Fair Debt Collection Practice Act
Fair Debt Collection Practice Act, a law passed by the congress in the year 1978 to formulate the Consumer Credit Protection Act. FDCPA regulates the methods and the procedures to be followed by the collection agencies to collect money from the debtors. This Act eleminates the unethical mode of practice used in collection of consumer debts. The reason why this law was formulated was that many collection agencies would use unscrupulous ways to haul out money from people.
Also, this law helps to provide the consumer in obtaining the corroboration of debt information in order to make sure the accuracy of the information. Their are certain guidelines that have been created for the collection agencies to follow while attempting to collect the payments from the debtors and the rule book also defines the rights of the consumers, stipulates the remedies and penality for voilation of the Act.
The Fair Debt Collection Practice Act also, know as the FDCPA covers a large variety of debts which includes credit card payments, debt against medical bills, car loans, personal loans, home loans. In order to protect the consumer rights their are many states which have the power of additional laws that are not covered under the FDCPA Act.
Under this law, the collection agencies are not allowed to pressurize or threaten the debtor for making the payments. Also, these agencies are not supposed to contact the close relatives or the near dear ones of the debtor but can only contact the person who has co-signed the loan along with the applicant.
The Online debt collection agencies are not allowed to make untimely phone calls. In case of voilation of law by the collection agencies it may be possible for the consumer to take them to the court or can report the case to the State Attorney General's Office. If the collection agency's residing office is in a different state then in that case one can contact the Federal Trade Commission for the assistance.
The Fair Debt Collection Practice Act is a very important law which protects the rights of the consumer and limits harasment or unfair mode of collection of debts from the debtors.