Can a creditor call you at work?

Answer 1

The short, indesputable answer is yes, depending:

• If the collector has not been notified in writing to NOT call your employer's number, he may call.
• If the collector is verifying employment, he may call.
• If the collector has no home address or phone number AND he is communicating a change in status on the account, he may call.

Answer 2

A creditor can call you at home, at work, on your cell, anywhere and anytime (the "anytime" must be within reason, such as NOT after 9pm, etc.). They can also call anyone you've listed as a reference or contact in order to locate you (although they are not allowed to divulge specifics of the debt they are calling regarding in order to malign you). However, the first time they call you at work, you merely need to tell them ONCE never to contact you at work again and then legally they cannot do so-- if they do, they are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Keep notes of dates, times, and names.

If you really want them to leave you alone entirely, you must send them a letter (send it certified) directing them to cease all forms of contact with you (phone, mail,etc.). After that, they can only mail you one more notice stating that they have received your request and are complying. Keep in mind that this does NOT negate the money you owe the creditor or remove it from your credit report-- the debt does not magically go away. You still owe the debt. And if it is a secured debt (with collateral such as an auto loan), they may still repossess whatever was used to secure the debt.

But they can't call you at work once you tell them not to.

Here is more input:

• The standard guideline for most collection agencies is to take a verbal statement from the consumer not to call your work. However by FDCPA your statement must be done in writing. This also applies to calls at home. If another person you work with verbally tells them they cannot call there, then they are legally prohibited from calling the business except for validating your employment.

• Yes, a creditor may call your work place if that is one of the phone numbers you or a relative provided. They may not call you at work if you have said "Remove my work number from your records." You must provide an alternate number to replace it. If the phone calls persist, you may file a harassment complaint.

• Yes, a collector can call you at work. You can advise not to be called at work, but it may not be honored. Writing and requesting no calls to work or home must by honored. But if you move to a new address or start a new job then the letter doesn't apply to your new residence or work. An additional letter must be sent. States also have their own laws on how many times you may be contacted at work. It's usually once a week, after they have tried you at home. You may only be contacted twice a week unless you advise the collections bank or agency to call you back. (For MA residence your state has strict laws on collection activities, you may only be contacted once in a 30day period by collections bank or agency.) Collections start at normal waking hours of 8am to 9pm, 7days a week, yes you may be contacted on Sunday.

• Note that if you are NOT actually a debt collection agency, but a private party, then you are NOT governed by the laws that apply to an agency. So you CAN, for example, call a person at work as much as you want, without violating any law. Until they get a restraining order against you...