Debt Relief 101- Collection Companies and How to Deal with Them

There are many different types of collection agencies out there. Some are nice, pleasant to work with, and just want to help you pay off your debts. Others are aggressive, rude, and downright mean in attempting to get you to answer their calls or make payments on your account. Here are some tips that can help you negotiate with debt collectors and come out on top every time:

-Don't fall for their threats. A good majority of the people calling and threatening to take you to court, pursue serious consequences or ‘make immediate decisions and needing your input' are just blowing smoke to get you to pay. These people work for the credit card companies and they want to get their money, and will do whatever it takes. Sometimes, collectors who threaten legal action violate the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, but it's too difficult to prove that anything illegal was done.

-Tape the conversation. If you have a tape recorder handy, use it. This can give you better treatment, more flexible collectors, and better respect on the phone. Plus, if you are threatened with violence or insulted, you can cite a violation of the FDCPA and sue the company for this violation.

-Find out what you can afford. You need to know what you can and can't afford when working with creditors. If you are offered payment plans, you need to know what you can afford so that you can take advantage of this option when you have it.

-Don't give out personal details. Don't give out information about your work, your checking account, or anything that can make taking you to court easier. Collectors will have to spend a lot of money on legal services to find out this information, so they rarely seek this option. Don't tell them what they don't already know, unless you are working on setting up a payment plan.

-Get everything written down. Debt collectors are trained to do whatever it takes to get payment. Don't let them take advantage of you by saying one thing and then doing another. Make sure that you get a letter stating what the arrangements are before you make a single payment. You can find sample settlement letters on the internet for reference. One trick that you can try is to write ‘settled in full' on the check that you send out. When they cash the check, they are accepting that payment as settlement for the account even if they crossed it out or didn't have other written proof of this agreement.

If you're not ready to handle debt negotiation on your own, contact Epic Debt Relief today to get the help that you need at 877-971-3232.