Those days are
not far when on logging into the Facebook, one finds a new message in the inbox
from a unique sender. This person – or better to say entity – is neither an old
friend nor a family member. But, it is the debt collector, asking you the
reason for not paying up in time. Debt collectors are not leaving any stone
unturned to reach out to debtors. The social media platform is the latest
addition to their array of avenues to tap debtors.
However, not all
these actions taken online are legal, as they clearly defy the concept of
consumer rights The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is chalking out plans to
impose regulations on debt collectors and compel them to stop online harassment
to debtors. Any public information is a fair game but, by virtue of the FDCPA (Fair
Debt Collections Practices Act), debt collectors are forbidden to harass abuse
or extort debtors for paying up. They also require respecting a debtor’s
privacy. Actions like writing on a debtor’s Facebook wall are simply
prohibited. Neither can they contact a debtor’s friends and family across the
social media platforms.
As such, the US
collections industry has undergone drastic changes in the recent times,
especially with the implementation of the FDCPA. The responsibility of personalized debt collection
services in Birmingham is being aptly shouldered by the fraternity of
proficient debt collection lawyers. Creditors are increasingly depending upon
this legal fraternity than counting upon professional recovery agents. The
agents were often accused of extorting and abusing debtors thus, violating the
principle of consumer rights.
Contrastingly, the legal experts fully
understand the importance of the bonding and the trust that businesses build up
over the ages with their respective customer base. Thus, the legal fraternity
involved with collections practice never applies highhandedness while dealing
with debtors on behalf of their clients. Rather, they move cautiously,
thoroughly sympathizing with debtors’ condition. As there are no threats, no
ultimatums and no harassment from these Birmingham debt lawyers, debtors
eventually turn less and less combative. Eventually, they give up and approach
the legal experts to help them reach feasible settlements with creditors. Thus,
success rate of lawyers involved with collections practice is much higher when
compared to that of collection agents.