What rights does the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act give me?

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) provides rights for consumers dealing with debt collection in Washington. This law protects individuals from unfair and deceptive collection practices, such as false statements or threats of arrest or harm. The FDCPA ensures that debt collectors must follow certain rules when attempting to collect a debt. For example, the law states that debt collectors must send you a written notice within five days of their first contact stating the amount of your debt, the name of the creditor, and your right to dispute the debt. The law also provides a right-to-notify provision. This means that if a debt collector contacts you, you have the right to request that they provide written verification that the debt is indeed yours. If they fail to do this, they must cease all further collection activity. The FDCPA also gives you the right to sue debt collectors if they violate any of the protections outlined in the law. If you win your case, the debt collector may be required to pay your legal fees and damages. Finally, the FDCPA bars debt collectors from engaging in unfair or harassing collection practices. This means that debt collectors must treat you with respect, cannot call you excessively or make false statements about you, and should not contact you at inconvenient times such as early in the morning or late at night.

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What rights does the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act give me?

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