Consumers Be Aware!

By: Robert Horton, Loan Officer, NHS of Baltimore

All of us have bills; some people have more than others. Due to unforeseen circumstances, some bills are not paid on time or not at all. This could be a temporary situation or a long term one. Regardless of the length of time, a person will be placed in a collection department of a company or a collection agency. When this is done, there are rights that consumers have.

The specified time for collectors to call is from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If a call is made prior to 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., the collector is in violation of the law. The consumer has the right to file a complaint with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

A consumer cannot be threatened by a collector in any way. This is a violation of the law. The consumer does not have to listen to any threats from any collector and should report the collector and the company to the FCC.

When a person fails to answer the telephone, a message is left on his or her voicemail most of the time. Some messages are funny, some are serious, some long, and some short. A collector is supposed to leave only his or her name, telephone number, and company name. This is appropriate. If anything else is left, this is a violation because the person that the message was intended for may not be the one who listens to it. Information about the debt heard by another on a voicemail is a violation of privacy laws.

Collectors are not to discuss a consumer’s debt with another person. This is a violation of federal privacy laws. If done by a collector, he or she and the company are in trouble with the federal government and should be reported.
There are more consumer rights, but these are the four most violated by collectors. Consumers must be aware of their rights at all times. If you feel that your consumer rights are being violated, you can contact the FCC to file complaints.