Children’s Place: How to Stop Credit Card Harassment

If Children’s Place or its agents are constantly calling you about a missing payment, threatening legal action, or behaving aggressively, you have legal rights that protect you. These rights exist even if the account is real—you aren’t required to put up with harassing, abusive collection practices. Understanding your protections and what steps you can take will help you stop the harassment for good.

What Counts as Harassment Under Debt Collection

Not all collection calls are illegal. Laws are more concerned with how the contact is made. You should watch out for behavior like:

• Receiving repeated phone calls during the same day or over several days
• Receiving calls very early in the morning or very late at night
• Threats of legal action, arrest, wage garnishment, or damaging your credit in a way that’s misleading or false
• Being contacted at your workplace after you’ve asked not to be
• Disclosing your debt to family, friends, or others who aren’t legally permitted to know about it
• Failing to provide written proof of the debt when requested
• Continuing to call after you send a cease-and-desist or dispute the debt

These kinds of actions can cross legal lines under consumer protection laws like the FDCPA.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives you a series of protections if a third-party collector is trying to collect a debt. Some of your key rights include:

• Right to verification: You may demand written proof of the debt, including who the original creditor is and what the balance is.
• Limits on contact: Collectors cannot legally call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (in your local time), unless you agree otherwise.
• No harassment: Using profanity, threats, or calls meant to intimidate or degrade you is prohibited. Calling repeatedly with the purpose of annoying or abusing you is also unlawful.
• Cease & desist right: You can send a written notice asking the collector to stop all communications except those required by law.
• Dispute process: If you dispute the debt in writing, the collector must provide verification before continuing collection.

If Children’s Place or their collection agents violate any of these rights, you may be able to hold them legally liable and recover damages or legal costs.

What You Should Do If You’re Being Harassed

Here are practical steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. Document all communication – Keep a record with date, time, phone number, the name of the caller, exactly what was said, and save any voicemails, texts or letters.
2. Ask for written verification – Send a formal written request asking Children’s Place (or their collector) to provide proof that the debt is valid.
3. Issue a cease-and-desist letter – If the harassment continues, write a letter (or use certified mail) telling them to stop contacting you except to send legally required notices.
4. File complaints – If behavior doesn’t stop, submit complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and/or your state attorney general’s office.
5. Talk to a consumer rights attorney – If after all this, you’re still getting harassed, legal counsel specializing in debt collection can help you pursue your rights and possible compensation.

If ongoing phone calls, threats, or abusive messages from Children’s Place are causing you stress, you have the right to push back. Learn how to protect yourself and stop the harassment at Children’s Place Credit Card Harassment.