Debts are not evil. It is people who make them evil. Debt is that financial instrument which comes to your rescue in time of need. Debts allow you to buy cars, houses etc which otherwise are not possible within your meager means. Loans let you buy something you can't afford, but at the same time let you live comfortably.
Debts are evil only when you borrow more than you can pay. It is imperative for you to repay what you have taken as a loan. Unfortunately there may be many situations that may make it exacting if not impossible to repay your debt as per the agreement. It is at this point you start considering any action taken by debt collectors as untoward. In usual practice creditors do not take action except making a few calls to you about the debt. Though creditors do have a legal right to take action against you to collect money lent to you, they take only limited steps to recover. Once they sell your debt it is in the debt collectors' purview to recoup the money in the design they deem fit.
Debt collectors are third party collectors who have bought delinquent debt from original creditors for a small price and follow any method to extract money from you. However, debt collectors are governed by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) enforced by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC).
The FDCPA has laid down guidelines for debt collectors to follow for fair debt collection. The FDCPA has also recorded rights of consumers who are harassed by aggressive debt collectors. There are clear rules in the Act about what a debt collector should not do while trying to collect debt.
Debt collectors should not:
Call you at inconvenient time
Abuse you or threaten you in any form
Contact you at your work place
Misrepresent to be someone else
Hide his/her identity
Threaten actions that he does not propose to take
Use violence
Call you after you request for a validation of debt
Continue to collect even after you send a cease and desist letter
All these and more are considered as violations of the FDCPA and are punishable under the Act.
Such unlawful violations make you start considering debts as evil.
As a debtor you are assured of a decent and fair debt collection process. Hence, if you are a victim of debt collection harassment you must gain knowledge of your rights under the FDCPA and live a stress free life.