Social Media MessagesĪ debt collector can send you private messages, but not post anything that your followers, friends or the public could view. In most cases, debt collectors are prohibited from sending messages to an email address they know is used for business. Messages must be sent at a reasonable time similar to the 8 a.m. Each of these messages must include instructions for a consumer to opt out of receiving those types of messages. ![]() Text Messages and EmailsĪ third-party debt collector is permitted to send you electronic messages including texts and emails. Currently, there’s no limit on how often a debt collector can call you, and you can only request they stop calling you by sending a letter. In addition, you can ask them to stop calling you and they must comply. The new rule specifies that third-party debt collectors can call you once daily, but if they actually speak to you, they cannot call again for at least seven days. The update to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is lengthy, but here are the most notable changes. Without explicitly defining how debt collectors can contact you via these methods, it’s difficult to know who’s following the rules-and who might be harassing you. But the CFPB database of consumer complaints contains claims about debt collectors misusing email and text messaging to reach debtors. Many debt collectors may have avoided these methods to avoid potential accusations of harassment. These rules were first created in the 1970s and don’t account for modern communication like texting and email. But they are getting an upgrade to more explicitly define the methods of communication that can be used. They can’t contact you if you’ve asked them in writing to stop.They can’t harass or threaten you, or tell your friends and family about your debt.They can’t contact you at work if you ask them not to do so.They can only contact you between 8 a.m.Right now, there are a few key rules a debt collector must follow if they’re contacting you to try to get you to pay a past-due debt: Major Updates to Fair Debt Collection Practices And economists are already sounding alarms about a debt wave that could rise as the pandemic wanes and Americans struggle to catch up on past-due balances.Īlthough these new debt collection changes don’t go into effect until later this year, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the changes now so you’ll be prepared to defend your rights as a consumer. And updating the rules to consider modern communication methods could open you up to interactions you don’t want.Īlthough pandemic aid programs may delay payment of some of your debts right now, those allowances will eventually expire. “With the vast changes in communications since the FDCPA was passed more than four decades ago, it is important to provide clear rules of the road,” said former CFPB Director Kathleen Kraninger in an October 2020 statement.īut having more control means those consumers may end up doing more work to monitor their accounts in collections. The CFPB says the changes were made to give consumers more control over communications about their debt in collections, along with a long-overdue modernization of the rules. ![]() But knowing what’s permitted now and how this will change in the near future can help you spot scams or bad actors. ![]() It’s unlikely you’ll notice any changes to debt collectors’ contact methods prior to then. The new rule takes effect on November 30, 2021. After seven years of review and deliberation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has finalized revisions to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which spells out the rules debt collectors must follow. Not only do you have the guilt of unpaid bills hanging over your head you also have people trying to call you often to demand repayment.īut the ways debt collectors can contact you are about to change. If you’ve ever had an unpaid debt go to collections, you know how challenging it can be to deal with debt collectors.
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