The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sent its semiannual report to the Congress and president about consumer debt collection complaints and company responses to complaints. The CFPB is a federal agency assigned to consumer protection.
According to the agency’s report, the most common complaint about debt collection is that collectors are trying to collect a debt that is not owed. In the year ending Oct. 1, there were also a substantial number of complaints filed with the CFPB about debt collector harassment of consumers.
Other complaints noted in the CFPB report include debt collectors who ignore consumer requests to stop contacting them, collectors who lack evidence to verify debts and problems with information sent to consumer reporting agencies.
The CFPB received 283,700 consumer complaints, which included nearly 86,000 complaints specifically about debt collection. The agency said many debt collectors operate under the rules, but that others try to gain an improper advantage by skirting or ignoring the law.
“These bad actors are a detriment to every company that is faithfully following the law, and their actions harm consumers,” the report states.
As many readers of our Philadelphia consumer protection blog well know, far too often debt collectors engage in abusive practices that can include threatening phone calls, insults, attempts at intimidation, distortions, lies, misstatements and other forms of harassment. An experienced consumer protection attorney can help you put an end to improper debt collection practices.
You can contact us at Bensley Law Offices to discuss the circumstances of your situation.