Dealing with debt collectors can be an unpleasant and stressful experience. You may feel frustrated, angry, or afraid when they call demanding payment. But is it ever okay to swear at or curse out a debt collector? Let’s take a closer look at this common question.
Why People Want to Swear at Collectors
There are several reasons people may feel provoked to cuss out or use profanity towards collectors
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Harassment: Collectors may call repeatedly, even multiple times a day, which can feel harassing. Frequent calls may make you want to lash out.
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Aggression: Some collectors use aggressive, threatening, or intimidating language. Their hostile attitude can make consumers want to respond in kind.
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Stress Being in debt is stressful Having collectors demand money increases anxiety and frustration Swearing can seem like an emotional release,
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Anger: People feel angry about the debt, interest, fees, and the collector’s tactics. Venting anger by swearing may feel justified or satisfying in the moment.
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Helplessness: Consumers feel powerless to change the situation. Swearing gives a sense of control and release of these feelings.
So the desire to curse, yell, and use profanity towards collectors is understandable But that doesn’t mean it’s advisable or prudent.
Is Cussing Out Collectors Legal?
It’s not against the law to yell, swear, threaten, or use racial slurs at debt collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act does not stop people from using bad language or swearing.
However, some states have laws against harassing or abusing collectors. And continued verbal harassment could potentially warrant legal action in some cases.
Risks of Cussing Out Collectors
While cussing collectors out may provide temporary relief, doing so has several risks:
- Damaging any possibility of good faith negotiation
- Escalating tensions and encouraging unprofessional conduct
- Potential retaliation or harassment
- Legal action if language constitutes verbal harassment
- Making the situation more stressful overall
So swearing at collectors may feel justified but is unlikely to improve the situation. In most cases, it does more harm than good.
Alternatives to Swearing at Collectors
Instead of swearing, here are some better ways to respond:
- Polite firmness – Calmly insist calls stop if harassment continues.
- Find alternatives – Offer reduced payments instead of demanded amount.
- Get help – Consult a debt counselor or attorney for assistance.
- Maintain records – Keep notes about dates, times, behavior for potential legal action.
- Know your rights – Understand consumer protections against harassment under the FDCPA.
- Report misconduct – File complaints with the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau about any illegal practices.
Staying professional, seeking alternatives, and knowing your rights are more effective responses than anger and profanity.
The Bottom Line
Lashing out with swearing, cursing, and profanity may feel cathartic in the moment. But it generally fails to improve the situation when dealing with debt collectors. Though not illegal, it has many risks. Remaining calm, negotiating, getting help, and reporting collector wrongdoing are better long-term strategies. So take a deep breath next time collectors call. Cussing them out may only make a bad situation worse.
Harassment and Call Restrictions
Debt collectors cannot harass or abuse you. They cannot swear, threaten to illegally harm you or your property, threaten you with illegal actions, or falsely threaten you with actions they do not intend to take. They also cannot make repeated calls over a short period to annoy or harass you.
Debt collectors cannot make false or misleading statements. For example, they cannot lie about the debt they are collecting or the fact that they are trying to collect debt, and they cannot use words or symbols that falsely make their letters to you seem like theyre from an attorney, court, or government agency.
Debt collectors cannot call you at unusual or inconvenient times or places. Generally, they may call between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., but you may ask them to call at other times if those hours are inconvenient for you.
Debt collectors may send you notices or letters, but the envelopes cannot contain information about your debt or any information that is intended to embarrass you.
You may ask a debt collector to contact you only by mail, or through your attorney, or set other limitations. Make sure you send your request in writing, send it by certified mail with a return receipt, and keep a copy of the letter and receipt. You also have the right to ask a debt collector to stop contacting you entirely. If you do so, the debt collector can only contact you to confirm that it will stop contacting you and to notify you that it may file a lawsuit or take other action against you. Remember that if you ask a debt collector to stop contacting you entirely, it may still sue you and may still report your debt to credit reporting companies, which will likely hurt your credit.
For information about when a debt collector can contact your employer or other people, see Debt Collector Contacting Your Employer or Other People.
Debt Collector Contacting Your Employer or Other People
Employers
Debt collectors may contact your employer but only:
- To verify your employment;
- To get your location information;
- To garnish your wages (that is, taking payment from your paycheck), but only after it sued you and a court entered a judgment against you;
- If the debt is a medical debt, to find out whether you have medical insurance; or
- You or your attorney agreed in writing that the debt collector may contact your employer.
A debt collector may call your employer once to verify your employment. Healthcare providers and their agents may also call your employer to find out if you have medical insurance. Otherwise, the debt collector must contact your employer in writing. If the collector receives no response to its written contact within 15 days, it may then call or otherwise contact your employer.
Other People
Generally, a debt collector cannot contact your family, neighbors, or other people about your debt unless:
- The debt collector is doing so to get your location information;
- A court has given the debt collector permission to do so;
- If, after the debt collector sued you and a court entered judgment against you, it is reasonably necessary to contact other people to effectuate the judgment; or
- You or your attorney agreed in writing that the debt collector may contact other people.
A debt collector can contact your spouse. A debt collector can contact your parents or guardian if you are under 18 years old or live with them. A debt collector can also contact your attorney and, if otherwise allowed by law, credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) about your debt.
For more information about debt collection restrictions, see Harassment and Call Restrictions.
Getting Sued By A Debt Collector? DO THIS FIRST!
FAQ
What should you never say to a debt collector?
“This debt belongs to me. ” You should never acknowledge ownership of a debt during initial contact with a collector. While it may seem like a valid debt, it’s important to verify that the debt is actually yours and that the debt is still legally collectible.
What is the 11 word phrase to stop debt collectors?
If you want to stop debt collectors from calling you, the phrase to use is: “Please cease and desist all communication with me about this debt. If you write this simple phrase to a debt collector and send it to them, they are legally required to stop calling you unless it’s to tell you about certain things, like
What are 2 things that debt collectors are not allowed to do?
Debt collectors cannot harass or abuse you. They cannot swear, threaten to illegally harm you or your property, threaten you with illegal actions, or falsely threaten you with actions they do not intend to take. They also cannot make repeated calls over a short period to annoy or harass you.
What is the 777 rule with debt collectors?
The 7-in-7 rule, also known as the 777 rule or 7×7 rule, is a guideline in debt collection that limits how often a debt collector can contact a person about a particular debt. Specifically, it means a collector cannot call a consumer more than seven times within a seven-day period about the same debt.