What to Say to Bill Collectors to Stop Calling

It can be annoying and stressful to get calls from bill collectors over and over again. As much as you may owe the money, debt collectors are still limited in when and how they can contact you. Luckily, there are things you can do to stop debt collectors from calling you.

How Often Can Debt Collectors Call You?

Debt collectors have limits on when and how frequently they can call you:

• They generally can’t contact you before 8 AM or after 9 PM in your time zone.

• They can’t call you about a specific debt more than 7 times within 7 days.

• Once you tell them to stop calling, they can only call you once more to make sure they won’t call again.

• If you make a good request about when and where they can call you, like not calling you at work, they have to follow it.

How to Tell a Debt Collector to Stop Calling

You have the right under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to send a cease communication letter telling a collector to stop contacting you. Here’s how to do it:

• Send it in writing. The request needs to be in writing – you can’t just tell them over the phone. Send a letter through certified mail and request a return receipt as proof they received it.

• Use the validation notice. Debt collectors need to send you a validation notice that lets you know about the debt. Use this notice to write your cease communication letter.

• Follow up if they call again. If collectors call again despite your letter, reiterate your cease communication request in writing. If calls continue, they may be violating the FDCPA.

• Open any mail. Your request stops calls but not mail, which may have important info if they sue. Open any mail you get from collectors.

• Keep records. Save copies of your letters and any mail you get from the collector. These records help if you need to take legal action later.

What to Say On Any Calls You Do Take

If you do end up speaking to a collector before sending your cease letter, here’s what to say and not say:

Do:

• Ask for their name and company info so you can identity them later.

• Request details about the debt like the original creditor and amount owed.

• Ask them to validate the debt and send proof in writing.

• Say you can’t discuss the debt now and will be in touch later.

Don’t:

• Provide any personal or financial information.

• Admit the debt is yours or make offers to pay. This can reset the statute of limitations.

• Agree to a payment plan.

• Use hostile language – calls may be recorded.

Does a Cease Letter Get Rid of the Debt?

Important to note – telling collectors to stop calling does NOT eliminate the debt. Here are some things that can still happen:

• They can still sue you to collect on the debt. Respond to any court summons.

• They can still report negative information to credit bureaus.

• Interest, fees, and collection costs may continue growing on the account.

• They may assign or sell the debt to another collection agency who can contact you.

Ignoring debt tends to make things worse. Work on addressing the debt even if you stop calls.

Should You Pay or Dispute Old Debts?

If a collector contacts you about a very old debt, you may not actually have to pay it. Here are some cases where you may want to dispute instead of pay:

• Past the statute of limitations. If it’s been long enough that the collector can no longer sue to collect based on your state’s statutes (usually 3-6 years), you typically don’t have to pay.

• Not your debt. You aren’t liable to pay if the collector has the wrong person and you never incurred the debt. Dispute it.

• Discharged in bankruptcy. Debts included in your bankruptcy filing can’t be collected after the case is discharged. Debt collectors may sometimes try to get you to unknowingly repay them. Don’t agree to pay discharged debt.

• Incorrect amount. You may only partially owe a debt if collectors tacked on excessive fees or interest incorrectly. Only pay the verified amount you actually owe.

Negotiating Debt with Collectors

If you determine the debt is valid and want to resolve it, you can negotiate with the collector. Some tips:

• Save up money to offer a lump-sum settlement. Collectors buy debt for pennies on the dollar so even 20-50% settlements are often accepted.

• Don’t set up payment plans until you’re ready with money to offer.

• Get any settlement offer in writing before paying.

• Pay collectors directly with a money order instead of giving bank account access.

Alternatives Like Debt Management

Getting on a debt management plan (DMP) through a nonprofit credit counseling agency is another option to resolve debt and stop calls. Benefits include:

• Lower interest rates and consolidated payments on all debts.

• Collectors and creditors communicate with the agency instead.

• Helps rebuild credit with timely payments reported.

• Fee is usually low, around $50 to enroll.

DMPs aren’t ideal for recent or severely delinquent accounts but can help get collectors to stop calling about old debt.

Ignoring Collectors Often Backfires

It’s tempting to try avoiding calls altogether by not answering the phone or opening mail from collectors. This almost always causes more harm than good:

• Outstanding debts continue growing with additional interest and fees.

• Accounts get sent to additional collection agencies, resulting in more calls.

• Collectors are more likely to sue to garnish wages or put liens on property.

• Credit score keeps dropping making it harder to get loans.

• Stress builds up not knowing what actions collectors are taking.

As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind” does not apply to debt collectors. Take proactive steps to stop calls and address debts owed.

Handling Debts You Can’t Repay

If you simply can’t afford to repay debt collectors at all, two options to consider are:

• Bankruptcy: Declaring Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 can stop collections and discharge debts. Be aware this causes severe damage to credit.

• Proof of insolvency: If you truly have very minimal income that is exempt from garnishment, collectors may have no choice but to stop pursuing you and write the debt off.

In either case, continue to keep careful records of communication with collectors to protect your rights.

Don’t Fall for Debt Relief Scams

Many companies advertise they can make debt disappear or stop all your collection calls for an upfront fee. Avoid these types of debt relief offers:

• Debt settlement companies often take fees for 2 years while your debt gets worse before attempting to negotiate smaller lump sums.

• Credit repair companies cannot legally remove accurate negative information from your credit reports.

• Credit counseling services should be nonprofits – beware of for-profit counseling that charges large fees.

Protect yourself by reporting suspicious companies to the FTC and your state attorney general’s office. Rely on legitimate consumer protections instead of scams.

Key Takeaways

While debt collectors can be intimidating and exhausting to deal with, you have legal rights to stop the calls. Keep these tips in mind:

• Send a cease communication letter through certified mail to stop calls.

• Don’t confirm debts or make offers over the phone – get written validation first.

• Disputed or expired debt may not need to be paid but address valid debts.

• Negotiate lump-sum settlements or try debt management to resolve debts.

• Ignoring debts tends to make problems worse. Seek help if you need it.

Exercising your rights carefully can help halt collector calls so you can focus on evaluating the best path forward to deal with debt.