Creditors and collection specialists have an interest in getting people to pay what they owe. They send letters, take legal action and make phone calls to collect payment for outstanding debts. Frequently, the phone calls that they make are especially stressful for debtors.
Individuals who have fallen behind on their financial responsibilities may feel anxious every time their phone rings or vibrates. They may worry about who is on the other line and what they may say. Some people start screening their calls or simply stop answering the phone. Others decide to fight back.
Eventually, repeat collection calls can cross the line from appropriate business communications into outright harassment. How frequently can creditors and collection agents call before their behavior violates debt collection regulations?
There is a set limit to the number of completed calls
Creditors and professional collection agents often make repeated attempts to call people who are behind on payments. However, they must limit those attempts to comply with the law.
There isn’t a limit to the number of calls per day. Instead, federal rules limit collection efforts to seven calls over a seven-day period. Any connected phone call, including messages left on voicemail, can count toward that limit. Emails and text messages, as well as calls made by the debtor to the collector, do not.
Unfortunately, auto dialers have made even compliant business practices feel abusive. Technically, the limits apply to answered phone calls. If the organization doesn’t reach a person or leave a message, they might call repeatedly throughout the day. People may find that their phones constantly ring unless they answer and ask the other party to stop.
Those who owe money can potentially show that collection specialists have abused the right to contact them by calling at unacceptable times or making contact more than seven times in seven days. Debtors and borrowers can sometimes take legal action when creditors don’t follow fair debt collection rules.
Documenting repeated phone calls and learning more about fair debt collection practices may be beneficial for those feeling stressed about collection efforts. When creditors and collection professionals cross the line, they may be legally and financially accountable for their abusive debt collection practices.
