If you’re getting constant collection calls you may feel like you’re losing your mind. Collectors will often call day and night, and won’t stop until you have taken reasonable action against them. There are a few things that you can do to get them to stop harassing you and give you time to think.

Ask Them Not to Call at Work

You can stop a collector from calling you at work simply by telling them not to. You can tell them that you can’t take personal calls, and they will be forced to stop. However, this will probably mean they will start calling your cellphone while you’re at work instead.

Notify Them Officially

Writing a letter to a collection agency is an excellent way to get them to stop calling. Just tell them you don’t discuss your finances on the phone with people you have not verified and this should buy you some time while they attempt to correspond through the mail.

Make Them Prove It

They are obligated to prove that you owe the money. Asking them to validate the debt can pay off if they can’t actually give you evidence that you owe the money to them. This can be a good way to get out of an improperly documented debt fast, and if nothing else, it’s a great stalling tactic.

Get a Lawyer

Getting a lawyer is a superb way to deal with collections agencies, if you can swing it financially. Getting a lawyer will mean that all communication will go through them, leaving you to do more important things and handle other areas of your financial situation. Of course, this is only really worthwhile if the debt is very large.

Tell Them to Stop

Sometimes you can just tell them to stop calling you. However, this can also prompt them to file a lawsuit. You should keep in mind that a lawsuit usually will only be filed if the amount is significant enough to make it worthwhile to them. Otherwise, some collectors will just drop the whole thing.