Debt collection stories
Your voice, your story. We’ve heard from consumers across the country about their experiences with debt collection.
Ana: Debts you don’t owe
Ana told us that she received letters in the mail requesting she pay over $30,000 in homeowners’ association fees—fees she had already paid.
Danieshia: Threatened with jail
After losing her job, Danieshia explains that she was unable to pay her debts and soon found herself being threatened with jail by a debt collector.
William: Not my debt
William told us that debt collectors requested that he pay $8,000 for a debt he never owed, ruining his credit in the process.
Debbie: Excessive contact
Debbie told us that she was frustrated by the amount of calls she received about a debt she didn’t understand.
Bernadette: Unwanted contact
Bernadette told us that a collection agency left her a message at work. Shortly thereafter, she says the collection agency contacted her dad, sisters, and a friend.
Share your debt collection experience
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The more we hear from you, the more insight we gain into what’s happening in the financial world and how it’s affecting you. Your experience will help inform how we work to protect consumers to create a fairer marketplace.
What we’re doing
In July 2016, we outlined a number of proposals under consideration regarding debt collection, including:
- Improving the quality of information about the debt being collected
- Limiting the frequency with which debt collectors may contact consumers
- Improving the information that consumers have at the outset of collections
- Improving consumer understanding of the debt collection process