The Truth: Should You Never Pay a Debt Collection Agency?

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Fact-checked by Patrick Austin, J.D.

You've heard that you should never pay a debt collection agency, and now you want the truth. What happens if you never pay collections? Should you pay the debt collector or the original creditor?

Debt collection agencies can employ a variety of shifty tactics. They may start with harassing phone calls and escalate from there. But depending on your situation, you may never need to pay a debt collector. Not sure where to begin? SoloSuit can help.

Respond to debt collection lawsuits fast with SoloSuit.

Debt collection agencies buy your debt from lenders

Debt seems like a fact of life for many Americans. Four out of five Americans (80 percent) owe some debt. Collectively, Americans owe $14.9 trillion to banks, credit card companies, and other lenders.

There are usually two parties in debt collection cases. First, there's the party who allegedly owes money, called the “debtor.” Then, there's the party to whom the money is allegedly owed, called the “creditor.”

Often, a creditor finds they can't collect a debt from a debtor. Interest keeps piling up on the debtor’s loan, and there's no money coming in to pay it. A creditor now has two options:

1. Collect the debt themselves. However, tracking down an alleged debtor can become more of a hassle for the lender than it's worth.
2. Sell it to a debt collection agency. Creditors give up their right to collect the debt but still receive some money. This helps them to recoup some of their losses.

A debt collection agency is a company that buys unpaid debt from a creditor. On average, debt collection agencies buy these debts for just 4% of the original debt amount. Then, they attempt to track down a debtor and force them to pay it all back.

Let’s consider an example.

Because these companies specialize in tracking down alleged debtors, they're better suited to collecting unpaid debt than the original creditors themselves. They employ a small army of sleuths equipped with the world's best search tool: the internet. Against these odds, an alleged debtor is hopeless. Debt collection agents can track their prey using anything from bank records to voting data—even internet providers!

Luckily, you can fight debt collectors and beat them in and out of court.

Old debts can cause problems whether you pay or not

At first glance, it might make sense to just pay off a debt collection agency. After all, that's the easiest way to make them leave you alone, right?

Not exactly.

Sure, paying a debt collection agency may get them off your back. But that's all it'll do. Evidence of the unpaid debt will remain on your credit report for another seven years. The actual amount of the debt doesn't matter. Collections raise the same red flag on your credit report, regardless of whether the debt is for $100 or $100,000. This can affect your ability to secure loans in the future.

What's worse, intent doesn't matter in debt collection cases. Many debtors aren't trying to dodge their creditors. They just don't know they owe money. This happens all the time. A creditor may send an unpaid debt notice to a borrower's old address. The borrower never receives it and goes on with their lives, unaware of the debt following them.

This lingering debt can have some surprising effects, namely a damaged credit score. It'll make getting new loans more difficult. Securing financing for a car, mortgage, student loans, or home improvement is significantly more difficult with bad credit. But that's not all. Bad credit can also make it difficult to rent a home or even open an online streaming account.

On the other hand, paying an outstanding loan to a debt collection agency can hurt your credit score. Yup, you heard that right. Any action on your credit report can negatively impact your credit score, even paying back loans. If you have an outstanding loan that's a year or two old, it's better for your credit report to avoid paying it.

Protect your credit score by filing a response with SoloSuit.

How to decide if you should pay a debt collection agency

There's no “silver bullet” in a debt collection case. While ignoring a debt collector may be an option in some cases, it's not available to some debtors.

Here are some general considerations.

If you refuse to pay a debt collection agency, they may file a lawsuit against you. Debt collection lawsuits are no joke. You can't just ignore them in the hopes that they'll go away. If you receive a Complaint from a debt collector, you must respond within a time frame determined by your jurisdiction. For most areas in the US, that time frame is 14-30 days.

If a debt collection agency wins their lawsuit, they have several options available. For example, debt collectors may garnish earnings to collect a debt. A garnishment is a court order that takes money directly from a debtor's earnings. This money goes towards repaying the debt they owe. Consider this possible outcome before ignoring a debt collector's payment demands.

Here's one more thing to keep in mind. Interest on your unpaid debt will continue to pile up as time passes. If you don't pay a debt collection company, the amount of money you allegedly owe will keep increasing.

Sometimes, paying a debt collection agency makes sense. Remember, these agencies buy debt for pennies on the dollar. As a result, you may be able to negotiate paying off your debt for a much lower amount than you owe. Debt collectors may also send you a letter stating that your debt is paid. You can use this letter to remove evidence of the debt collection from your credit report.

A piece of advice: pay the right person. If you receive a letter from a debt collector demanding money, do your research. Often, debt collection agencies sell debt to one another. Don't just assume you're paying the right debt collector. Make sure your debt hasn't changed hands.

Should you pay collections? Consider these factors and situations first

Here are some more specific factors to consider if you find yourself asking, “Should I pay a debt collector?”

It may be a good idea to avoid paying a collection agency if:

• If you have no income or property and plan to never have income or property at any point in the future. In this case, you may be “judgment proof.” If you plan to ever own anything or have income again in the future, you are not judgment proof.
• If you don’t owe the debt. Rule #1 of life: don’t pay people money you don’t owe them. If an agency is hounding you for a debt you don’t owe, send them a Debt Validation letter to get them off your tail.
• If it is part of your strategy to settle the debt for less. A proven strategy for paying less on a debt is to send the collector a Debt Validation Letter. This may force the collector to sue you for the debt or to give up. When they sue you for the debt, respond with an Answer to a Summons and Complaint. This may force them to give up or to settle the debt for less.
• If the statute of limitations has expired. If the statute of limitations has expired then the collector can no longer legally sue you for the debt. Making a payment on the debt will likely reset the statute of limitations — which is disastrous.
• If the collection agency can’t show ownership of the debt. Frequently, the sale of a debt from a creditor to a collector is sloppy. A collection agency hounding you may not be able to show they actually own your debt. If they can’t, then you aren’t obligated to pay them.
• If you are morally opposed to paying someone other than the original creditor. As explained earlier, if a collection agency is coming after you, the original creditor may have sold your debt. Many people think it is unethical for creditors to sell debts. Also, some people argue, you don’t have an ethical obligation to pay someone other than the original creditor.

You may want to pay a collection agency if:

• If you owe the full amount of the debt and the agency owns the debt.
• If you want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible and have the money to do so.
• If you believe you have a moral responsibility to pay off debts regardless of whether they are actually owed.

If a debt is sold to another company, do I have to pay?

The argument goes like this. You owed $1000 to the original creditor. The creditor sold your debt for $100 to a debt collector. If you pay $1000 to the debt collector, that doesn’t restore the creditor. Besides, the creditor already got their remedy for the debt in the $100 from the collector. Also, you don’t owe the collector $1000, because they only paid $100 for your debt. That said and the ethical argument aside, if a collector legitimately bought the debt from your creditor, you do have a legal obligation to pay, if the debt was legally assigned to the collector.

You can reach a settlement instead of paying the debt in full

For most people, it makes sense to angle for a settlement. If a collector is hounding you for a debt they are probably adding on hundreds or thousands of dollars in fees to the debt, including court fees and attorney costs. They also probably bought the debt for a small percentage of the face-value of the debt. These factors suggest that if you paid the full amount they are asking for, you would be overpaying.

On the other hand, if you don’t pay off the debt at some point, they may keep hounding you forever. Even if the statute of limitations has expired and they don’t get a judgment against you, they can still keep asking you for payment or selling your debt to the next guy till the end of time—or it ends up on the spreadsheet of some street-thug collector who threatens your life.

You can start the settlement process using SoloSettle and filing an Answer to your debt collection lawsuit. Once you pay the settlement, you’ll have documents showing the case is dismissed with prejudice and there was a full and final settlement. At that point, the debt is resolved.

Learn more about the debt settlement process here:

Use SoloSuit to respond to a debt collection lawsuit

If you’re being sued for a debt, whether you owe it or not, you must respond to the lawsuit or you will lose by default. When you ignore a debt collection lawsuit, the debt collector can request a default judgment to be entered into the case. If granted, the default judgment gives the debt collectors the right to garnish your wages and seize your property.

The first step to beating debt collectors in court is to respond to the lawsuit with a written Answer.

Follow these six tips to draft an Answer to a debt lawsuit:

1. The Answer isn't the place to tell your side of the story in detail. Instead of using an elaborate story to respond to the lawsuit, your Answer should focus on responding to the claims listed in the Complaint document. Keep it simple. You can admit, deny, or deny due to lack of knowledge.
2. Deny, deny, deny. Most attorneys recommend that you deny as many claims as possible, forcing the debt collector to do more work to prove their side of the case.
3. Include affirmative defenses. These are any legal reasons that the debt collector should not win the case. A common affirmative defense used in debt lawsuits is the statute of limitations, which is the time period that a debt collector has to sue someone for a debt. If the debt is past the statute of limitations, then the lawsuit is void.
4. Use standard formatting or “style”. At the head of the Answer document, be sure to include a caption where you list the court information, party information, and case number.
5. Include a certificate of service. It's important to serve your Answer to the debt collector’s attorney. At the end of your Answer document, include a certificate of service when you verify the address you used to serve the Answer to the opposing attorney.
6. Sign it. Most courts reject any legal documents without signatures, which is why this last step is so crucial.

In many cases, filing an Answer will stop the lawsuit from proceeding further. Sometimes, the collection agency may drop it altogether, especially if they don't have the evidence they need to prove in court that you owe the debt.

Increase your chances of winning a debt collection lawsuit by 7x with SoloSuit.

Do you have to pay a debt collector?

No, you do not have to pay a debt collector. However, failure to pay a debt can lead to serious consequences, like:

• Legal action
• Wage garnishment
• Property liens
• Endless debt collection calls
• Decreased credit score

However, there are certain instances in which you do not have to pay a debt collector at all.

For example, if the statute of limitations on the debt has expired, the debt collector no longer has legal grounds to sue you for it. So, even if they do file a lawsuit, you’ll have a great defense in your case, and it will likely be dismissed. If that’s the case, then you’re off the hook, and you don’t have to pay the debt collector.

Another example is if the debt is invalid. Debt fraud is a very common thing, and you can request a debt validation to determine if you have to pay the collector or not. If the collector can’t validate the debt, they must cease communications with you.

This is why you should never pay a collection agency before the debt is validated and you’ve checked the statute of limitations.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

What if the collection agency sues me?

If the collection agency sues you, stick to your guns: you can win. This flowchart shows you the path to victory in a debt collection lawsuit. Pre-lawsuit, make sure to send the collector a Debt Validation Letter telling them you dispute the debt and requesting validation of the debt.

If they sue you, be sure to file an Answer in court. This will make it more likely they give up and the case gets dismissed. If not, you can angle for a settlement with a Debt Lawsuit Settlement Offer Letter.

How does collection affect my credit score?

Having debt in collections definitely negatively impacts your credit score. Paying off the debt will likely improve your score with credit bureaus that use FICO 9 or Vantage Score 3.0 or 4.0—the newest versions of credit scoring.

Debt in collections is considered under payment history, which is the biggest factor in the most common credit score, FICO. Payment history drives 35 percent of your score.

Some lenders have special policies that prohibit them from lending to people with unpaid debts in collection.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont; Vermont (Small Claims court)
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Guides on how to resolve debt with every debt collector

Are you being sued by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

• 11 Charter Communications
• AAA Collections
• Aargon Agency Inc
• Absolute Resolutions Investments LLC
• ACEI Collections
• Account Services
• Accredited Collection Services
• Accredited Collection Services
• Advanced Recovery Systems
• AES NCT
• AFNI Collections
• Alco Capital Group LLC
• Aldous and Associates
• Alliance Collections
• Alliance One
• Alliant Capital Management
• Alpha Recovery Corp
• Alltran Financial
• Alltran Health
• Alorica Inc.
• Amcol Clmbia in Court
• American Coradius International
• American Profit Recovery
• American Recovery Service
• Americollect
• AmSher Collection Services
• Apelles LLC
• AR Resources
• ARC Collections
• ARM Solutions
• Arrow Financial Services
• ARS National Services
• ARSC Debt Collectors
• ARS National Services
• ARstrat
• AscensionPoint Recovery Services
• Asset Acceptance LLC
• Asset Recovery Solutions
• Associated Credit Services
• Atlantic Credit and Finance
• Atradius Collections
• Automated Collection Services, Inc.
• Autovest LLC
• Avante USA
• Avantus
• AWA Collections
• Balekian Hayes
• Bay Area Receivables
• BCA Financial Services
• BC Services
• Benuck and Rainey
• Berlin-Wheeler
• Bluebonnet Financial LLC
• Bonneville Collections
• Bull City Financial
• Bureaus Investment Group
• Cach LLC
• Caine and Weiner
• Capio Partners
• Capital Accounts
• Capital Collections
• Capital Management Services
• CardWorks
• Carmel Financial/New Coast Direct
• Cavalry SPV I LLC
• CBCInnovis
• CBCS Collections
• CBE Group
• CBV Collections
• CCB Credit Services
• CCS Collections
• CCS Offices
• Central Mediation Services
• Central Portfolio Control
• Cerastes LLC
• Choice Recovery
• Choice Recovery Inc
• CKS Financial
• CKMS Financial
• Client Services
• CMRE Financial Services
• COAF
• Coast Professional
• Comenity Bank Debt Collection
• Commonwealth Financial
• ConServe Debt Collection
• Consumer Collection Management
• Contract Callers Inc
• Convergent Healthcare Recoveries
• Convergent Outsourcing
• Couch Conville & Blitt
• Covington Credit
• CRDT First
• Credco in Court
• Credence Resource Management
• Credit Bureau Systems
• Credit Control Corporation
• Credit Management Company
• Credit Management LP
• Credit Systems
• Credit Systems
• CSIEZPay
• CTC Debt Collector
• CVCS Debt Collection
• Cypress Financial Recoveries
• D&A Services
• Daniels, Norelli, Cecere & Tavel P.C.
• DCM Services
• Debt Recovery Solutions
• Delanor Kemper & Associates
• Department Stores National Bank
• Direct Recovery Associates
• Discover Collections
• Diversified Adjustment
• Diversified Consultants
• Diversified Recovery Bureau
• DNF Associates, LLC
• Dodeka LLC
• DRS Credit
• Dynamic Collectors
• Eagle Loan
• Eagle Accounts Group, Inc.
• Eastern Account System
• EduCap
• Ellington and Associates Collections
• Encore Capital Group
• Enerson Law
• Enerson Law LLC
• Enhanced Recovery Company
• EOS CCA
• ERC Collections
• ERSolutions
• Estate Information Services
• Equable Ascent Financial
• Everest Business Funding
• Executive Credit Management
• Faber and Brand
• Factual Data
• Falls Collection Service
• FBCS
• FCO Collections and Outsourcing
• FIA Card Services
• fin rec svc (Financial Recovery Services)
• First Federal Credit Credit Control
• First Financial Bank
• First Portfolio Ventures LLC
• First Progress
• FirstPoint Collection Resources
• Firstsource Advantage
• FMA Alliance
• FNB Omaha
• Forster & Garbus
• Franklin Collection Services
• Freedom Plus
• Freshview Solutions
• Frontline Asset
• Frost Arnett
• Fulton Friedman & Gullace LLP
• Galaxy International Purchasing, LLC
• GC Debt Collection
• GC Services
• General Revenue Corporation
• GLA Collections
• Glass Mountain Capital
• Glasser and Glasser
• Global Credit Collection Corp
• Global Trust Management
• GMAC Financing
• Golden 1 Credit Union
• Grant and Weber
• Grant Mercantile Agency
• Gulf Coast Collection Bureau
• Gurstel
• Halsted Financial Services
• Harris and Harris
• Harvard Collection
• Harvest Credit Management
• Helvey and Associates
• Hollis Cobb
• Holloway Moxley
• Hosto Buchan
• Howard Lee Schiff
• H&R Accounts
• HRRG
• Hudson & Keyse LLC?
• Hunter Warfield
• IC System
• Impact Receivables Management
• Innovative Recovery
• Integras Capital Recovery LLC
• Javitch Block
• JHPDE Finance 1 LLC
• JP Receivables Management Partners
• JPMCB card
• Kenneth Eisen and Associates
• KeyBank student loans
• Kinum
• Kirschenbaum, Phillips & Levy P.C.
• KLS Financial Services
• Kramer & Frank
• Lakeside Collection
• Lending Club
• Lincoln and Morgan Kabbage
• Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
• Lockhart Collection Agency
• LJ Ross Associates
• LTD Collections
• Malcolm S. Gerald and Associates
• Malen & Associates
• Mandarich Law Group
• Mannbracken
• Marcam Associates
• MARS Inc. Collections
• MBA Law
• MCA Management Company
• McCarthy, Burgess & Wolff
• Meade & Associates
• Medicredit
• Mercantile Adjustment Bureau
• Merchants Credit Association
• MGM Collections
• Michael J Adams PC
• Midland Funding LLC
• Mid-South Adjustment
• Monarch Recovery
• Monterey Financial
• Moss Law Firm
• Mountain Land Collections
• MRS Associates
• MRS BPO
• MSW Capital LLC
• Mullooly, Jeffrey, Rooney & Flynn
• Nathan and Nathan PC
• National Collegiate Trust
• National Credit Adjusters
• National Credit Care
• National Credit Systems
• National Enterprise Systems
• National Recovery Agency
• National Recovery Solutions
• Nationstar
• Nationwide Credit
• Nationwide Recovery Services
• Nationwide Recovery Systems
• NCEP LLC
• NCO Financial Systems Incorporated
• North American Recovery
• Northland Group
• Northstar Capital Acquisition
• Northstar Location Services
• NPAS
• NRC Collection Agency
• Oliver Adjustment Company
• Oliphant Financial, LLC
• Oportun
• P&B Capital Group
• PCB Collections Agency
• Palisades Collection LLC
• Pallida LLC
• Paragon Contracting Services
• Paragon Revenue Group
• Payday Loan Debt Collectors
• Pendrick Capital Partners
• Penn Credit
• Perdue Brandon
• Persolve LLC
• Phillips & Cohen Associates
• Phoenix Financial Services
• Pioneer Credit Recovery
• PMAB LLC
• PRA Group, Inc.
• Pressler, Felt & Warshaw LLP
• Prestige Services, Inc.
• Prince Parker and Associates
• ProCollect
• Professional Finance Company
• Progressive Management Systems
• Provest Law
• PYOD LLC
• Quaternary Collection Agency
• RAB Collection Agency
• Rash Curtis and Associates
• Radius Global SOL
• Radius Global Solutions
• Rawlings Company
• Razor Capital
• Real Time Resolutions
• Receivables Performance Management
• Regents and Associates
• Reliant Capital Solutions
• RentGrow
• Resurgent
• Resurgent Capital Services and LVNV Funding
• Revco Solutions
• Revenue Enterprises LLC
• Revenue Group
• RGS Financial, Inc.
• RMP LLC in Court
• RMP Services
• RS Clark and Associates
• RSIEH
• RSIEH
• RTR Financial Services
• Rubin & Rothman
• Salander Enterprises LLC
• Samara Portfolio Management
• SCA Collections
• Scott Parnell and Associates
• Second Round Collections
• Second Round Sub LLC
• Selip & Stylianou LLP
• Sequium Asset Solutions
• Sessoms and Rogers
• Sherman Acquisition
• Sherman Financial Group
• SIMM Associates
• Source Receivables Management
• Southern Management Systems
• Southwest Credit Group
• Spire Recovery Solutions
• SRS Company
• Stark Collection Agency
• State Collection Service
• Stenger and Stenger
• Stillman Law Office
• Summit Account Resolution
• Sunrise Credit Services
• Superlative RM Debt Collector
• Suttell and Hammer
• Synergetic Communication
• Synerprise Consulting
• The Law Office of Michael J Scott
• Trellis Company
• Troy Capital
• TRS Recovery Services
• TrueAccord
• Tulsa Teachers Credit Union
• UCB Collection
• UHG 1, LLC
• Unifin
• Unifin Debt Collector
• Unifund
• Universal Credit Services
• US Bank Collections
• USAA collections
• USCB America
• Valentine and Kebartas
• Valley Servicing
• Vance & Huffman LLC
• Van Ru Credit Corporation
• Velo Law Office
• Velocity Investments
• Viking Client Services
• Wakefield and Associates
• Waypoint Resource Group
• WCTCB
• Weinberg and Associates
• Weltman, Weinberg & Reis
• Westwood Funding
• Williams and Fudge
• Wilshire Consumer Credit
• Wolpoff & Abramson
• Worldwide Asset Purchasing
• www.AutomotiveCredit.com
• Zarzaur & Schwartz
• Zwicker & Associates

Resolve your debt with your creditor

Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.

• American Express; American Express – Debt Collection
• Bank of America
• Barclay
• Best Buy Credit Card
• Capital One
• Chase
• Credit One Bank
• Old Navy Credit Card
• PayPal Synchrony Card
• Regional Finance
• Retailers National Bank
• Reunion Student Loan Finance Corporation
• SYNCB/PPEXTR
• Synchrony Bank
• Synchrony Walmart Card
• Target National Bank
• Webbank
• Wells Fargo
• Can I Pay My Original Creditor Instead of a Debt Collection Agency?
• Can I Settle a Debt with the Original Creditor?

Settle your medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

• Am I Responsible for My Spouse's Medical Debt?
• Do I Need a Lawyer for Medical Bills?
• Do I Need a Lawyer to Fight Medical Bill Debt?
• Does Bankruptcy Clear Medical Debt?
• How Much Do Collection Agencies Pay for Medical Debt?
• How to Find Medical Debt Forgiveness Programs
• Is There a Statute of Limitations on Medical Bills?
• Medical Debt Statute of Limitations by State
• Summoned to Court for Medical Bills — What Do I Do?
• Summoned to Court for Medical Bills? What to Do Next

Guides on arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

• How Arbitration Works
• How to Find an Arbitration Clause in Your Credit Agreement
• How to Make a Motion to Compel Arbitration
• How to Make a Motion to Compel Arbitration in Florida
• How to Make a Motion to Compel Arbitration Without an Attorney
• How Credit Card Arbitration Works
• Motion to Compel Arbitration in California
• Sample Motion to Compel Arbitration

Stop calls from debt collectors

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

• 1-800-390-7584
• 800-289-8004
• 800-955-6600
• 8009556600
• 877-366-0169
• 877-591-0747
• 800-278-2420
• 800-604-0064
• 800-846-6406
• 877-317-0948
• 888-899-4332
• 888-912-7925
• 202-367-9070
• 502-267-7522

Federal debt collection laws can protect you

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

• 15 USC 1692 Explained
• Does the Fair Credit Reporting Act Work in Florida?
• FDCPA Violations List
• How to File an FDCPA Complaint Against Your Debt Collector (Ultimate Guide)
• How to Make a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Demand Letter
• How to Submit a Transunion Dispute
• How to Submit an Equifax Dispute
• How to Submit an Experian Dispute
• What Debt Collectors Cannot Do — FDCPA Explained
• What Does Account Information Disputed by Consumer Meets FCRA Requirements Mean?
• What does “meets FCRA requirements” mean?
• What does FCRA stand for?
• What is the Consumer Credit Protection Act