Page 25 - Book8E

is no need to contact your employer, neighbors, relatives, or friends to find out where you are. If you are an employer, friend, neighbor, or family member who is being contacted by
a collector, you can write the collector and
tell him to stop contacting you. See Parts 3 and 6 for more privacy protection tips.
5 . Start and keep a file . At the first con- tact from a collection agency, start a file. Your file should include:
• Dates and times of phone conversa-
tions, pre-recorded messages the col-
lector leaves on your voice mail, and when you send or receive correspondence.
• Notes of conversations along with the name of the collection agency employee.
• Copies of correspondence you send, as well as those you receive including envelopes. Collectors are supposed to give you written notice of the collection action five days after you are contacted by phone.
• Copies of correspondence you send, as well as those you receive including envelopes. Collectors are supposed to give you written notice of the collection action five days after you are contacted by phone.
• Copies of messages that are abusive or overly intrusive.
There is no set time after which you will never be contacted again about a debt. Some debts are sold to other collectors even after being properly disputed. Keep all records regarding disputed debts indefinitely in case the debt comes back to haunt you, and you need to dispute it again.
6 . Put it in writing . Send any correspondence, including disputes, to both the collection agency and the creditor by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. When in doubt, send a written confirmation of anything that you may need to prove later (for example, a promise or
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act 15
There can be no real individual freedom in the presence of economic insecurity.
—Chester Bowles