Credit & Borrowing
What rules do debt collectors have to follow when they contact me?
A federal rule, Regulation F, sets limits on how collectors reach you. They generally can't contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, or at other times you tell them are inconvenient. Calling more than seven times in seven days about a debt, or within seven days after talking with you about it, is presumed to be harassment. Every email or text has to tell you how to opt out of more. And within five days of first contacting you, they have to give you a validation notice about the debt.
Are the call limits a hard cap?
Not exactly. A collector who stays within them is presumed to follow the rule, and one who goes over is presumed to break it, but either side can show otherwise. Calls you've agreed to directly don't count toward the limit.
Can a collector email or text me?
Yes, but every message has to include a clear, simple way to opt out of further emails or texts, such as replying STOP. They can't charge you a fee to opt out.
What's in the validation notice?
The collector's name and a mailing address for disputes, the name of the creditor, the account number, the amount owed and how interest, fees, payments and credits got it to today's amount, and the date your dispute window ends.
What if I dispute the debt?
If you dispute it in writing within the validation period, which ends 30 days after you receive the notice, the collector has to stop collecting the disputed amount until it sends you verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment.
- Regulation F §1006.6 — Communications in connection with debt collection
- Regulation F §1006.14 — Harassing, oppressive, or abusive conduct
- Regulation F §1006.34 — Notice for validation of debts
- Regulation F §1006.38 — Disputes and requests for original-creditor information
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