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Harassing calls from Credit Information Bureau, Inc.?
If you’ve been contacted on various occasions by Credit Information Bureau, Inc, claiming that they have the right to call you anytime they wish and even at times make threats and abusive notions. You might be wondering whether they have the right to excessively call you even though you have told them to stop and if there are laws that regulate their activities. Are you also wondering when all these constitute harassment?
Debt collectors cannot act in bad faith, because there are laws that regulate their activities and which they must follow. FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) also protects the rights of consumers in the context of debt collection. Consumers may not be aware that they can be awarded up to $1000 in statutory damages, and at times have their debt waived.
Telephone Harassment Laws
Telephone Harassment Laws state that any person or entity contacting you must furnish you with their details, i.e. name, address and phone number at the beginning of the conversation. You will be entitled to up to $500 per violation (by call, text or fax) if any bank, organization or individual fails to comply with the laws.
For a bank or debt collection agency to be able to contact you, they must first seek your permission to do so. Therefore all texts, phone calls and even emails need your prior consent.
Most common FDCPA violations
- If debt collectors call you repeatedly or ceaselessly, they are not acting in accordance with phone harassment laws. The FDCPA considers repeat calls from debt collectors, amounting to the excess of 7 times a day as a case of harassment.
- If debt collectors call you before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm, it may also be considered as a case of telephone harassment.
- If debt collectors are rude or hurl offensive, obscene, profane, or abusive words at you. the use of such words in customer relations is considered harassment. You are allowed to report such abusive phone calls to the police.
- If debt collectors demand that you pay interest, fees, or any other expenses that are not stipulated by law. The collector is not permitted to include any extra fees that your original credit or loan agreement does not allow.
- If the collector fails to notify you of your right to dispute the debt, they have erred on the side of phone harassment laws.
- Information about your debt is to be kept within relevant authorities. If debt collectors illegally inform a third party about your alleged debt, they have violated the FDCPA. They are only permitted to reveal such information to a third party if you have expressly given them permission. The only people authorized to receive information about your debt are your attorney, the creditor, the creditor’s attorney, a credit reporting agency, and your spouse or parent(s) (in cases of minors).
Telephone Consumer Protection Laws
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was primarily established to protect the rights of consumers plagued by frequent unwanted calls which may seem like too much to handle. The TCPA bill was first passed in 1991 due to consumer complaints about the increasing amount of unwanted telephone calls which are usually automated and pre-recorded voice messages. The Federal Communications Commission, an agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States established laws that gave conditions by which Debt collectors must abide when contacting an individual via telephone.
They must provide:
1. Name
2. Name of their client
3. A number in which their client could be reached
The law also banned telephone representatives from making unsolicited calls to your home before 8 am or after 9 pm. It also required telemarketers to comply with your request to not be contacted again.
The TCPA does not permit the use of automatic dialing systems, artificial or prerecorded voice messages, SMS text messages, and fax machines. The act also bans auto-dialers and artificial or prerecorded voice messages programmed to contact your pagers or cellular phones. Calls for which a charge is made to the receiving entity are also not permitted. Anyone using an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice message to call you must also state their identity at the beginning of the message and give their address and phone number during the call.
The law also restricts sending unsolicited advertisements by fax to anyone without their prior consent. If the Telephone Consumer Protection Act is violated then you may be entitled to $500 in damages for each violation.
What to do if you keep getting unwanted calls from Credit Information Bureau, Inc.
- Do not answer calls from strange numbers.
- Don’t engage the caller: many debt collectors make various threats in hope that you will respond emotionally. Do not give them that satisfaction.
- Hang up when necessary: if the collector is being rude or using profane words, does not say anything, or refuse to identify themselves, then hang up.
- Save any harassing messages you have received on your voice mail in case you need to present evidence of it in the future.
- Do not disclose personal information especially to an anonymous caller.
- Seek legal advice.
About Credit Information Bureau, Inc.
Credit Information Bureau, Inc. is a third party debt collector located in Warwick, Rhode Island. Credit Information Bureau, Inc. is a debt collection agency.
Contact Information
70 Jefferson Blvd
Warwick, RI 02888-1056
Website: http://www.cibri.com
Phone: (401) 781-7770
About this site (Telephone Harassment)
Here at Telephone Harassment, we are all about informing consumers about their rights regarding harassment from debt collectors, collection law firms and Original lenders. We also encourage consumers to share their experience dealing with collection harassment, legal threats or excessive phone calls to help prepare others for the kind of treatment they are likely to receive. We alert consumers of scams, and notify them about the harassment and scare tactics that many collection agencies employ, many of which are against phone harassment laws.
Call us now on 844-791-1990
Credit Information Bureau, Inc. may be contacting you from the following numbers:
401-781-7770
Credit Information Bureau, Inc. BBB Information
BBB file opened: 2/26/1990
Consumer Rights Law Firm Center BBB information
BBB Rating: A+
https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/north-andover/profile/lawyers/consumer-rights-law-firm-0021-124253
