On July 10th, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released five action letters to assist consumers facing debt collection. The letters provide templates for verifying and disputing debts, and fighting back against abusive debt collection practices. The letters can be broken down into five general topics:
1.) Obtaining more information about the alleged debt;
2.) disputing the debt and requesting that the collector prove the consumer’s responsibility for the debt;
3.) restricting how and when a collector can contact the consumer;
4.) advising the collector that the consumer Electronic Cigarette has hired an attorney; and
5.) advising the collector that the consumer wants all contact to cease.
Consumers who attempt to fight debt collectors on their own should be advised that this process may be time-consuming and may not produce adequate results. Anyone facing unfair, deceptive or abusive debt collection practices should consider consultation with an experienced attorney to enforce their rights under applicable state and federal laws.
You can download the action letters, and obtain more information on debt collection, at the following link:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/debtcollection/