There are opinions in both camps. While the FDCPA does not refer to any 'modified' Cease and Desist, the tactic does work in many cases. Collection agencies don't want to deal by 'mail only', they just LOVE the harrassment value of the telephone, its their favorite weapon of intimidation, so the idea behind a 'limited' C&D is to take that weapon AWAY from them. The idea is that you are not telling them to completely piss off, just do not CALL any more, you are still leaving them the 'out' of contacting you via mail. They would lose their 'excuse' that you told them not to contact you AT ALL when its clearly written that they are allowed to send all the written communications they want - just no phone calls.
Its a crap shoot. If they are going to sue you, they're going to do it anyway, regardless of whether or not you refuse to talk to them on the phone. There is NO LAW that says you have to TALK to these abusive cretins, so why should you have to put up with it at all ??
Ya take your chances with the so-called 'limited' C&D, it has worked for many, many people and I've not seen any evidence at all that sending one has automatically gotten anyone sued who would not have been sued anyway. Some collectors will answer a basic debt validation with a lawsuit - they don't want to be bothered, they jump right for the courtroom hoping their vicitms will be too intimidated by going to court that they get the easy judgments by default.
