Suddenly, collectors began to pester you about other people's debts: relatives, friends or people you don't know at all. Is it legal and how to get rid of annoying messages and calls?
Unfortunately, in certain cases, collectors have every right to remind you of someone else's debt. For example, if you acted as a co-borrower or a guarantor for a loan. Sometimes communication with collectors can save you from serious problems. So don't hang up and find out why you are being bothered.
1. Find out as many details as possible why you are being called
If the collector starts talking about some debts, first find out all the details. If possible, record the conversation, but do not forget to warn the interlocutor that you are recording.
2. Analyze the information
Perhaps you are worried about a debt that really has to do with you. This happens if you acted as a guarantor or co-borrower on someone else's loan or loan. Or they received an inheritance from a relative — and with it his debts. In these cases, the creditor has every right to demand repayment of the debt from you.
It happens that you are not formally obliged to answer for someone else's loan or loan, but it is better to participate in solving the problem.
But it often turns out that you are not connected with the debtor by any financial interests or you are not familiar with him at all. The collector's call is a clear misunderstanding. But to make sure of this, you need to perform a few more actions.
3. Go to the lender's office
It is better to come to the bank, MFO or consumer credit cooperative (CPC) that issued the loan in person.
If you really have to pay on a loan or loan, find out all the details: what debt is still left, what are the repayment dates, whether it is possible to form a more convenient payment schedule for you. Ask them to give you a copy of the contract with all the appendices.
If an error has occurred and you have nothing to do with someone else's loan, take a certificate of absence of debts from the bank, MFO or CPC. You will be able to present it to collectors.
4.Contact the collector
If the debtor is not connected with you in any way, send statements to the collection company and the creditor: demand to exclude your phone number from the list of contacts of debtors and stop calls on someone else's debt.
If all this does not help — calls and emails continue, move on to more drastic measures.
5. Please contact the authorities
Neither the creditor nor the collectors have the right to disturb the relatives and acquaintances of the debtor if they have expressed their disagreement. Not to mention the cases when you are worried about the loans of strangers. Such actions violate the laws "On collectors" and "On personal data".
What can be done:
If these measures did not work, contact the police.
Attach to the application all the data that you managed to collect: a certificate from the bank, MFO or CPC about the absence of debts, a recording of a conversation with the collector. Indicate that you have already contacted the lender and the collector, but it did not give any result. The police will deal with the violators, and the calls should stop.
Unfortunately, in certain cases, collectors have every right to remind you of someone else's debt. For example, if you acted as a co-borrower or a guarantor for a loan. Sometimes communication with collectors can save you from serious problems. So don't hang up and find out why you are being bothered.
If the collector starts talking about some debts, first find out all the details. If possible, record the conversation, but do not forget to warn the interlocutor that you are recording.
- Find out who exactly and from which organization is calling, on behalf of which creditor and about which debtor.
- Find out why you are worried about the other person's debt and how you are financially connected with him.
- Ask them to send you a document by mail that confirms your obligations.
- Specify the data of the collection organization and the lender: full name, INN and OGRN.
- If you get a call from a representative of a collection agency, not the lender itself, for example, a bank or microfinance organization (MFO), but an employee of a collection agency, it is worth checking his credentials. Ask them to send you a document that confirms the right of the collector to communicate with debtors on behalf of the creditor.
2. Analyze the information
Perhaps you are worried about a debt that really has to do with you. This happens if you acted as a guarantor or co-borrower on someone else's loan or loan. Or they received an inheritance from a relative — and with it his debts. In these cases, the creditor has every right to demand repayment of the debt from you.
It happens that you are not formally obliged to answer for someone else's loan or loan, but it is better to participate in solving the problem.
But it often turns out that you are not connected with the debtor by any financial interests or you are not familiar with him at all. The collector's call is a clear misunderstanding. But to make sure of this, you need to perform a few more actions.
3. Go to the lender's office
It is better to come to the bank, MFO or consumer credit cooperative (CPC) that issued the loan in person.
If you really have to pay on a loan or loan, find out all the details: what debt is still left, what are the repayment dates, whether it is possible to form a more convenient payment schedule for you. Ask them to give you a copy of the contract with all the appendices.
If an error has occurred and you have nothing to do with someone else's loan, take a certificate of absence of debts from the bank, MFO or CPC. You will be able to present it to collectors.
4.Contact the collector
If the debtor is not connected with you in any way, send statements to the collection company and the creditor: demand to exclude your phone number from the list of contacts of debtors and stop calls on someone else's debt.
If all this does not help — calls and emails continue, move on to more drastic measures.
5. Please contact the authorities
Neither the creditor nor the collectors have the right to disturb the relatives and acquaintances of the debtor if they have expressed their disagreement. Not to mention the cases when you are worried about the loans of strangers. Such actions violate the laws "On collectors" and "On personal data".
What can be done:
- You can complain to the bank about the actions of a legal creditor.
- On a black lender who does not have a license and is not on the register of the bank, to the police.
- To the collector — to the Federal Bailiff Service, the National Association of Professional Collection Agencies and Consumer Supervision.
- For violation of the law "On Personal Data" — to Komnadzor.
If these measures did not work, contact the police.
Attach to the application all the data that you managed to collect: a certificate from the bank, MFO or CPC about the absence of debts, a recording of a conversation with the collector. Indicate that you have already contacted the lender and the collector, but it did not give any result. The police will deal with the violators, and the calls should stop.