The collection industry has come a long way since the unregulated days when collection agents could basically do and say whatever they wanted.

However, even with the changes that protect consumers, one popular tactic that collection agents still deploy is calling you at work! Why? For obvious reasons: maybe you were able to avoid their call at home, but at work it is more difficult. It is also because it is so incredibly embarrassing to receive collection calls at work that some people are just mortified and pay.

If you can’t pay though, it is entirely unfair that you suffer this kind of humiliation.

If you have the type of job where the state of your personal finances is important as a testament to how responsible you are, an employer catching wind of financial problems could also interfere with your job.

So, how do you nip an aggressive collector repeatedly calling you at you in the bud?

• When agents call, advise them that they do not have permission to call you at work and should they call again you will file a complaint with the appropriate regulator.
• Write them a letter advising them where they may call and/OR write to you – we put OR in caps because it is an option to tell them they cannot call you at all and may only write to you.
• If they continue to call, you may file a formal complaint against them with the provincial regulator.

If you know that you plan to go as far as making a complaint against the collection agency be diligent and keep good records. Note the dates and times of calls, who called you, what happened – what did they say to you and what did you say to them.

When you are ready to make a complaint, here are some links to some provincial regulators of collection agencies in Canada:

• British Columbia http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumers-debt-collection/consumer-tips
• Alberta http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/Consumer_Info.cfm
• Saskatchewan http://www.justice.gov.sk.ca/cpb
• Manitoba http://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/cpo/
• Ontario https://www.ontario.ca/home-and-community/collection-agency-your-rights
• PEI http://www.gov.pe.ca/consumerservices/
• Newfoundland http://www.servicenl.gov.nl.ca/department/branches/divisions/tp.html

Now, stopping the collection agency from harassing you at work is a good first step, however it is not going to make the debt go away. Continue to ignore them and the agents may just look at other ways to collect from you or your creditor may decide to pursue you through small claims court.

Stand up for your rights and don’t be bullied by a collection agency, but don’t ignore the debt in the process. Make finding a solution for dealing with the debt a serious priority – that is the only way that you can truly put an end to your problem.

For more about your rights when it comes to collection agencies, or to get rid of the debt to make the harassment stop, please call DebtCare Canada today at 1-888-890-0888.