You have the following rights:
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Banks. If you have a complaint about a bank in connection with any of the Federal credit laws or if you think any part of your business with a bank has been handled in an unfair or deceptive way write the nearest office of the Federal Trade Commission or Consumer & Community Affairs, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th & Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20551.
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Credit Clinics. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, your state attorney general's office, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
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Debt Collectors. Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General's office and the Federal Trade Commission.
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Other Institutions. The Federal Trade Commission enforces a number of federal laws involving consumer credit, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
You may also take legal action against a creditor. If you decide to bring a lawsuit, here are the penalties a creditor must pay if you win:
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Truth in Lending and Consumer Leasing Acts. If any creditor fails to disclose information required under these Acts, or gives inaccurate information, or does not comply with the rules about credit cards or the right to cancel certain home-secured loans, you as an individual may sue for actual damages-any money loss you suffer. In addition, you can sue for twice the finance charge in the case of certain credit disclosures, or, if a lease is concerned, 25 percent of total monthly payments. You may also be entitled to reimbursement for court costs and attorney's fees.
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Equal Credit Opportunity Act. If you think you can prove that a creditor has discriminated against you for any reason prohibited by the Act, you as an individual may sue for actual damages plus punitive damages of up to $10,000.
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Violations by Debt Collectors. You have the right to sue a collector for violations under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in a state or federal court within one year from the date you believe the law was violated. If you win, you may recover money for the damages you suffered. A group of people also may sue a debt collector and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector's net worth, whichever is less.
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Fair Credit Billing Act. A creditor who breaks the rules for the correction of billing errors automatically loses the amount owed on the item in question and any finance charges on it, up to a combined total of $50- even if the bill was correct.
- Fair Credit Reporting Act. You may sue any credit reporting agency or creditor for breaking the rules about who may see your credit records or for not correcting errors in your file. A person who obtains a credit report without proper authorization or an employee of a credit reporting agency who gives a credit report to unauthorized persons may be fined up to $5,000 or imprisoned for one year, or both.
