Any debt collection agency can be difficult to deal with, but Allied Interstate has an especially bad reputation. They call constantly. They harass you. They tell your friends and family what a deadbeat you are. They have even been known to threaten you with time in jail for not paying your debts. The actions they take that are not completely illegal are, in most cases, at least borderline illegal. To protect yourself from this collection agency and others, you will need to know what your rights are, and be unwilling to put up with those who would violate your rights.
The first and foremost thing that you need to know when you are dealing with debt collectors is what your rights are. Most people do not plan to get into debt, so they really do not keep track of what their rights are when they do. The debt collectors are not a reliable source of information when it comes to your rights either. In fact, they often count on the fact that most people do not know their rights, allowing them to violate the fair debt collection practices act with impunity. Knowing your rights can save you a lot of stress and heartache, making your life easier, and keeping the debt collectors at bay.
Allied Interstate is one of the collection agencies that likes to “shame” you into paying them. As a result, they will contact your friends and family and tell them that you owe this debt. This is illegal. The only exception to this is to give out information to another person who is on the same loan or line of credit. They are not even allowed to give the information to your spouse unless they are on the account, and certainly not your children or other friends or family members. If they do this, you need to report them immediately. They may also call you at work, which is also illegal if you have asked them not to.
They may also misrepresent themselves as lawyers, threatening to throw you in jail if you do not pay them. As frightening as they may sound when they do this, do not fall for it. There is only one debt that can get you thrown in jail, and that is child support. Any other debt will not get you thrown in jail, and threatening you with time in jail is illegal when they cannot follow through. Misrepresenting themselves as lawyers is also illegal. They may also only contact you between the hours of 8am and 9pm. This means that they cannot call at 7:59am and they cannot call you at 9:01pm. If they do, they are in violation of the FDCPA.
The bottom line is that you need to know your rights. If you find yourself in debt that you cannot get out of, research what your rights are so that you will not be taken advantage of, or wind up frightened in your own home. Do not allow any debt collection agency to bully you into being unable to feed your family just to make them go away and leave you alone. Knowing your rights gives you the upper hand in any negotiations.