Sorry but during the Bush administration most if not all of those consumer protection laws were repealed by the Republican congress. The Bush administration made it harder for students to get student loans, harder to claim hardship, harder for people to be able to file backrupsy, easier for credit companies to trick people into unfair credit practices( like signing for 0% interest for 12 months etc.., but after you didn't pay the full amount before the twelve month they charge you penalties and interest retroactively on the full amount of the original loan with no appeal of any kind), or the practice of raising your interest sky high if you miss any payment from any loan from any unrelated company, even all the way to 99%, the abuces go on and on...
I had a bill with Sears in 2001. I had a big problem with them and I refuse to pay them. It was about $5000. I accepted the fact that they might report me to the credit Beareau. Sears charged off the account in 2003. By 2004 I began receiving collection notices from Porfolio Recovery. Not only on the Sears account but also on bills I had already paid from back them. Apparently Porfolio buys lots of files in the hundredths of thousands. If your charged off bills or any bill, paid or not was there, you could get targeted by them. I have expensive lawyers and they told me that they can continue to collect as long as they can reach me. I didn't pay Sears for being unfair. Do you think I would ever pay a Penny to Porfolio after they have spent years ruining my credit, year after year. They claim that the debt now is $12000 with their penalties and fees. Can you imagine the set of balls these people have on them to keep charging penalties. And fees on a debt from 2001?
Any debt that is over 4 years cannot be brought to court. Any debt that is over 7 years can not be reported on your credit report. They can continue to call until you send a registered cease and desist letter. The old debt is uncollectable unless you decide to pay it, then the clock starts all over again.
What they are doing is a direct violation of the (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1972 -- Federal Laws). All we have to do is tell them they are being recorded, if they agree, continue with the conversation, they have to prove you owe what they say, if the number is not correct you can sue the collection company for 10% of their value plus attorney fees for every case, and the collector is liable for 1000 dollars per incident as well. Let them talk and get their money insted. The statute of limitations is, about the time period that the money is owed and is therefore a legal debt, after that time, you/me/we still owe the money but it becomes uncollectable in a court of law, however, if you date to admit, comit to, or make a payment, the debt gets re-aged and a new period starts.
I used to collect, now I am their worse nightmane lol