Consumer Law

Bottom Feeder Debt Buyer Addresses Letter "Dear Sh#* Face"

By M. Stan Herring

We recently came across this excellent post from our friend Ron Burdge, a consumer lawyer in Ohio. You can visit his website here. Mr. Burdge also has an excellent blog called the Consumer Rights Law Blog.

In a recent post, Mr. Burdge discusses the unfortunate trend of emboldened collection practices by debt buyers and debt collectors. One such collector purchased large volumes of debt for pennies on the dollar and recently sent out letters trying to collect on it.

This particular letter was an attempt to collect on $16.96. As Mr. Burdge noted, the letter was addressed Dear S_____ and the envelope was addressed to S_____ Face. They claim it was a mistake as the letters were automatically generated. However, this highlights a trend we've been seeing against Alabama Consumers by emboldened debt collectors. Since George Bush pushed through a change in the bankruptcy laws making it more difficult to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, we've seen worse and worse conduct from debt collectors.

First of all, what can you do if you've been harassed by a debt collector. Well, simply put you do not have to put up with it. You can sue them. The Congress passed the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act to govern how debt collectors and debt buyers collect debt. They are not allow use profanity in doing so. However, many of them believe this is an effective means to intimidate consumers in to paying debts they allegedly owe. You do not have to put up with this.

As Mr. Burdge points out to his Ohio Consumers, Alabama Consumers should be aware, that if you have been illegally sued or harassed by a debt collector you do have rights. They can be forced to pay you as much as $1,000 in statutory damages and to pay your attorney's fees in addition to mental anguish damages.

If you have been harassed by a debt collector, please contact us. We sue debt collectors who have violated the law.

Full post as published by Alabama Consumer Blog on February 26, 2008 (boomark / email).