Playbooks / Debt collector
How to complain about a debt collection agency
Collection conduct is federally regulated, and a single documented violation can be worth statutory damages.
What goes wrong most often
- Calls outside legal hours or after a written stop request
- Refusal to validate the debt
- Reporting a debt that is not yours
- Threats of arrest or wage garnishment without a judgment
The evidence that decides it
- A call log with dates and times
- Your written validation request and the certified-mail receipt
- Credit report entries
Log every contact with a date and time. That log is the case.
The regulator most people never use
CFPB and your state attorney general
The FDCPA limits when and how a collector may contact you and requires validation of the debt on request. CFPB complaints get a company response on the public record.
Your state's channel is listed in the state complaint guides.
Where to post it
Wording that survives moderation
Start from a review template, keep every claim tied to a document, and read the wording rules before you post. If it comes down anyway, there is an appeal path.