This letter is written to express my profound distress concerning the telephone harassment I and my family have been subject to. The calls I have received from these two employees in particular are very antagonistic and threatening in nature. The conduct of these two individuals is entirely inappropriate and unprofessional and contravenes many legal parameters that regulate the collections industry. My children have been interrogated over the phone, there have been numerous calls to my workplace despite requests to refrain from calling my place of employment, and detailed messages were left with my supervisor and co-workers.
These interactions are especially disturbing considering the A.R. C philosophy statements - the one I found most contradictory to your employees communication practice is the following; A.R.C. Commits to treat all of our client customers with dignity and respect, without compromise. Both the above individuals certainly do not emulate these ideals.
These employees as representatives of A.R.C. Are in breach of the following:
Harassment
114
(1) A collector must not communicate or attempt to communicate with a debtor, a member of the debtor's family or household, a relative, neighbour, friend or acquaintance of the debtor, or the debtor's employer in a manner or with a frequency as to constitute harassment.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), one or more of the following constitutes harassment:
(a) using threatening, profane, intimidating or coercive language;
(b) exerting undue, excessive or unreasonable pressure.
This section of the act has been violated as both Tina Hough and Bill Baker have used threatening language in attempts to intimidate me, Bill Baker used profanity and hung up the phone. Further, after accepting a payment schedule and subsequently processing the cheques these two individuals have now given me 24 hours to pay out my debt.
Disclosure to debtor
115
(b) the amount of the debt, and
(c) the identity and authority of the collector to collect the debt from the debtor.
(3) If a debtor informs the collector that the debtor has not received the notice required under subsection (1), the collector must send that information to the debtor at the address provided by the debtor.
An account summary outlining the outstanding balance, charges and payments has not been received from your offices since the court hearing.
Communication with debtor
116 (2) The collector must not make more than one verbal attempt, under subsection (1) (b), to contact the debtor at the debtor's place of employment.
Communication with persons other than debtor
117 (1) Except for the purpose of obtaining the debtor's home address or telephone number, a collector must not communicate or attempt to communicate with a member of the debtor's family or household, or a relative, neighbour, friend or acquaintance of the debtor
(2) A collector must not communicate with a debtor's employer except
(a) for the purpose of confirming the debtor's employment, business title and business address, or
According to the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act Section Part 7 your collectors are in violation of the above. I have filed an official complaint, file 089710.
And according to Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (1978) your practices are called into question.
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