You arrive to work one day to find a colleague standing next to the office telephone system. The colleague hands you a note stating a debt collection agency tried to reach you to discuss an outstanding debt. Embarrassed, you enter your office cubicle with nothing but the third party debt collector’s phone call on your mind.
Since the advent of the telephone, bill collectors have hounded consumers into paying off outstanding credit card and personal loan accounts. During the digital era, many debt collection agencies have obtained contact information of third parties by simply performing Google searches.
Did you know that if you input your name into Google’s powerful search engine, numerous websites pop up that not only reveal your personal information, but also the names of people close to you. A bill collector uses the information to contact a third party regarding your debt.
According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), contacting third parties to discuss consumer debts is against the law.
Overview of the Third Party Provision
Under the FDCPA, a bill collector like Delta Outsource Group, Inc. is banned from contacting a friend, a neighbor, a family member, or a professional peer to discuss a delinquent credit card or a personal loan balance.
The key word here is “discuss,” which means Delta Outsource Group, Inc. cannot mention anything about your debt. The company cannot explain to a third party the legal ramifications of not taking care of a debt.
In addition, a debt collection agency cannot demand that a third party pay the amount owed on an account in your name.
The FDCPA mentions three exceptions to the third party provision.
- First, a third party debt collector can contact someone you know, if you have given the company permission to make contact with a third party.
- Second, Delta Outsource Group, Inc. has the right to speak with a third party to obtain your contact information, which should be nothing more than your address and the best phone number to reach you.
- Finally, a bill collector can contact the co-signee on a credit card or a personal loan application regarding your debt.
![Did Delta Outsource Group, INC Contact a Third Party Regarding Your Debt?]()
Are There Other Ways for Delta Outsource Group, Inc. to Violate the FDCPA?
Proving a debt collection agency contacted a third party regarding your debt can be difficult to do. However, you can ask anyone that has received a letter or a phone call from Delta Outsource Group, Inc. to testify in a civil courtroom.
In the case involving a professional peer receiving a call at work from a bill collector, you should immediately contact the company to say your employer forbids phone calls from third party debt collectors in the workplace.
The FDCPA includes a provision that allows consumer to invoke what is called the “Right to know” clause. “Right to know” means a bill collector has the “Right to know” your employer does not allow the distraction of a debt collection agency calling an employee on the job.
There is too much on the legal line for you to fight back alone against Delta Outsource Group, Inc. Speak with a licensed consumer protection lawyer who specializes in litigating FDCPA cases.
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*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Delta Outsource Group, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to compensation.