Q: What advice can you give me about dealing with debt collectors? – Donnie Don’t-Owe
A: Dear Mr. Don’t: Even though a former Consumer Watch column specified just what debt collectors can and cannot do according to the federal government, these economic times mandate another look at these folks and their professional and sometimes-not-so-nice habits.
We’ll start with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (or, as I like to call them “resistant rules for the righteous”). According to this law, debt collectors and collection agencies are not allowed to:
Harass you with repetitious, anonymous, or collect calls;
Threaten violence, use abusive language, or intimidate you into believing that your property can be snatched without appropriate court action;