Consumer rights violations are on the rise, where more and more consumers complain about the violation of their rights, experience debt collection harassment, and more. To get money from mortgage payments, many agencies and banks engage in activities that can be described as shady and nothing less than harassment.
Violating the rights of consumers is a common problem. Violations can include harassment from debt collectors, privacy invasions on their phone and credit history, and other issues that could harm them in some way. One of the most common violations is debt collectors harassing consumers to collect payments. As a result, creditors and/or debt collectors may go to extreme measures to collect payments from someone who has defaulted on his account.
Consumer Rights Violations: Definition
Violating one’s privacy or causing unwanted attention qualifies as harassment. If a creditor continues to do one or more of the following things to recoup his/her money, this can be termed harassment:
- Repeatedly contacting you without a break, even at times outside of office hours
- Pressuring you to sell your home or take out additional credit
- Pressuring you via social networking websites, like Twitter and Facebook
- Using multiple debt collectors at a time to contact you
- Not informing you about your debt, its status, or whether it has been passed on to the debt collection agency or not
- Threatening you verbally or physically
- Talking about your situation with others.
- Giving false claims like working for the court etc.
- Giving an impression that action has been taken against you by the court.
What to do?
In order to deal with debt collectors, you need to first find out more about them. Make sure you document every case of harassment and make a complaint through your creditor if necessary. Finally, consult an experienced consumer lawyer in your area to further protect yourself from any future abuses of power.
If the debt collector violates your consumer rights or harasses you, they can be taken to court. If a collector has wronged you, it’s time to take legal action against them. Once you win your case, the court will award you compensation for any damages caused. You might be entitled to $1000 per violation against the collector. Proof of injuries can be shown by illegal collection practices, harassment, and other violations or even just continued non-payment on a debt.
You can report complaints to a Consumer Protection Agency and the Federal Trade Commission.
Violation of FDCPA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has strict guidelines for what debt collectors can and cannot do. Consumers need to know their rights under the law and take advantage of these rights in ways that suit them. A consumer can file a complaint with the FTC, or Better Business Bureau, against an offending collector. One can also file a civil suit concerning federal court.
Individuals with mortgages struggling to make the monthly payments and dealing with harassment from debt collectors can seek legal help. Through legal assistance, they may be able to avoid having their homes foreclosed or even saved. Consumer lawyers can represent people who are fighting foreclosure, give advice about tax and legal implications related to foreclosures (such as bankruptcy or short sales), or negotiate a loan modification.
