HELP!? Credit collectors are harrassing me for an old roomates debt.?

Question

An old roomate has gotten himself into some debt issues and now various companies are calling and leaving messages for me and they call my wife's family and my own family looking for info to this guy! I've had no contact with him for 3 years and have no idea where he is, but they don't accept that answer. How do we get them to stop calling and who can we report harrassment to!?

Answer 1

Maybe your ex roommate has been stealing your identity. Get a free credit report and find out.

Answer 2

Call your phone company and report them. They have NO RIGHT bothering you over someone elses issue with them. Thats harrassment. CALL THE PHONE COMPANY OR THE POLICE AND REPORT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

That depends on what country you're in.

If you're in Canada, you can call the Ministry of consumer affairs.

Then, you can file a complaint. The ministry will give you a file #. Next time they call, simply say: "I need your first and last name. I have filed a complaint about your agency and yourself personally with the ministry of consumer affairs. The file# is ---.  I've done this because despite telling you I do not owe this money, you have continued to contact me - which is ILLEGAL in Canada." The debt collector can lose their "license" (or whatever it is) over this, so they take it very seriously. Visit the website for Ministry of Consumer affairs and read over the rules and policies regarding collection agencies. There are rules they must legally abide, and various responses you can legally give. Familiarize yourself with these laws so that you can finally make them buzz off.

If they're continuing to call you, it's usually because the harrassee hasn't figured out the rules of this game yet.....Keep in mind that a debt collector has NO MORE POWER to collect a debt than an ordinary citizen. They rely on intimidation and the assumption that you won't realize they're working for a commission and will believe they have rights.

For example: They are not allowed to demand financial info from you, cannot continue to pursue a debt for which you claim you are not responsible and MUST inform you in writing that they have been hired by the company to represent the collection and the details of the collection. There are also rules about times of day and which days they can call. Furthermore, it is illegal for them to disclose information about your old roommate because it is his private business. (This applies in Canada anyways).

Answer 4

Try the attorney general's office for your state.  Also, see if there is a consumer credit bureau in your state that can advise you.

Answer 5

Did you co-sign on a lease or other item like that with your ex-roommate?

Answer 6

here in the U.K we use the old fashioned method and just tell them to **** off