Are there any laws or regulations that govern how collection agencies can contact you about an outstanding debt?
Are there any laws or regulations that govern how collection agencies can contact you about an outstanding debt? Tim Cella Former Paralegal at Ascent Law (2018–2021) Yes. In the US it’s called the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA). Collection agencies are different from ordinary creditors in that they don't have a relationship with you, the debtor; rather, they represent the interests of the creditor who originally extended you credit. When you default on your credit obligations, creditors sometimes hire collection agencies to collect their money. It's important to know that there are federal laws that govern how collection agencies contact consumers about outstanding debts. Some states also have laws on the books — for example, Florida prohibits debt collectors from harassing, abusing or using obscene language toward a debtor. But aside from these rules, it's largely up to the individual collection agency as to how it wants to go about collecting ...