You may consider taking loans to ease the burden when you go through financially challenging times. However, the journey of paying back this loan can be challenging. It can be scary when your debt goes into collection, and a debt collector just won’t stop calling and texting you.
You may think debt collectors can use any language or action to seek payments, but the reality is something else. Even in debt, you have rights under the FDCPA. They cannot abuse or threaten you or use physical force to harm you. This may raise the question of whether they can trash talk about you. Speak to a Chicago debt collection defense attorney today.
Are debt collectors allowed to talk ill about you behind your back?
The short answer is no; they are not allowed to do so. Debtors have rights under the FDCPA. While debt collectors can call and text you and encourage you to pay, there are certain limits to what they can do. Furthermore, there are specific laws about what the collectors are not allowed to do.
Debt collectors cannot reveal information about your debt to third parties. This information must stay between you and them; if they share it with someone else, you can legally sue them. Therefore, if they are not allowed to reveal any debt-related information, they should not be trash-talking you as well.
One more thing, collection agencies are not allowed to shame you publicly. They must not do anything that causes you embarrassment.
What can debt collectors do?
Here are some things debt collectors are allowed to do.
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Push you.
While debt collectors are not allowed to use or threaten you to pay the debt, they can certainly exert pressure. This is not physical force but may include daily calls, texts, emails, or threats to sue. They can threaten you as long as they keep it within the laws.
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Demand payment.
A debt collector is allowed to demand payment, and if you do not make them on time, they can legally sue you. It is crucial to hire an attorney to determine the next steps when this happens. Most people, when sued, fail to show up in court and ignore the situation. This leads to bank levies and wage garnishments.
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Negotiate your debts.
If you are not able to pay the debt, try negotiating with the collector. You may be surprised to know that it is possible to reduce 20-30% of your debt because debt collectors often have a high-profit margin.
