What is creditor harassment and how to stop it?

Dealing with debt may be a difficult and daunting experience. 

Unfortunately, some creditors may use harassment to try and recover their losses. It’s crucial to understand what creditor harassment is and your options for stopping it if you’re a victim of it. This article will tell you more about creditor harassment and how to prevent it.

Any action taken by a creditor with the intention of pressuring, intimidating, or humiliating a debtor is known as creditor harassment. Creditor harassment includes actions like phoning you often or at odd hours, threatening you, using foul language, or invading your home or place of business without your permission.

What counts as a creditor harassment

There are particular guidelines that debt collectors must follow when pursuing a debt. Any conduct that violates these rules may be construed as creditor harassment. Examples of creditor abuse include as follows:

• Making frequent or excessive phone calls
• Sending threatening letters or emails
• Using aggressive or abusive language
• Threatening legal action without justification
• Making false statements or misrepresenting themselves
• Visiting your home or workplace without your consent

What can you do about harassment by a creditor

There are numerous actions you can take to stop creditor harassment if it is happening to you. You can take the following actions, for example, collecting evidence.

Collecting evidence

The first step is to keep track of any harassment you encounter. Keep a record of it whenever the creditor contacts you by phone, letter, or email. Make sure you make a note of the occasion, the time, and the words or deeds. Record any phone conversations if you can (with the other person’s permission). This evidence will be helpful if you need to file a lawsuit or make a complaint.

Complaining to your creditor

The next step is to complain directly to your creditor. You should write to them, explaining that you believe they are harassing you and that their behavior is unacceptable. Ask them to stop immediately and provide evidence of any specific instances of harassment. If your creditor doesn’t stop, you can take further action.

Complaining to a professional body

After complaining to your creditor about the harassment, you might take the situation further by contacting a professional organization. Debt collection companies are subject to FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulation, and it has the authority to impose sanctions on those that violate the rules. You can file a complaint with the FCA, and they will look at it.

Further help and how to prevent creditor harassment

Although dealing with creditor harassment might be difficult, there are services that can assist you. It is also critical to take action to avoid creditor harassment in the first place. Open and honest communication with your creditors is one method to achieve this. Let them know if you’re having trouble making your payments and try to figure out a solution that benefits both of you.