Living with a tremendous personal debt burden negatively impacts your life. However, it becomes practically unbearable when a debt collection agency such as Scott & Associates calls you at home to inquire about your plans to resolve an outstanding credit account or personal loan.
Although the urge to hide from Scott & Associates might overwhelm you, the best strategy for handling phone calls from third party debt collectors involves contacting a licensed consumer protection lawyer.
When a debt collection agency calls you, you might not know what to say or you feel you must answer every one of the questions posed by a representative from Scott & Associates. Fortunately, a federal law enacted in 1977 provides a blueprint for consumers that deal with debt collection agency phone calls.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act establishes guidelines that prevent debt collection agencies from harassing consumers. Debt collection agencies such as Scott & Associates also must not use deception in attempts to collect outstanding debts.
Know what Information to Give
Thoroughly trained debt collection agency representatives are no match for consumers. Working from a carefully drafted script, a representative from Scott & Associates knows which questions to ask in the proper sequence.
Without the advice of a FDCPA lawyer, you might reveal too much information, or worse, agree to a debt payment plan that leaves you scrambling to remain within the monthly budget.
An experienced consumer protection lawyer makes sure Scott & Associates closely follows the provisions written into the FDCPA. If you decide to offer information, your lawyer will encourage you to follow a script that covers every possible phone conversation you have with a debt collection agency.
![Phone Script for When Scott & Associates Calls*]()
The Dos and Don’ts When Speaking with Scott & Associates
When a third party debt collector calls you, the first thing to do is to let the representative know you need to find a recorder to tape the conversation. After turning on a tape recorder, ask the representative from Scott & Associates to provide information pertaining to the delinquent debt that include the company’s identity and the reason for the phone call.
Recording a phone conversation with a third party debt collector representative creates evidence of any violations of the FDCPA, which allows your lawyer to prepare a lawsuit to seek financial damages.
You should never reveal any personal financial information. Debt collection agencies have no legal right to learn where you bank, as well as how much money you take home each week from your job. Scott & Associates also has no legal right to know about your spouse’s personal financial information.
Your FDCPA lawyer might advise you to request a debt collection agency stop calling you. A legally binding cease and desist letter sent through certified mail should stop the phone calls made by debt collection agencies like Scott & Associates.
You might feel fear and anxiety the first time a third party debt collector calls you in an attempt to collect an outstanding credit account or personal loan. Speak with a highly rated consumer protection lawyer today to come up with a game plan for handling the phone calls made by representatives from Scott & Associates.
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*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 Scott & Associates or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.