Collection Agencies

What to do when the vultures are after you.

This is not legal advice.

YOU CANNOT OUTRUN YOUR DEBTS

Eventually you will have to settle with your creditors

if you ever want to rent an apartment,  get a credit card, a mortgage, lease, car or anything else bought on credit.

• It is a criminal offence for a collection agency to harass or intimidate you, to send you threatening mail or to threaten you over the telephone or in person.
• It may be a criminal offence if a collection agency is calling you many times a day at home or at work or is using scare tactics to get you to pay them.
• If a collection agency is harassing you:
• Tell them to stop contacting you as it is criminal harassment.
• If they make one more call contact the police and your phone company
• Report them to your provincial Corporate and Consumers Affairs office. This will place their license at risk.
• If you get a letter purporting to be from a Collection Agency's law firm or lawyer, COMPLAIN TO THEIR LAW SOCIETY about harassment by that lawyer.
• You do not have to speak to anyone from a collection agency or deal with them if you choose not to.
• When they phone do not speak to them. Get the person's name, phone number and company name then hang up without saying another word.
• When they call back (and they will call and call) log the calls, but just continue to hang up without speaking to them.
• Do not tell them where or if you work.
• Do not tell them where your bank is.
• Do not discuss your finances with them.
• If you do make any payments to them, get a postal money order so they do not learn where your bank account is.

Canada Trusts

CANLAW