Use This 11 Word Phrase To Stop Debt Collectors From Contacting You

Constant calls and harassment from debt collectors can take a toll on your mental health. If you can't take the frequent pursuit anymore, use this 11-word phrase to stop debt collectors from contacting you ever again: "Please cease and desist all calls and contact with me, immediately."

As a consumer, the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) protects you from harassment, intimidation, and threats by debt collectors and creditors. Unfortunately, even though they are aware of these laws, some debt collectors still go ahead and violate them.

So when this occurs, you can send them the 11-word phrase to cut off any communication with you. If that still fails, contact DoNotPay to help you stop all communication with the debt collection agency or creditor.

DoNotPay's product "Stop Debt Collectors" will send a demand letter to the agency or file a complaint to the CFPB to prevent further harassment on your behalf.

Origin of the 11 Word Phrase

The 11-word phrase became popular after Larry King's interview with John Ulzheimer, a popular credit expert. He has worked with big companies like Equifax and FICO and knows the industry from start to finish.

During his interview, Ulzheimer shared an expert tip with his audience concerning debt collections. He said, "if you are being pursued by debt collectors, you can stop them from calling you ever again – by telling them this '11-word phrase'."

Advertisers later branded this simple tip as the "11-word phrase to stop debt collectors" and has stuck with debtors to date.

What Does the Law Say About Debt Collector Calls?

The FDCPA is the document that protects the rights of a consumer. It also informs creditors of legal practices and those considered unlawful.

According to the FDCPA, collectors or creditors can call or mail debtors once a day, but they're prohibited from:

• Continuously calling the debtor to threaten, intimidate, or annoy them.
• Calling past regular working hours such as late at night or early mornings
• Calling the debtor's family members and friends and disclosing their debts to them
• Using abusive or rude language
• Threatening to take the debtor to court
• Providing misleading information on the amount or condition of the debt.
• Disguising themselves as attorneys or police officers
• Publishing the name of debtors who have forfeited their debts

How to Stop Communication with Debt Collectors On Your Own

The first step to stopping debt collectors from calling you is telling them the 11-word phrase - “Please cease and desist all calls and contact with me, immediately.”

To make it more formal, you should send a demand letter to the collection agency or creditors explaining that they should cut off any contact with you right at that moment. Firmly state that you don't wish the agency or creditor to call you ever again, whichever the reason.

Your collector or creditor should obey your written request, as the FDCPA states.

But if after sending the demand letter they still contact you, you should now take legal action. Report the collection agency to your attorney general and file a complaint to the CFPB, BBB, or FTC here:

Other ways to stop debt collectors from contacting you include:

• Verifying your debt by requesting a debt validation letter from the collection agency.
• Confirming the statute of limitations on your debt. A debt collector is prohibited by law to collect barred/old debts. The statute of limitations for most states is between 3 and 6 years.
• Enrolling in a debt management program: Debt management programs assist debtors to reduce their monthly payments and fees and act as mediators between debtors and collectors.

Sometimes using these steps to stop debt collectors will still bear no fruit. It could even make the situation worse. That's because cutting your communication with a creditor or debt collector could make them assume you're forfeiting the debt altogether.

Fortunately, there's a tried and tested alternative. DoNotPay's product "Stop Debt Collectors" has helped debtors in the past to cut communication with debt collectors or report them for violating the debt collection laws.

Stop Debt Collectors From Contacting You Using DoNotPay

If you're tired of receiving constant calls from debt collectors, DoNotPay can make them stop contacting you ever again.

You'll only need to follow these 3 steps and let DoNotPay handle the rest:

1. Search “debt collection” on DoNotPay.

2. Answer a series of questions about the debt collectors, including when you were contacted and how you were contacted, so DoNotPay can determine if they have violated any debt collection laws.

3. Decide which course of action you want to take based on DoNotPay’s guidance, such as filing a debt verification request, demanding for the collectors to stop contacting you, or reporting them to the CFPB.

And that's it. Once you choose the course of action you want to take, DoNotPay will handle the rest. We'll deliver your request directly to the debt collectors via first-class mail, or file your complaint automatically with the CFPB so that they're no longer able to use unfair debt collection practices.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

Besides handling all your debt collection related issues, you can also use DoNotPay to:

• Cancel subscription
• Write financial aid appeal letters
• Pay bills
• Increase your credit limit
• Find your missing money
• Clean your credit report