How to Report Abuse From Credit Card Companies

If you have a credit card and run into financial difficulties, you may have to skip payments because you just don't have enough money. When you default on credit card debt, credit card companies have the right to retain a collection firm. However, these firms are limited in what they can do and when they can do it. Over-zealous collectors sometimes violate fair debt collection laws and abuse consumers. Fortunately, you can report abuse from credit card companies and their collectors to make them stop these violations.

Instructions

- 1
  Read the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which outlines your legal rights. You must know these rights in order to identify abuse by credit card companies that violates the law. Even though you might consider certain actions to be abusive, you can only report them if they are legal violations.
- 2
  Document any abuse by the credit card company's collection firm. Keep a log of its phone calls and any threats or other abusive practices. Record the calls if you live in a state where this is permissible. This will give you proof of the abuse.
- 3
  Notify the collection company in writing that you don't want to be contacted about the credit card debt. Once you do this, they can only contact you one last time letting you know what specific action they plan to take. Any further contact is prohibited and can be considered abusive, so you should document it.
- 4
  Report the credit card company's abuse to your state's Attorney General's Office. If the credit card company is using a collection agency located outside of your state, report the abuse to the Federal Trade Commission. Be prepared to back up your complaint with documentation of the abuse.
- 5
  Sue the credit card company's collection agency in either state or federal court. You are allowed to do this for up to one year after you have been abused. If you win the case, you can recover any losses and additional money up to $1,000, a`s well as your attorney's fees and court costs.

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