First, If you talk to them and tell them and make some sort of arrangements with them, then they can't call and harrass you at all! Second they can't call your work at all! This is illegal! Third...tell them you know they bought your debt for pennies on the dollar and you are willing to settle for 40% or even 50% or your debt, but you will not pay the full amount! Never pay anything without first getting everything you agree to in writing, and second NEVER pay by check...they'll take more than you agree to, always pay by money order! Collection agencies are crooked...so get it in writing! They should not be calling you more than once a day! And if you talk to them about your situation they should not be calling you at all! You should tell them you are going to pay and to send you something in writing with your agreement then they should stop calling you! If not then you can sue them! Tell them you know your rights!

According to the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, they cannot call you before 8:00 A.M. or after 9:00 P.M. The actual text of the law is: "at any unusual time or place or a time or place known or which should be known to be inconvenient to the consumer. In the absence of knowledge of circumstances to the contrary, a debt collector shall assume that the convenient time for communicating with a consumer is after 8 o'clock antimeridian and before 9 o'clock postmeridian, local time at the consumer's location;" It's worth a shot asking them not to call. Odds are they'll eventually sell the debt to another debt collector, though.

Section 805 of the FDCPA is frequently confused. Some people take it to mean that collectors can only call between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time to the debtor. Actually, Section 805 restricts calls at any unusual time or place or which should be known to be inconvenient to the consumer. In other words, if a collector knows you are visiting your sick mother in the hospital, it is a violation to call the hospital room in order to talk to you about the debt. The general rule here is that 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. is assumed to be acceptable. This does not mean that calls at 7:55 or 9:10 are illegal per se. You can simply say tell the collector that those calls are inconvenient. They are only a violation if you have advised the collector that it is inconvenient and he calls back during that time repeatedly. This section doesn't adequately address consumers that work second or third shifts. Unfortunately the way most agencies are set up, you're going to keep getting calls from the auto-dialer between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. I'm not going to lie to you; you can send a letter and complain, but it will not do any good. Collection agencies are like most people and businesses – simple is easiest. I suggest turning your phone off while you try to sleep. http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs27plus.htm http://www.credit.com/slp/chapter9/Debt-Collection-Laws.jsp

It is not illegal to call someone at work unless that agency is specifically told not to call you at work. Also not all collection agencies buy debt many work for commission and they must get permission before settling a debt.

What is the earliest and the latest a debt collector can call.