As the cost-of-living crisis drives more people to financial stress, it helps to understand the rules that cover debt collecting
If you have ever received a call from a private debt collector, perhaps demanding payment for an overdue bill you barely remember, you will know that it can feel daunting and rife with potentially serious consequences.
The best way to protect yourself in such a situation, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis driving more and more Australians to financial stress, is to understand your rights and the rules governing the way debt collectors can behave.
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Use, or threaten to use, violence or physical force against a debtor.
Adopt an aggressive, threatening or intimidating manner.
Use abusive, offensive, obscene or discriminatory language.
Comment on a debtor’s position, physical appearance, intelligence or other characteristics or circumstances.
Embarrass or shame a debtor.
Make disrespectful or demeaning remarks about a debtor’s character or financial situation in life.
Mislead a debtor about the nature or extent of a debt, or the consequences of non-payment.
Pressure a debtor by misleading, harassing, threatening or putting pressure on a debtor’s spouse or partner, or a member of a debtor’s family.
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