Debt collectors in Illinois can be intimidating. It’s their job to try to scare you into paying the debt, and they have some tools they can use to contact you in their attempts to collect. However, collectors occasionally overstep their regulations, and you can report them for violating the rules.
What can debt collectors do?
Debt collectors can do things that might feel illegal but aren’t as long as they follow the rules. For example, they can call your workplace, but they are not allowed to disclose who they are or why they are calling. They also must stop calling work if you ask them to stop. Additionally, debt collectors are allowed to call family members, but again, they cannot say why they are calling. They are not permitted to call a family member more than once.
Debt collectors know the rules regarding creditor harassment, and they also know that you don’t know the rules, so they try to bend them. Make yourself aware of the limitations, like the fact that they can only send you one letter and the fact that they can’t contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. You will want to pay the debt off, but that does not give collectors the right to do whatever they want to pressure you into paying.
Protecting your rights
Debt collectors have to follow consumer protection rules. Don’t hesitate to report them if they violate the rules. Stand firm and show them that you know what they are allowed to do, what they aren’t and what you can do if they break the rules, and you’ll be able to prevent them from crossing the line.