Here
are some important tips on How to re-establish your credit report,
for shoppers and merchants.
How do I stop debt collectors from
contacting me?
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
prohibits debt collectors from using unfair or deceptive
practices to collect overdue bills that a creditor has forwarded for
collection.
You can stop a debt
collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the collection
agency telling them to stop. Once the debt collector receives your
letter, the company may not contact you again - with two exceptions:
they can tell you there will be no further contact and they can tell
you that the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some
specific action.
A collector also may
not contact you if, within 30 days after you receive the written
notice, you send the collection agency a letter stating you do not
owe the money. In this case, a collector can renew collection
activities if you are sent proof of the debt. So, along with your
letter stating you don't owe the money, include copies of documents
that support your position. Including a copy (NOT an original) of
the police report you filed may be particularly useful.
If you don't have
documentation to support your position, be as specific as possible
about why the debt collector is mistaken. The debt collector is
responsible for sending you proof that you're wrong. For example, if
the debt in dispute originates from a credit card you never applied
for, ask for the actual application containing the applicant's
signature. You can then prove that it's not your signature on the
application. However, in many cases, the debt collector will not
send you any proof, but will instead return the debt to the
creditor.
Remember, while you
can stop the debt collectors from contacting you, that won't
necessarily get rid of the debt itself. It's important to contact
the creditors individually to dispute the debt otherwise the
creditor may send it to a different debt collector, report it on
your credit report, or institute a lawsuit.
The FTC works for the
consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help
consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get
free information on
consumer issues, visit
www.ftc.gov or call
toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other
fraud-related complaints into
Consumer
Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of
civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
HealthCare
Finance - CareCredit offers "no interest" financing for medical
procedures from Cosmetic Dentistry to LASIK Surgery.
Unmanned
Aircraft Systems - AeroVironment, Inc. is the largest producer of
small UAS in the world today.
Baby
Bassinets - Find out what characterizes a good baby bassinet in this
FAQ with Arm's Reach.
Israel
Biblical Tours - This travel company has archaeologists and scholars
to guide you through the Holy Land.
Residential
Re-Roofing - "Learn some important facts about re-roofing your home in
this exclusive interview with Jason Vaughan, a 20 year roofing
veteran.
Pet
Stairs - PetStairz talks about foam pet products.
CD
Manufacturing - Music Manufacturing Services provides CD's for the
Music Industry all around the world.
Live
Longer... A Science? - David H. Murdock, Chairman of the Dole Food
Company says it is, and he created the luxurious California Health &
Longevity Institute to prove it.
Counterfeit
Handbags - "The World Customs Organization estimates the trade in
fakes at about 7 percent of world trade."
Carpet
Cleaning Tips - "Always ask about referrals and if they have a list of
what they do to prepare your carpets for cleaning, and what type of system
do they use..." QA with Sunset Carpet Cleaning
Children's
Development Toys - "No matter how good a toy looks, the way it
performs under stress is often very different." Says Brian Gordon of
eBeanStalk.
Shopping for
Purses "Whats happening now at a great speed is manufacturers overseas
will see the latest it bag and then duplicate the bag... Price is
primarily why people would buy a knock-off purse as opposed to the real
thing.." Kitsch Purses Q & A
Workers'
Compensation Info "The huge benefit of the Internet is time and
expense savings. The only other way to get all of this information other
than the Internet is at your local law library." FAQ with
WorkCompCentral
Eating
Disorder Treatment - In this FAQ Monte Nido explains how you can find
the right treatment center online.
Auto
Insurance Quotes In this FAQ GMAC explains why you should shop around,
"Each company is different so you should always check several companies to
find the best rates."
Buying
Tickets Online "That game you want to go to is sold out (Superbowl,
World Series), your favorite artist is coming to town and you want great
seats, these are some of the reasons people buy through an online ticket
service or broker." Chico at Platinum Tickets answers faqs.
Planes
Without Pilots Imagine a 3 1/2 foot remote controlled plane that flies
straight up for miles.
Eating
Disorder Help For those dealing with eating disorders, hope is never
too far behind.
Mass
CD Duplication. All of the sudden record labels began relying heavily
on CD manufacturers for the mass production of their clients' albums.
Corporate
Entertainment Corporate meetings are becoming more common in spas than
conference rooms, with room service cuisine rather than with fast food
from drive-thrus.
