Can a debt collector contact me at work?
In Washington, debt collectors can contact you at work, but only after giving you some advance notice that they plan to do so. The Washington Collection Defense Law, which applies to all collection activities, stipulates that debt collectors must provide you with a written notice before attempting to contact you at your place of employment. This notice must include a description of your right to object to such contact and advise your employer of the same. If you do not consent to the debt collector contacting you at work, then they should not do so. To ensure the debt collector is aware of your wishes, you should make this clear in writing and provide the debt collector with a copy of the notice they sent you. Additionally, you may want to inform your employer of your intent and advise them to not accept contact from debt collectors. It is important to remember that debt collectors are generally prohibited from revealing the nature of your debt or the fact that they are debt collectors to your employer or coworkers. Furthermore, they should not contact you at unreasonable hours or in an overly aggressive manner. If a debt collector violates any of these provisions, you can report them to the Washington Department of Financial Institutions for investigation.
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