It's really hard to tell, from a consumers standpoint, whether or not you are being harassed or if the collections are legal. But, trust me, the bill collector knows the difference.

I was a bill collector for eight years and I was actually one of the conscientious ones. I wasn't always that way. Most of my comrades weren't. Trust me, however, when I say that the bill collector knows what lines he/she can and can not cross.

For example, you have a right to tell the bill collector not to contact you at work. Once you have notified the bill collector that you DO NOT want to be CONTACTED at work, they can not legally call or come to your place of employment. If they do, I would call the company and complain to a supervisor. If they persist, I would call an attorney.

By rule, they are not supposed to contact you (leave a message or have actual contact) more than once each day. To leave repeated messages would be harassment.

By law, they are not supposed to call you at unreasonable hours. This is governed by most states so you would need to contact your individual state banking authority to find out the legal collection laws.

A bill collector can not share your information with a third party. For example, in an effort to make you pay, they can not call your parent and tell them that if you don't pay them $800 you'll lose your car. That's just plain wrong. If they do this, get a good attorney and sue the pants off of them.

A bill collector can not threaten to do anything that he or she doesn't plan on doing. For instance, if you don't pay your bill in most states, they can take you to civil court. The bill collector can't say "I'm gonna have you arrested if you don't pay". Call the local police department or Sheriff's Office. They can advise you whether or not it's a civil suit or a criminal offense.

If in doubt, call the company and ask for the number for their home office. Speak with a supervisor. Tell them what's happening and I will gurantee that the harassment stops quickly.