Melinda Musil dot Com

We’re watching the news, and they just did a piece on debt collectors. Now, I’ve always tried to be pretty smart about my debt. Though I prefer to use my credit card most of the time, I pay it off at the end of every month, so I’ve never had any kind of significant debt. (What can I say, I like getting the cash-back rewards just for shopping!) Since I’ve never had significant, unpaid debt, I’ve never been harassed by debt collectors. But from what they said tonight on the news about debt collectors – well, it sounds like these guys are just downright mean!

Now, here’s what I know about debt collectors: Debt collectors, or collections agencies (that employ debt collectors), are usually third-party agencies that are brought in when a debt has gone unpaid for a significant period of time. Laws like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibit those debt collectors from behaving in an abusive or deceptive way in their efforts to collect debt. Or at least, that’s what they are supposed to do.

Sleazy new debt collectors are behaving in a downright abusive manner to collect debts. These rogue debt collectors use intimidation and fear tactics to convince people to pay off debts – even if they don’t really even own the debts. With identity theft on the rise, debt collectors are attempting to collect debts from people who didn’t even incur those debts. It’s unbelievable, what they will say – these are things that would never be considered appropriate, even in the most friendly situations.

Sheesh. It’s a good thing that there are finally some lawyers who will stand up to these people. I firmly believe that if you owe a debt, then you should pay it – but even if you owe a debt, no matter what awful things you have done, you do not deserve to be treated in an abusive manner.