Debt collectors make tons of money everyday off hard working consumers. Too often, this is because they do not ask a Louisiana FDCPA consumer attorney for assistance. Paramount Law is always willing to give free consultations and provide free legal representation against debt collectors violating the Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCPA). Unrepresented consumers may become victims if they do not know these 5 things.
Refusing to speak with a debt collector actually makes it much easier for them to take your money. Whenever a reported debt is not contested, the debt collector is not held accountable and may easily add fees to fatten their pockets at your expense. If the debt collector’s attempts to contact you are completely ignored, they may a get a judge to order the payment and garnish money from your pay check. Worse, this judgement may include charges that could be avoided with proper consultation from a Louisiana consumer attorney.
When a debt collector attempts to contact you, it is important to obtain information from them. It is very possible the information they report to have about you is not entirely true. This false information may include the alleged debt owed by you. To prevent a court from ruling false information to be held against you, request all of the critical information from them. Afterward, send it to a Louisiana FDCPA consumer attorney such as Paramount Law for a free review. The more information that you requested, the more likely a Louisiana FDCPA consumer attorney may find incorrect information. Further, this is the best way to determine if the debt collector is in violation of federal law. If so, the debt collector may have to pay you instead. For response examples, you may find sample letters to send to the debt collector at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Upon receiving the validation notice from a debt collector, you have 30 days to provide a response to make the debt collects stop contacting you. In your response, include why you disagree with the reported debt and demand that they cease contacting you. Note, this will not make the debt go away intirely. The collectors are still allowed to take legal action against you. However, if they do continue to contact you, you may be able to take legal recourse of your own. Under the FDCPA, this continued contact could be a violation. However, be sure is to get expert legal advice from a consumer law attorney or firm who may be willing to represent you at no cost you, such as Paramount Law.
The FDCPA limits the hours a debt collector can make phone calls. Debt collectors cannot call you outside the hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. However, they may if you have informed them otherwise. If you have not specifically told the debt collector to call you at a different time, the debt collector may be violating federal law. More importantly, you may take legal actions if you contact a Louisiana FDCPA consumer attorney such as those at Paramount Law. Furthermore, if it is a nuisance to receive phone calls between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., notify the debt collector. They are required to adhere to your demands. Again, if they do not, you may be able to take legal actions against them with assistance from an FDCPA lawyer.
You may be able to record all phone conversations with a debt collector. Amongst other states, Louisiana and Oklahoma have made it legal to record your phone conversation with a debt collector without informing them. Due to frequent debt collector harassment and FDCPA violations made over phone conversation, this can be a critical tool to protect your rights as a consumer. If you have a recorded phone conversation with a debt collector threatening you or attempting to deceive you, contact a debt collection defense or FDCPA consumer attorney at Paramount Law.
The FDCPA allows a consumer to potentially get expert legal representation from a Louisiana FDCPA Consumer attorney for free. If a debt collector is found guilty of violating the FDCPA, the debt collector is forced to pay the cost for you. As such, if you are getting harassed by a debt collector, there is nothing to lose in contacting a consumer FDCPA attorney at Paramount Law today!
