An Overzealous Debt Collector

When you try to pay your debts to a company, the last thing you expect is to receive a death threat in return, but that’s what one customer said he recently got.

Al Burrows owed $308 to Verizon Wireless and had spoken with a bill collector at the company who set him up on a 90-day timetable to pay it off. However, shortly after, Mr. Burrows said that another bill collector called him and demanded that the debt be repaid immediately. The collector then allegedly threatened Mr. Burrows, saying, “I’m gonna blow your motherf%$^ing house up”.

According to ABC News Mr. Burrows was so frightened that he and his wife immediately changed their locks but then decided to leave their home in Las Cruces, New Mexico and move to an undisclosed location out of state. Now, Burrows is filing a lawsuit against Verizon. Verizon allegedly told Burrows that he was making up the story, but a company spokesman told ABC that “the alleged behavior is inappropriate” and the company “takes such allegations very seriously.”

To call this behavior “inappropriate” is certainly an understatement. As consumers, it’s easy to feel helpless when dealing with debt collectors, but it’s crucial that you know your rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act contains a number of provisions restricting the conduct of debt collectors. For example, Debt collectors are only allowed to call you during certain hours of the day (usually between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.) and you have the power to tell them not to call you at work. Yes, these collectors are permitted to raise their voice on the telephone but they cannot yell or scream in a frightening manner and they are absolutely not permitted to make any threats against you.