what protection do i have against the collection agencies???

hi laurel! yes, i understand that people can take drastic steps when they need money, and the worst that can happen is falling into a trap of debts. you and your friend must be really worried. you can follow up on an article in this site which is quite detailed and tells you upon the rules and regulations that a collection agency is bound to follow. in that case if you find that the CA is harassing you unnecessarily then you can act accordingly. Good Luck!

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/collection-agency/faqs.html

Were these debts PDL (payday loans?) Many of those, especially the internet ones, operate illegally. If this is the case, you should check out the payday loan forums here on the site, it is a wonderful resource for this type of debt!

Sorry to hear about your friend's situation. I think many of us here are or have been in the same situation. Please take the advice above because CA's will try to do these awful things in hopes that the person is not educated in the law and do something out of fear.

Tell your friend to hang in there. It does get better over time. I too am in debt way over my head but am slowly paying it down. Hope this helps.