No one likes to be contacted by a debt collector. Those who do the job know this better than anyone, and come prepared to get you to acknowledge them whether you’d like to or not. Some in the profession have a reputation for crossing legal and moral lines when attempting to shake you down, so it’s best to know how to operate if you come in contact with a collector.

Credit.com offers advice and dos and don’ts of dealing with collectors:

Don’t:

*Provide bank information for automatic withdrawals. If the agent takes out more money than authorized, it can be a tough battle to recover the funds.

*Use postdated checks. Despite the Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which forbids the practice of cashing checks early, there’s nothing physically stopping the recipient from cashing the checks early and sticking you with fees.

Do:

*Open a separate account with which to pay the collector. When your debt is paid off, close the account.

*Use online bill pay to pay the debt. Its advantage over traditional checking is the recipient doesn’t get your account number.

Check out the source link for more dos and don’ts.

The Dos and Don’ts of Paying a Debt Collector [Credit.com]

(Thanks, Natalia!)

Previously: Debt Collectors Fighting Laws Aimed At Making Them Do Their Jobs Properly

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