Having a debt collection agency like Prince Parker & Associates call you at work can lead to negative long term professional consequences. Your peers might begin to gossip about your plight and your boss might wonder if you are 100% devoted to accomplishing the company goals.
You should know that there is not a law prohibiting a third party debt collector from calling you at work. However, you can ask the bill collector to stop calling and if the company does not comply, you have several legal recourses to end the work phone calls permanently.
Federal law does not prohibit original creditors from calling you at work. For example, if you owe Visa $500, the credit card company is completely within the legal boundaries if it decides to call you at the office. The game changes when Visa sells your original debt to a debt collection agency.
Third party debt collectors purchase outstanding credit card and personal loan accounts for a fraction of what consumers owe the original creditors. After purchasing original debts from creditors, debt collection must comply with an important federal consumer protection law.
Methods to Stop Bill Collectors from Calling You
Up until September 20, 1977, consumers had little protection against aggressive third party debt collectors. With the enactment of the landmark Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the United States Congress leveled the legal playing field between consumers and bill collectors.
You should be aware that you do not have to tolerate verbal abuse or the issuance of threats from a debt collection agency. Speak with a licensed FDCPA attorney to send a formal letter requesting Prince Parker & Associates refrain from making additional phone calls to you at work.
Your lawyer will draft a certified letter informing Prince Parker & Associates that under the provisions of the FDCPA, the third party debt collector has violated federal law.
The letter should include language that reminds a bill collector you will report the illegal debt collection practices to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your state’s Attorney General Office. Most debt collection agencies simply ignore requests from consumers to stop making phone calls at work.
By hiring an experienced FDCPA lawyer, you show Prince Parker & Associates that you are serious about protecting the rights granted to consumers under the groundbreaking FDCPA.
You Might be Entitled to Monetary Damages
When most consumers think of monetary damages as applied to violations of the FDCPA, they typically think about the physical toll aggressive debt collection tactics take on the body. There is another prevalent negative effect of illegal debt collection practices: emotional duress.
Dealing with phone calls at work made by a third party debt collector can take a huge toll on your marriage, as well as other personal relationships. Emotional duress can trigger wild mood swings and sudden anxiety attacks.
Since proving emotional distress is much more difficult than proving the existence of physical issues, you should work with a FDCPA lawyer to ensure you receive the amount of monetary damages you deserve.
Filing a civil lawsuit against a bill collector requires the legal expertise of an accomplished consumer protection attorney. Speak with a FDCPA lawyer to learn more about how the federal law protects you against illegal debt collection practices.
Additional Resources
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Prince Parker & Associates or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.