Book Description
Progressive Management Systems: Know Your Rights & Stop Phone Harassment
If you’re getting repeated, aggressive calls from Progressive Management Systems demanding payment, threatening legal action, or using intimidating language, you don’t have to accept it. Debt collectors are bound by laws that protect consumers. This guide explains what behavior crosses the line, what protections you have, and how to stop harassment once and for all.
What Counts as Harassment by Debt Collectors
Debt collection is lawful when done properly, but when calls become burdensome, threatening, or excessive, they may violate your rights. Harassing actions typically include:
Placing numerous calls over a short period, especially when those calls are meant to annoy, intimidate, or exert pressure
Calling you outside reasonable hours (before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone) without your consent or an agreement otherwise
Using threats, false or misleading statements (e.g., claiming you’ll be arrested when you won’t be)
Disclosure of your debt to others not legally entitled (family, coworkers, employer)
Continuing contact after you’ve asked the collector to stop or requested communication only in writing
Failing to provide proof or documentation of the debt when asked
These kinds of behaviors are often more than just rude—they may be illegal.
Your Rights Under Federal Law
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
The FDCPA is the key federal law that protects you from abusive treatment by third‐party debt collectors. Under the FDCPA:
You have the right to receive a validation notice shortly after first contact. This notice must include the amount of debt, the name of the creditor, and how you can dispute the debt.
Collectors may not call you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., unless you agree to those times.
They cannot place repeated phone calls with the purpose of harassing, abusing, or annoying you. A presumed violation occurs if they call you more than seven times in a 7-day period about the same debt.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
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You can demand in writing that all communications cease, except for those legally required (e.g., legal notices). Once the collector receives your cease-and-desist notice, they must limit further contact consistent with the law.
They must stop collection efforts while you dispute the debt in writing, until they provide verification.
These protections give you clear legal grounds to push back against unfair practices from collectors like Progressive Management Systems.
How to Respond If Progressive Management Systems Is Harassing You
1. Keep Detailed Records
Document every contact: date, time, caller’s name or number, what was said. Save voicemails, texts, letters, and any evidence of threats or abusive language. Having this documentation is essential if you have to escalate.
- Send a Debt Validation Request
Write a certified letter demanding documentation that proves you owe the debt. Ask for the creditor’s name, account numbers, statements, and proof that Progressive Management Systems has the right to collect. If they cannot validate, they may not continue collections.
- Issue a Cease & Desist Letter
Send a letter instructing Progressive Management Systems to stop contacting you by phone (or at least limit contact) except to send legally required notices. Once they receive that request, further phone harassment may violate your rights under FDCPA.
- File Complaints with the Authorities
If harassment continues:
File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Contact your state Attorney General’s consumer protection division
Keep copies of your documentation for any legal claim
- Consult a Consumer Rights Attorney
If necessary, an attorney specializing in consumer law can evaluate whether Progressive Management Systems has violated the FDCPA, help you pursue damages, and represent you in court if needed. Many such attorneys work on contingency basis—no fee unless you win.
Is Progressive Management Systems Legally Bound?
If they are acting as a third‐party debt collector, yes—they are subject to FDCPA rules. Even if a creditor owns the debt and is collecting directly (versus through an agent), similar protections may apply under state laws. Legitimacy does not allow an entity to break laws.
Key tests include:
Did they provide proper validation of the debt?
Are they calling within legal hours?
Are the calls excessive in number or frequency?
Are they using threats or misrepresentations?
Are they ignoring your requests to stop or to validate the debt?
If the answer to any is “no,” you likely have legal recourse.
Taking Action Matters
Harassing calls tend to worsen over time. They can cause stress, damage to mental health, and if statements are false or misleading, could hurt your credit or lead to unnecessary legal threats. Acting quickly—documenting all interactions, demanding proof, and enforcing your rights—often leads to stopping the harassment and possibly recovering damages.
If you’re experiencing harassing calls or threats from Progressive Management Systems, know that the law is on your side. For specific help and legal options, see Progressive Management Systems Phone Harassment
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