Key takeaways
- You can complain to the CFPB, the FTC and your state attorney general.
- The CFPB forwards complaints to the company and generally expects a response within 15 days.
- Include dates, what happened, and copies of letters, messages or call logs.
- A complaint doesn’t cancel a debt or stop a lawsuit, but it creates a record.
- If a collector broke the law, a consumer attorney may be able to help, sometimes at no cost to you.
Debt collectors have to follow the law. If one harasses you, threatens you, lies about what you owe, or keeps contacting you after you told it to stop, you can report it. Complaints help you get a response and help regulators spot bad actors. Here’s how.
What’s worth reporting
Common problems include:
- Harassment: repeated calls meant to annoy you, threats or abusive language.
- Lies: saying you owe more than you do, pretending to be a lawyer or government official, or threatening arrest.
- Ignoring your rights: contacting you after a written stop-contact request, calling at work after you said not to, or not pausing collection after a timely written dispute.
- Telling others about your debt, like your employer or family.
- Suing or threatening to sue on a debt that’s too old.
- Collecting a debt you don’t owe, or one already paid.
Read your rights when a debt collector calls for the full list of what collectors can’t do.
Where to complain
The CFPB
Submit a complaint online or by phone at (855) 411-2372. According to the CFPB, it sends your complaint to the company, which generally has 15 days to respond. Complaints are also published, without your personal details, in the CFPB’s public complaint database and may be shared with other regulators.
The CFPB says you generally can’t submit a second complaint about the same problem, so include everything the first time.
The FTC
Report collectors, especially scams or abusive tactics, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses reports to investigate and take action, though it doesn’t resolve individual complaints.
Your state attorney general
Most state attorneys general handle consumer complaints, and some states license debt collectors. Search for your state attorney general’s consumer protection office.
What to include
- Your contact information.
- The collector’s name, address and phone number, and the original creditor if you know it.
- What happened, in order, with dates and times.
- What you want, for example, to stop the calls, correct the amount, or remove an error from your credit report.
- Copies of documents: letters, the validation notice, screenshots of texts or emails, and your call log.
Keep a record as it happens
Start a simple log now: date, time, phone number, the person’s name and what was said. Save voicemails and messages. A clear record makes your complaint, and any legal claim, much stronger.
What a complaint does and doesn’t do
- It can get the company to respond, fix errors, and stop improper behavior.
- It doesn’t cancel the debt, stop a lawsuit or replace responding to court papers. If you’re sued, respond by the deadline. See what to do if you’re sued for a debt.
When to talk to a consumer attorney
If a collector broke the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you may be able to sue for damages. Some consumer attorneys take these cases at little or no upfront cost. The CFPB has tips on finding a lawyer. Legal aid offices may also help.
The bottom line
If a collector crosses the line, write down what happened, gather your documents and complain to the CFPB, the FTC and your state attorney general. It creates a record and often gets results. For serious violations, talk to a consumer attorney.
Sources: CFPB: submit a complaint · FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov · CFPB: finding a lawyer · FTC: debt collection FAQs