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Credit card debt collectors face limits under federal law
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act bars collectors from contacting borrowers before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and limits calls to seven times within a seven-day period.
Yahoo Finance outlines key consumer protections for people dealing with credit card debt collectors, noting that leaving a bill unpaid for months can lead to the debt being sent to collections.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, enforced under guidance from the Federal Trade Commission, prohibits deceptive, unfair, and abusive collection conduct. The article says collectors cannot call repeatedly or at odd hours, cannot disclose a borrower’s personal information to third parties, and cannot discuss the debt with others.
For example, debt collectors are not allowed to contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and they cannot call you more than seven times within a seven-day period. The law also prohibits threats of violence and restrictions on threatening arrest.
The article further says collectors are required to provide information about themselves and the debt, and it warns borrowers to be cautious if a collector requests sensitive financial information such as bank account numbers or credit card details. It adds that arrest is generally only possible in limited circumstances, such as not complying with a court order after being sued, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.