Question:
One of the people in my department is being called
about every two days or so by some collection pit bull.
Now, I don't mind as long as it doesn't interfere
with his work and it doesn't. It usually lasts for
a brief amount of time. Then, it's about two or
three days and the call comes back.
Anywho, even after I said that this agency shouldn't
be calling him at work, he (Asian descent and fairly
new to the US) feels obligated to rectify the
situation and not insult this whomever it is by
telling them to stop the calls to work.
Is there a law or laws about collection agencies calling
someone at work? Can they until the person tells to stop?
Or are they not to call someone at work under any circumstances?
In other words, is this collection agency breaking some
law in some way?
Also, if this agency is also out of state, calling across
state lines, is there some federal law they're breaking?
I seem to remember something about that under CFRs for
Telecommunications but damned it I can find it.
Now if the answer to any of these question is a "yes",
I need the actual law cited. Or a webpage that details
it. We're in California by the way.
Answer:
Well, here is a start: the Federal Fair Debt Collections
Practices Act, Title 15 of the United States Code, Section
1692c
"Without the prior consent of the consumer given directly to
the debt collector or the express permission of a court of
competent jurisdiction, a debt collector may not communicate
with a consumer in connection with the collection of any
debt --
(3) at the consumer's place of employment if the debt
collector knows or has reason to know that the consumer's
employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such
communication."
