dealing with debt collectors
 

I do not have any outstanding debts. I am getting phone calls from collector's looking for my brother in law. Any tips on how to get them to leave me alone?
My Bro in law is hard to track down. I don't like collections agencies and am reluctant to give them anything, they call me without identifying themselves and ask me who I am, they keep calling back after I've said than no one of that name lives here.
Hmph.

Sounds like they are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and can be fined. Read the link carefully, and also read the actual law, which is here.

If they call again, tell them they are in violation of section 1692d of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and that you will be reporting them to the FTC. They can be fined for each instance of violation of this act.

I'm not a lawyer, but I did study this act when someone tried to collect a debt from me that I didn't owe. It gives you powerful protection. (Of course, I don't know how seriously the Bush administration enforces this law these days.)

What he says.

When they call, ask them to state their name and purpose "for the record".

Ask them who they are. If they refuse to answer, resort to all measures to block their calls.
Kind of sad that even glatt is doubtful of Bush's vigilance when businesses go bad.

thanks everyone, you guys are great. This is just what I need.

They are also violating section 805(b) which covers communications with third parties. You are a third party concerning your brother's debt. They may not contact you about his debt. They are violating federal law.

i'd think there was some kind of HiPPA violation too....unless you just said that, glatt. seems like a person's debt is a private matter.

do us all a favor, and make them pay, hideouse.

hey, explain that user title, would ya?

HIPPA only covers protected medical information for the individual. There may be a case if the bill is an unpaid hospital bill.

(that's an auto-generated user title)

yeah, but maybe the newb can explain what it means.

i was actually referring to his/her user name......not clear the way i wrote it though.

is it hideous? as in unattractive?

oh, and june of 05 is hardly newbish

you're banned from posting until you can start making some sense

My brain has always read it as hid-ee-owse, specifically imagining it to be the blending of "hideous" and "mouse." I'm certain that's not what the person actually intended, but that was my initial impression of the word and it's stuck.

HA! my bad. I didn't even look at the register date, I just had it in my head he/she was a newb.

YOUR MOMMA IS BANNED