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Debt Collectors & Your Rights
"A collector keeps calling. What can they actually do to me?"
in plain english
The FDCPA limits how debts are collected; the FCRA controls what ends up on your credit report.
Federal law treats debt collection as a regulated industry. Collectors must identify themselves, can't call at unreasonable hours, can't threaten action they aren't legally able to take, and must stop contacting you at work if you tell them to in writing.
If the debt ends up on your credit report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to dispute inaccurate entries — and the bureau must investigate within 30 days. The UCC governs the underlying contract that created the debt in the first place.
in the margin
- FDCPA
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act — the rulebook for third-party collectors.
- Reinvestigation
- The credit bureau's required review when you dispute an entry.
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FTC15 USC § 1692c
Communication restrictions
Collectors can't call before 8am or after 9pm, or contact you at work if you say not to.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
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