As the Seniors World Chronicle pointed out, if you owe money it is very possible that a debt collector might call and disrupt your dinner.

With card delinquencies rising, debt collectors are jangling more Americans’ phones. Some 4.79 percent of credit card accounts, approaching one in 20, were delinquent toward the end of 2008, according to the Federal Reserve. As recently as 2006, the rate was 3.95 percent, or about one in 25. And when card accounts go delinquent, defined as being 30 days past due, that’s one of the primary triggers for a call from the credit card company.

Consumers willing to talk usually get more favorable repayment terms and, most of the time, end up paying less than the original balance. The card issuer may restructure the debt, or refer the borrower to a consumer credit counseling company to set up a debt management plan. Lenders may also forgive interest and lower interest rates.

Nevertheless you have rights and you can easily find information on the Web on how to stop debt collector calls.

It is important that you know your rights when dealing with debt collectors.

In the US, Federal law protects you from abusive practices by debt collectors. Even so, the Federal Trade Commission routinely receives more complaints about the debt collection industry than any other.

For 2007, the latest figures available, the FTC received nearly 71,000 complaints about third-party debt collectors. Put another way, one out of every five consumer complaints that the agency receives involves debt collection

In the US, debt collectors cannot:

• Call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you give permission.
• Contact you at work if they know your employer doesn’t want such calls.
• Harass you by using profanities, repeatedly call to annoy you or threaten violence.
• Lie about the size of your debt or threaten to take legal action against you if they have no intention of doing so.

For a specifically Canadian answer on your rights with respect to debt collectors, you may wish to consult the information that the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia division, provides on its web page on Harassment by Debt Collectors.

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