt collectors should know what kind of work you do and with that information, they should be able to gauge whether or not you are allowed to pick calls during working hours.
How Do You Stop Collectors From Calling You at Work?
A debt collector may be unaware of the kind of work that you do and therefore may not know whether calling you at work would be inconvenient or might cause you trouble with your employer. Calling you at work could also be a mistake as they may not realize that the number they are calling you on could be your work number. It would be very generous of you to give your debt collectors the benefit of the doubt but calling you at work can sometimes be an honest mistake on their part.
How Do I Stop Them From Calling My Work?
It is fairly easy to stop them from calling you at work by telling them that your employer does not encourage personal phone calls at work and during working hours. Once they are aware of this, they are legally needed to stop calling during working hours.
You need to make sure that you document the time and date you asked the debt collectors to stop calling your workplace. If you are ever to take legal action against the debt collectors, this evidence will come in handy in proving that you had informed them to stop.
Another way to stop them from calling either at home at work is to pay off your debt. Before you can start paying, ask the debt collectors to give you proof of the debt being yours and that you are under a legal obligation to pay it off. If you are convinced the debt is indeed yours, you can pay it off. You will stop the debt collectors calls and repair your credit which may have appeared on your credit report from being damaged by unpaid debts
What Do I Do If the Debt Collector Keeps Calling?
A debt collector, after being warned to stop calling your work number, will still go ahead and try to reach you on other numbers such as the home number or cell phone number. In this case, you will need to send a cease and desist letter to request the debt collectors to stop calling you.
If they continue to call you at work after you have requested them to stop, and even sent a cease and desist letter, you can report this to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If there are enough complaints against the debt collector, the bureau will issue a fine against the debt collector demanding that they stop breaking the law. In extreme cases, you may be eligible to sue the debt collectors for punitive and actual damages.
Reach Out To Us
Debt collectors can be a nuisance, and deny you peace both at work and at home with the insistent phone calls they have received a warning to stop and have not, you can reach out to us to come up with ways to negotiate with them to allow alternative payment methods to allow you to pay your debt.
Encompass Recovery Group will also speak with them on your behalf to see if they can allow you more time to enable you to come up with the money that you owe.