What to do if you believe your rights were violated!

You have rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and you may have additional rights under your state consumer protection laws. If you believe your rights were violated, you should do the following:

1. Document Everything: As soon as possible, note the details of the phone call (or other communication) in a call log. You should note the following information:
   
   • Date and time of call
   • Place of the call (home, work, mobile phone, etc.)
   • Caller name, company name and any other contact details (phone numbers, address, etc.)
   • Credit account and amount demanded
   • Tone of caller’s voice
   • Language used by caller
   • Threats made by caller
   • Any other information you feel is important (frequency of calls, etc.)
     
2. Use this information to file a complaint with the following agencies:
   
   • Federal Trade Commission
   • Your State’s Attorney General’s Office
   • Better Business Bureau
     
3. Contact an attorney licensed to practice law in your state. Be sure to evaluate more than one attorney. The FDCPA allows for penalties and recovering legal costs if the consumer wins the case against the debt collector.
   
4. If you are enrolled in a debt relief program (debt management plan, debt settlement program or bankruptcy), inform those helping you with your debt about the situation. If the debt relief organization utilizes a consumer advocacy service, like the United Consumer Advocacy Network, then also report suspected violations to them.
5. Post your situation on the Forum so others can learn from your experiences and share their thoughts, feelings and similar experiences.