Calling a family member

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Calling a family member

by Barbara
(AsheboroNC USA)

Calling a family member that has nothing to do with finances of this household

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Calling a family member

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Oct 08, 2010

debt collectors calling family members
by: Gerri

Barbara,

Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a debt collector is not allowed to contact a third party about your debt except to locate you. And even then, they are not allowed to discuss details of the debt with the other person. Once a debt collector has located you, he cannot call other people about your debt.

If you are in a situation where a debt collector has told someone else about your debt, we encourage you to talk with a consumer law attorney about your rights. If a debt collector has violated the law, you may be entitled to damages and attorney fees if you sue them and win.

If you suspect the debt collector has broken the law, you can contact a local consumer law attorney with experience in debt collection cases. Find out how to get FREE or low cost legal advice about debt collection from a consumer law attorney here.

Apr 08, 2011

obligations of family to respond to calls??
by: Anonymous

If I am a family member and get a call attempting to locate, say, my sister-in-law, by verifying her number -- does my refusal to respond give them a license to keep calling me?

I never gave out my number in connection to a debt for this permission and I didn't give permission for anyone else to do so. I would not normally give or confirm such private information by phone to a stranger. If I refuse to confirm the information, are they then allowed to keep calling back?? I have no idea how these people even got my number, have no business with the company myself, but made the mistake of saying (on the first call), "well, that is my in law, but she has never lived here..." When they called back today and I demanded to know what proof they needed she did not (and never had) lived here, the woman said, "oh no, we don't need proof at all," and said it must have been a mistake, as they had no record of ever reaching anyone at my number! Then she tried to suggest it was another co. that had called, but it was not (which I knew because I'd researched them thoroughly the first time).

Reply from DebtCollectionAnswers.com: No, your refusal to give out that information doesn't mean they can keep calling and calling. You are not required to help them find the debtor. You can tell them you are unable to help them and instruct them to take your number off their records. Use our Free Debt Collection Worksheet to keep track. If they keep calling, talk with a consumer law attorney. Find out how to get FREE or low cost legal advice about debt collection from a consumer law attorney here.

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Calling a family member

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Calling a family member