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What is an original creditor and what is the difference between an original creditor and a debt collector?

The original creditor is the company that gave you the loan or credit.

An original creditor may attempt to collect a past due debt or account itself, or it may hire a debt collector. A debt collector is generally a third party who has been contracted to collect your debt or account. The name of the company contacting you about an unpaid debt may be different than the original creditor who gave you the loan or credit. The original creditor also may sell your debt or account to another party who may then collect the debt or place it with a different debt collector.