Prepare Yourself from Abusive Credit Card Debt Collectors

Referring to recent hot news about the killing of a Citibank credit card customers who have been killed by their debt collectors, see the excerpt below :

Three Citibank debt collectors allegedly killed Irzen Octa, 50, secretary-general of the National Unity Party (PPB), on Tuesday after he protested an increased credit card bill, the police said on Thursday.

“The motive of the murder is due to debt [issues], a credit card bill that didn’t fit [the formerly given figure],” South Jakarta Police chief detective Adj. Sr. Comr. Budi Irawan said on Thursday.

Budi said the victim objected to his Citibank credit card bill, which had grown to Rp 100 million (US$11,500) from the Rp 48 million of which Irzen had been expecting.

Irzen only learned of the “unfitting” bill as he was about to pay it at the Citibank office branch at Jamsostek Tower in South Jakarta on Tuesday, the police said. Read more …

When going through a serious debt problem, a person might really feel helpless, stressed and frustrated. You could be vulnerable to threats and harassment from debt collectors. Nevertheless, just since you’re in debt does not imply you have to be treated with much less respect.

Why Debt Collectors Resort to Unfair Practices

Despite the existence of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) like in USA or Circular Letter Bank Indonesia No 11/10/DASP, date 13 April 2009 in my country, many debt collectors nonetheless resort to abusive ways and illegal practices in a try to pressure borrowers to pay. The reason? Many customers usually are not clearly aware of their rights and are hesitant to file a complaint and others merely do not want to go through a prosecution and thus may put up with violations.

But you don’t have to put up with debt collectors who’re attempting to benefit from your situation. Know your rights and defend yourself from unjust treatment. As an example, you ought to be aware that a debt collector cannot use harassment, false threats or abusive languages in opposition to you. They can’t disguise themselves as a authority’s prosecutor or a representative of the legislation simply to power you to pay. They cannot disclose any information about your money owed to any third social gathering resembling kinsfolk, mates, employers, or neighbors. Collectors should not allow calling before 8 am or after 9pm except you gave them permission to do so.

If a debt collector is asking you to repay charges that you did not owe, you may send a letter of dispute to your lender. As quickly as they received your dispute letter, your lender ought to instantly conduct an investigation concerning the issue. They have 30 days to resolve the matter. During this era or while the investigation is being conducted, they aren’t allowed to make any collection activity.

You may as well request your debt collector to stop notifying you about your debts. However, bear in mind that this does not launch you out of your obligation to pay. Even when the gathering attempts have been stopped, you should take the initiative to submit your repayments.

Take Action towards Abusive Debt Collectors

If a debt collector is responsible of violation of the regulation or human rights, what are you able to do? The first step is to send a letter to your debt collector and notify them about the violation committed against you. Tell them to cease all their debt collection actions immediately. Upon receipt of your letter, your debt collector ought to reply positively and stop all its attempts to contact you.

In case your debt collector refuses to cooperate, report them to your Police Office right away. Hold records of all of your past and current correspondence along with your debt collector as this might help in proving your claims. It is usually advisable to document all of your phone conversations with your debt collector especially if they are guilty of harassment.

Share on Facebook