Stop debt collector harassment
Federal debt-collection rules treat calls before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. as inconvenient, and a written stop-contact notice generally ends further communication.
What it costs
Time to send a written notice and keep records of unwanted contact. You do not need to pay to send the notice.
What you get
Under Regulation F, in the absence of information to the contrary, a time before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. local time at the consumer's location is inconvenient. If a consumer notifies a debt collector in writing that the consumer wants it to cease further communication, the debt collector must not communicate or attempt to communicate further about that debt, subject to exceptions.
Notes
Keep a copy of the notice and proof that the collector received it. The rule also says a collector is presumed to comply with the call-frequency rule when it calls a particular person no more than seven times within seven consecutive days and does not call within seven days after a conversation, subject to exclusions. State law may provide additional protections.
Sources
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — 12 CFR Part 1006 — Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F)