Consumer Law

Why Do Collectors Become So Abusive For Several Months?

By M. Stan Herring

There is a natural "life cycle" to collection - for about 90 to 120 days a collection agency will make an all out push to get a payment or a promise to pay. This short time period with all the pressure that goes with it for collectors leads to many collection agencies crossing the line and violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Often times clients are puzzled - they haven't heard from a collector in a year or two and then "all of the sudden" they are bombarded with multiple calls, threats of jail, threats of garnishment, and all sorts of abusive behavior.

While understanding that collection agencies and debt buyers will concentrate their activities for a short period of time (90-120 days) doesn't make it pleasant to deal with, perhaps this knowledge makes it somewhat easier to understand. There is certainly nothing wrong with aggressive legal collection. People should pay their debts. But when collectors cross that line and become abusive (unfair statements/conduct, untrue statements, disrespectful, and undignified conduct) and when it is so concentrated over a period of weeks, it can become very difficult to not let this affect you.

If you are dealing with an abusive debt collector, please contact us and we will gladly advise you of your rights and let you make the best option on how to proceed.

Full post as published by Alabama Consumer Blog on April 29, 2008 (boomark / email).