Latest Debt Collection Tactics Ohio Consumers Should Know
Most debt collectors aren’t huge fans of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) This statute prevents them from using auto-dial to make calls to consumer cell phones without express consent. Now, however, debt collection agencies have found a way to get around this law. These latest debt collection tactics involve dropping prerecorded message directly into the voicemail boxes of targeted consumers. This way, debt collectors can make contact with a lot of consumers at once without actually calling anyone. If the Federal Communications Commission decides these latest debt collection tactics are permissible, it could make things more difficult for Ohio consumers who are harassed by debt collectors.
How the Direct-to-Voicemail Tactic makes it Easier for Debt Collectors to Reach Ohio Consumers
If an Ohio debt collection agency wants to use direct-to-voicemail (DTV) technology, they simply connect to a telephone company’s voicemail server via a landline. They can then drop messages into the voicemail boxes of the consumers with whom they want to make contact. Next, any Ohio consumer who receives a message will get a notification about the new voicemail.
The big question on the table right now is “Is a DTV message a cell phone call?”. Part of the purpose of the TCPA is to prevent consumers from being charged for unsolicited auto-dialed calls. However, DTV advocates argue that consumers will not have charges for these automated voicemail drops. Depending on their carrier, some consumers will charge for listening to the voicemail. Yet, because the consumer has to make the decision to access the voicemail, DTV supporters claim that these charges don’t violate the TCPA.
A company that offers DTV service to debt collection agencies and telemarketers has recently filed a petition for declaratory ruling with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC, in turn, is currently soliciting consumer comments on this petition. This means that if you’re a concerned Ohio resident, you have an opportunity to express your opinions about DTV technology. Many consumers in Ohio who’ve had experience with unscrupulous debt collectors may have strong reservations about this TCPA workaround. A lot of the time, debts pursued by debt collection agencies are incorrect. Sometimes those debts expired already. There are even times that the person being harassed owes no debt through the collection agency.
How Ohio Consumers can Fight Unscrupulous Debt Collectors
If you don’t think that debt collectors and telemarketers should be able to get around the TCPA by using DTV technology, now is the time to speak out. You can submit your comments about the direct-to-voicemail petition to the FCC until June 2, 2017. This can be done through the FCC website, www.fcc.gov.
Also, if you’re an Ohio resident who’s currently receiving harassing calls about a debt that you don’t owe, legal help is available. You should also seek assistance if a debt collector is using threatening language with you, calling at all hours, or continues to call when asked to stop. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a law that is on your side. We, at Ohio Credit Lawyers, are on your side as well. You can get a FREE credit repair lawyer and stop abusive debt collectors. This FREE lawyer can also fix any damage that may have recorded on your credit score by inaccurate debt collections on your credit reports.
The Free and Legal way to Get Better Credit
Don’t let debt collections or other errors on your credit reports bring your credit score down. At Ohio Credit Lawyers, we’ve been stopping abusive debt collectors and cleaning up credit reports for consumers since 2008 for free. How do we do it? The law allows us to collect our fees and costs from the defendants in any successful action. This is why our clients pay nothing for the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation about what we can do for your credit. Set up your free consultation today by calling Attorney Gary Nitzkin at (888)293-2882 or sending him a message through our contact page.
