Bill Collectors Calling the Wrong Consumer

Consumers with good credit ratings are getting harassed by debt collectors.  The reason is their names are similar to those on the bill collectors' lists.  There is no quick and easy solution to this problem.  However, you can ask for the name of the caller and the company.  Ask the bill collector to send written verification of the debt.  Keep a record of the date and time that the debt collector called.  By law, debt collectors must send you written confirmation within five days that states the creditor's name, the amount owed, and the procedures for disputing the debt.

A bill collector may try to intimidate you into paying a debt you do not owe.  If the debt collector is making threats or asking for personal information, it could be a scam.  Do not give out any personal information, such as your social security number, over the phone.

If bill collectors continue to call, even after being informed that they have the wrong person, there are federal and Florida laws to protect you.  Call us at 1-866-553-3272.

Debt Collection Agency Ordered Not to Use Facebook

Mark One Financial LLC (Mark One) of Jacksonville was ordered not to use Facebook to contact a St. Petersburg woman to collect $362 for an unpaid car loan.  In the lawsuit, the woman states that Mark One sent her and her relatives messages on Facebook telling her to call the company regarding the unpaid car loan.  In addition to using Facebook, the collection agency contacted her six to ten times a day by phone, sent her text messages, contacted her neighbor and sent a courier to deliver a letter to her workplace.

This is a violation of the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.

Debt Collector Harassment Report on Today Show

Lisa Myers reported on debt collector harassment.  Debt collectors were harassing the Whitlocks for a $15,000 debt stemming from landscaping work.  The Whitlocks were not satisfied with the work that was done.  The contractor would not come back to fix it.  Debt collectors began harassing them for $15,000 which was far more than the debt they owed.  The debt collectors threatened the Whitlocks with sending information to the IRS, stating the client was proceeding with a lawsuit that would damage their credit report, and even threatened to have the Whitlocks followed.  The Whitlocks have filed a countersuit and the matter is pending.

Unpaid debt is being sold to debt buyers for pennies on the dollar.  Debt buyers will then sue the consumer.  Debt buyers may not even care if the consumer actually owes the money.  They hope to intimidate a consumer enough so that they will pay, regardless if they owe the debt or not.

The Federal Trade Commission has seen the number of complaints increase from 91,000 in 2007 to over 120,000 in 2009.

To see the full report, go to http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041440/vp/39737563/

Debt Tagging

Stacie Schaible of News Channel 8 discusses "debt tagging".  Debt tagging is where debt collection companies buy old debt for pennies on the dollar.  The debt collector will call people with the same name as the consumer who owes the debt, with the hope that the debt collector will reach the correct person.  If the debt collector does not reach the correct person, there is a chance that the person the debt collector reaches on the phone will pay the debt because that person fears that it may be a debt that they had forgotten about.  To see the video, go to http://www2.tbo.com/video/2010/jul/14/debt-tagging-46949/video-news/ or to read the article, go to http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jul/15/companies-use-new-bill-collecting-method-debt-tagg.

There are Florida and Federal laws to protect consumers against debt collector harassment.  For more information about these laws, go to www.againstbillcollectors.com/fairdebtlaws.html.