The financial crisis that began 5 years ago hurt a lot of Americans, as millions lost their jobs and homes. As consumers fell behind on their credit cards and other debts, the debt collection industry boomed. In fact, the past 10 years saw huge growth in an industry feeding on defaulted consumer debts. 1 in 7 Americans are now being pursued by debt collectors, which is over 30 million people.
Debt buyers purchase debts from original creditors for pennies on the dollar, and then seek to collect the full amount, as well as adding interest, penalties and fees. Debt buyers purchase accounts in bulk, with only a minimal amount of information on the debt. This lack of information leads to collectors pursuing flawed claims, such as attempting to collect from the wrong person or the wrong amount. Sometimes these debt may have been paid in full or are outside the statute of limitations. Other debt collector tactics include re-aging debts to reactivate liability, or putting the debt on consumer’s credit reports, which ruins their scores.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a federal law designed to protect consumers from these abusive practices. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission cracked down on debt collectors and brought or resolved 7 cases affecting hundreds of thousands consumers nationwide – the highest number in any year. And state Attorneys General brought their own suits against debt collection agencies, alleging deceptive and unfair practices including failing to verify disputed debts, making excessive calls and disclosing information to third parties
The harassment of consumers is growing every year, and people need to know that they have rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This federal consumer law prevents debt collectors from using abusive, unfair or deceptive practices. If a debt collector is found to be in violation, the law (“FDCPA”) allows you to sue the collector, stop the calls and get paid damages (up to $1,000 or actual damages) plus all of your attorney costs are covered.
Here at Michigan Consumer Credit Lawyers, we have successfully represented thousands of clients getting them damages, satisfaction, and we do it for free. We fight the debt collectors that wish to harass and intimidate consumers. The consumer walks away with a measure of justice and a check from the debt collector.
If you have been victimized by a debt collector or have items on your credit report that are incorrect, call or email Attorney Gary Nitzkin at [email protected] for a free consultation at (888) 293-2882.
