6-2 FB Beating Debt Collectors 1

 Taking on debt collectors.  Recession and a downturn in the economy. Does any body talk about anything else these days? Well I can tell you one thing. Some people we know who are keeping their jobs are debt collectors. Now there’s a job! That’s gotta be as much fun as being the supervisor at an airline’s lost luggage department. Those guys know when they wake up each day that it’s probably not gonna be a good day. How could it be?

 How about a debt collector’s job description. Harass people until they pay. Imagine the type of kid who sits in the classroom and dreams of some day growing up to be a debt collector. This kid fantasizes about calling a farmer and telling him he’s overdue on his combine payment. He can’t wait to get after a cattle rancher about paying his feed bill. And the bag of tricks that some grown-up debt collectors use can include unlawful harassment!  That’s where the fair debt collection practices act comes in.

 Marion Horsley spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Agriculture advises us: “It’s a federal law that calls for fair treatment by debt collectors and it bars certain improper collection practices. Constant contact, annoying contact, and another aspect of contact is if you have an attorney, the debt collector must contact the attorney instead of you. Also debt collectors are prohibited from making false or misleading statements which, of course is totally appropriate. You should never make a false or misleading statement to get money or to have this debt paid off.” Horsely also says “Know your debt and your rights.” More tomorrow.