Getting calls from a debt collector can be stressful, but we’re here to help you understand what collectors are allowed (and not allowed) to do.
(Please note that changes were made to the debt collection and repayment regulation, effective April 2016. All of the information below applies to April 1, 2016 and beyond.)
Consumer Protection BC is responsible for enforcing BC’s debt collection law (which covers both debt collectors who are located in BC, as well as those who are contacting BC residents about debts). The debt collection law in BC speaks to how debt collectors communicate with debtors and who is required to be licensed with us.
It’s important to remember debt collectors are allowed to contact you about the debts you owe (once the debt is due and payable, not before). The information below is designed help you know more about your rights and responsibilities when it comes to debt collection communication practices.
We can help you in other ways, too, such as stopping calls about a debt that isn’t yours or getting a collection agency to contact you in writing only (and not by telephone).
How can we help?
- A debt collector is calling me – what should I do?
- Can collectors just start calling me?
- What are debt collectors allowed, and not allowed to do?
- How can I get a collection agency to stop calling me?
- How do I get details about a debt?
- How can I dispute an alleged debt?
- What can I do if a debt collector is calling me about someone else’s debt?
- Did you know that third-party collectors are required to be licensed in BC?
- How can I make a complaint against a debt collector?
- Where can I go for more debt collection information?
A debt collector is calling me – what should I do?
First, take a deep breath and remember you’re not alone. Debt is an issue for many British Columbians (did you know that one out of every five people who contact us are calling about a debt-related matter?) and there are laws in place to ensure collectors are following set communications rules and procedures. (That said, please don’t forget that debt collectors are allowed to contact you about the debts you owe.)
If you get a call from a debt collector, we suggest you answer the phone and talk to the person on the other end as ignoring the calls will not make the problem go away. When you speak to the debt collector, remember you have the right to receive details about the debt and request communication in writing only. All of the forms mentioned in this blog post is located on our website here.
Can collectors just start calling me?
Keep in mind that a collector must send you a written notice about your debt before they start calling you. There are two exceptions to this rule:
- They can make a reasonable effort to call you before sending you a written notice about your debt only to confirm your correct contact information.
- If they have bought the debt from the creditor, they then become the creditor and aren’t required to send you a written notification first (which means that they can begin calling you right away).
How do you know if they are a creditor or a collector? Ask them.
What are debt collectors allowed, and not allowed to do?
Here’s a summary:
 |  |
| Call you on a Sunday between 1 and 5 p.m. Call you at work to request your home address, phone number and email address (if they don’t have it) Make one attempt to contact you at work to collect a debt (but only if they have your home contact information and have been unable to make contact) Contact your employer in certain circumstances Contact a member of your family or household, relative, neighbour, friend or acquaintance to try to get your home address, phone number or email | Call you after 9 p.m. or before 7 a.m. Discuss details of your debt with someone else (unless they have your permission) Collect more than what is owing on the debt (aside from interest at the rate in your original credit agreement) Contact you in a way that costs you money Use threatening, profane or intimidating language Exert undue, excessive or unreasonable pressure to collect a debt Publish or threaten to publish your failure to pay (except to a credit reporting agency) |
How can I get a collection agency to stop calling me?
By law, you can request for a collection agency to contact you in writing only. To do this, fill out a form we created called “Request Communication in Writing Only” and send it to the collection agency by registered mail, fax or email. After they receive this letter, they are not allowed to contact you by telephone. We have more information on this topic in this blog post – Asking a debt collector to only communicate with you in writing: what you need to know.
How do I get details about a debt?
Collectors can make a reasonable effort to call you before a written letter is sent, but only to confirm your correct contact information. They must send you a letter with the details of your debt, which includes details about who the original and current owners of the debt are, and how much is owing.
How can I dispute an alleged debt?
You have the right to dispute an alleged debt. To do this, fill out a form we created called “Dispute a Debt” and send it to the collection agency and the original creditor by registered mail, fax or email. After they receive this letter, they must stop communicating with you (expect for communications necessary to start a legal proceeding).
What can I do if a debt collector is calling me about someone else’s debt?
Tell the debt collector you are not the person they are looking for and ask for the calls to stop. Be prepared to provide details to confirm that you are not the person they’re calling for, such as your addresses and birth date. We created a form you can fill out called “Stop the Calls Because You Are Not the Debtor” and send to the collection agency by registered mail, fax or email.
Did you know that third-party collectors are required to be licensed in BC?
In British Columbia, anyone who is trying to collect a debt must follow the proper debt collection practices within the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act. In addition, third-party collectors (those collecting debts on behalf of the original creditor), bailiffs and debt repayment agents are required to be licensed by Consumer Protection BC.
How can I make a complaint against a debt collector?
There are a few steps to take:
Try to resolve the issue with the collection agency, and give them time to fix their mistake.- If the issue continues, collect documentation to support your complaint (such as a picture of your phone, showing what time the collector called).
- File a complaint with our office – here’s how you start a complaint. Please include proof that you first tried to resolve the issue with the debt collector.
Where can I go for more debt collection information?
There is a lot more to know about BC’s debt collection law, including more information about your rights and responsibilities. To learn more, visit our website page with debt collection information or feel free to post a question in comments below.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Asking a debt collector to only communicate with you in writing: what you need to know
New things to know about BC’s debt collection laws
What would you do? A guide to being a savvy consumer: debt collection calls
I didn’t know gnat debt collectors weren’t allowed to Publish or threaten to publish your failure to pay (except to a credit reporting agency)
Wow
It is not just a scam call. The major scam call system is based on stealing valid domain names by convincing the victims that they owe money that they do not owe. Then they cannot afford to keep thier business online domain name. Then that internet domain name is stolen and sold on the internet. Then thier online business fails.
I learned a lot about what a debt collector can do to collect a debt.
the info about anothers debt – ty
This is informative. I have learned that debt collectors should not call me during office hours. Thanks for the info!
Wow, learned that there are hours that debt collectors are not allowed to call. Didn’t know that before.
Thanks for the link about gtting communication in writing only. Good tip!
I knew about a debtor being able to ask only to get collection communciation in the form of a letter, but I had no idea Consumer Protection BC actually had an easy form to complete to send to the collector(s). Great idea! Very proactive and helpful.
Nice to find out info on what you can do when the debt is not yours.
I learnt how to stop collection calls from other peoples debt! Whew!
Did not know that they were allowed to contact your employer!
Debt collectors are not allowed to contact a person by phone, by mail only
Apparently not true according to BC law which this website covers. You can write and ask that they only contact you in writing but its not a legal requirement.
I didn’t realize that there were specific hours that debt collectors were restricted to. I also didn’t realize that they could contact you at work.
This doesnt pertain to me, but i will share with others it might be of interest too, very interesting article.
Didn’t know that I could request contact by mail only!
Some very good and important info, glad I read it. Thank you.
I didn’t realize that people can call you for help with aggressive collection agencies.
very interesting and informative
wow I tell collection agencies that they can’t do something and they say they can do what ever they want to
Good information…didn’t know they could not be aggressive…
I learned that an employer can be contacted if I have a debt.
It’s good to know that one can request no phone calls and that one can be contacted by mail only!
It good to know one can be contacted by mail only
I didn’t know debt collectors could call on sundays.
thanks for the information in regards to completing a form to dispute the debt.
Next time a debt collector calls reguarding a debt someone else owes (that used to live here) I will be filling out the form and forwarding it to you. Thank you, your posts are always helpful and I always share them. Lots of great info.
These are great comments! If you’re looking to enter the debt collection contest (on from Nov 3 – 30, 2014), please remember to leave a comment on the Facebook post to qualify to win. I’m here if you have any questions! Here’s a link to our Facebook page.
I didn’t know they could contact your family and friends for information…..really not okay with that! That somehow seems really wrong to me…..
It is good to remember not to give out any personal information over the phone to an unknown person.
I learned soo much , thank you. I hope I am never in this situation.
Thank you for the information about receiving calls about someone elses debt. I will fill in the form next time they call.
I keep getting calls from a toll free service multiple times a day and the caller never leaves any message regarding the call. I found out by calling the toll free service number and found out it’s from Total Credit Recovery. I’m annoyed, stressed and angry and they have not left any messages about the call. Aren’t they suppose to leave any information about the call? What should I do?
Hi Rome, thank you for getting in touch with us. The first thing you may want to do is to get details on why they are calling you. You can do this by answering the phone and talk to the debt collector or you can ask for written details of your debt. We have more information on this and more, on this page of our website. Please read through the entire page as we have a lot of valuable information there. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
I didn’t know that they could phone relatives to get the debtors contact info.
I have learned that debt collection is another person’s job. I guess I never thought of it that way before. I am glad to know that a third party is licensed which means that debt collection is serious.
I did not know they were not allowed to call after 2100 nor before 07. I also did not know you could ask to have everything in writing and that they are meant to send a letter prior with the details.
What if they call constantly isn’t that harassment?
Didn’t know they could contact other members of your family, makes sense though…
Hi K — Our law is silent on the specific number of times a debt collector can call. That said, we’ve found the best way to handle these sorts of situations is to stop ALL calls, and to request communication from the debt collector to be in writing only. Here’s the page you can go to get started on this. I hope this information was helpful!
I learned that debt collectors cannot call you after 9PM or before 7AM
I learned that even if u were frauded ,an were in jail an can prove it . if surten det is over ten years u can not fight it
It’s especially helpful to know what to do if they are calling the wrong person. This happened to a relative.
I did not know that they were not allowed to call between 9pm and 7 nor did I know that you could get everything in writing as I have gotten called at midnight in the past interesting
These points have all been very enlightening. I especially found it interesting that one could request to be contacted by mail only.
Needed help years ago but had no money to pay for the b
bankruptcy charge.
Publish or threaten to publish your failure to pay (except to a credit reporting agency)
I learned that bill collectors can call on sunday between 1pm and 5pm
I learnt that you can request to be contacted in writing only !! I am the very few that are debt free (very thankful)
Love the info. Its always good to know your rights! Requesting contact in writing only is something I did not know so thanks!
I never knew (until now) that you could stop collectors from calling! That’s great news~ it’s been many many years since I’ve had one call me but I remember even after trying to sort it out with them that I had been harassed with something I had no control over. It was awful. If I could have received silent letters, it would have been less stressful. I hope to avoid them, but if it were to happen again, I now know. Thank you!!
Thank you so much I learned a lot about debt collection, I like the fact that you can fill out a form for debt collectors to only contact you by mail
Great info! I like the fact that collectors can’t call during certain hours.
Nice to know they can not publish your debt problem except with credit reporting agencies
This article clearly outlines something new I learned that a debt collector can only call between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Interesting that a request can be made for contact only through the mail! Good to know.
In reply to Joe “what if you become disabled and can’t afford the high price of bankruptcy?” Hi Joe — that’s a question that you may want to ask the bankruptcy trustee. There are some alternative debt repayment options, aside from bankruptcy — take a look at Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy for more information.
Great article… ver valuable info!
I learned there are various forms one can use to stop debt collectors from phoning you
Good info…didn’t know they can’t call after 9 p.m.
Learned quite a bit I din’t know by reading this, it was very interesting.
Didn’t know that you could fill out a form for mail only contact. WOW!
Cancelled a contract with Bell Express view in 2006 because over the year they could not do one month correct billing. They said we owed them after and a collection agency called. It was explained and copies were forwarded to the agency and they agreed we owed nothing and they would fix it. Six months later a different agency started to call about the same thing. We sent the repeat information and thought it was resolved again.This year 2014, another has started again. How do I get Bell to quit?
Thank you for this information it was really helpful, especially the contact by mail and the times they are allowed to call. Thank you.
I didn’t know that you could request ‘in writing’ only.
Very informative!
Thanks
In reply to Larry “Cancelled a contract with Bell Express view in 2006 because over the year they could not do one month correct billing. They said we owed them after and a collection agency called. It was explained and copies were forwarded to the agency and they agreed we owed nothing and they would fix it. Six months later a different agency started to call about the same thing. We sent the repeat information and thought it was resolved again. This year 2014, another has started again. How do I get Bell to quit?”
Hi Larry! We have a form we created that you can use, called Dispute a Debt and it’s on this page. Basically, after you fill out and send a copy of this form to the collection agency, the debt collector can no longer contact you (except for communications necessary for a legal proceeding to take place).
I did not realize that collectors could contact friends neighbors etc…this would be a private matter and I would be mortified if others were involved.
I did not know that a debt collector could call you at work
I did not know about the hours they can phone you? Has this changed recently?
I did not know about the hours they can phone!
Great info. Hope I never that I never get called by a debt collector,
Very interesting but thank God I no longer have to worry about this.
Thanks for rhe heads up about phone calls at work
Thanks very much for sharing this information
you can request written contact only… and that they can call you at work under some circumstances.
Good to know that they can’t exert undue, excessive or unreasonable pressure to collect a debt
[quote name=”Linda”]I did not know about the hours they can phone you? Has this changed recently?[/quote]
Hi Linda! Interesting question. I just asked our regulatory expert, and he tells me that part of the law has been in effect since about 2002.
this is very interesting article, I learnt the ins and outs. Collections can contact you through mail only, but not through your personal phone but they can contact you at work? This doesn’t make sense to me……what’s the reasoning for this twist? And I also hope this isn’t a scam to help collection angencies to gather personal information.
I learned that you can tell collectors that l want my info in writing
I learned that they can’t call after 9 pm or before 7 am.
I learned that you can request for a collection agency to contact you in writing only.
I m glad to learn that you can request to be contacted by mail only.
I wasn’t aware that a request could be made to stop the phone calls and get it in writing instead. Also that they could make only one call to the workplace.
Interesting, i found out collectors can be asked to send me a letter instead of phoning daily
Interesting info! I may ask for a letter in the mail instead of answering phone daily
I didn’t know they were not allowed to call after 9 pm. I had one company calling until 10 or 11 pm. Thank you!
What can I do if a debt collector is calling me about someone else’s debt? Great info, we bought a different house and acquired someone Else’s probs. Not even the person we bought it from. Calls at 7 in the AM, we work graveyards, after explaining many times that we had no idea who they were talking about I would hang up. One morning the collector phoned back and told me I was rude for hanging up, I promised her I was phoning the police and charging her personally for harassment. What I learned from these calls was that some companies obviously don’t check people out enough that they give give card to. My rant for the day
I have learnt about the debt collection. Really imformative!
I didn’t know that there is an actual form called “Stop The Calls Because You Are Not The Debtor” that can be sent by registered mail. In the past I have sent faxes to debt collectors but have found that they are sometimes ignored.
I had one company threaten me with jail time. So I said come and get me and they never called me (ever) since then.
[quote name=”Norma machelle”]this is very interesting article, I learnt the ins and outs. Collections can contact you through mail only, but not through your personal phone but they can contact you at work? This doesn’t make sense to me……what’s the reasoning for this twist? And I also hope this isn’t a scam to help collection angencies to gather personal information.[/quote]
Hi Norma — thanks for your question! Once you’ve submitted the Communication in Writing Only form, the debt collector can’t contact you by phone at all — whether that’s at home or at work. I hope that clears it up!
Reply to: Neil Anderson “What can I do if a debt collector is calling me about someone else’s debt? Great info, we bought a different house and acquired someone else’s probs. Not even the person we bought it from. Calls at 7 in the AM, we work graveyards, after explaining many times that we had no idea who they were talking about I would hang up. One morning the collector phoned back and told me I was rude for hanging up, I promised her I was phoning the police and charging her personally for harassment. What I learned from these calls was that some companies obviously don’t check people out enough that they give give card to. My rant for the day”
We have a form for that, Neil! It’s called “Not the Debtor” and you can access it here.
interesting to know about third party licencing.
I did not know a debt collector was allowed to call you at work – period – whether to request information on you or talk to you about your debt. That was good information to know.
did not know I was not required to answer questions about some else’s debt. Also did not know they had to be licenced and the hours they can call.
I learned alot
I had no idea you had forms available on your website. Very informative and useful to everyone. Thanks!
There is a lot of great info on this site!
I learned about when debt collectors can and cannot call someone.
Life has been made simpler by having all the forms at our finger tips when confronted with an issue. Thank you.
I did not know that prior to a debt collector calling you must have recieved a letter ( at least 5 days prior to them calling)
I learned to never miss a payment so that one does not have to deal with these people.
I was not aware that a form was available for “request for communication by letter”. I think this is a great step forward. Those phone calls can be very intimidating.
They are not allowed to threaten, or harass many times in the past I had them call and have a bad attitude right off the bat.And it wasn’t me that had thee debt.
Thanks for the info…
great to have the links for the various forms.
I have some friends who need to see this info….
Some very important info….a good read for everyone.
I did not know they could only phone you between certain time I think they should be aware of the rules I got so despurt I cut my phone off so thank you for letting me know I was trying to pay them off every month and they would not except payments
I didn’t know that they were actually allowed to call you at work for any reason. That’s very interesting.
Good to know the hours they can n can’t call etc
I learned that about your rights in regard to calls when you are not the person with the debt.
I did not know previously how to handle calls for debt that is not ours (but with the same name). I wish I had known then how to handle this.
I didn’t know you could request communication in writing only.
I had no idea you could mealy them so you can only receive mail from them
I have actually had debt collectors call me regarding my neighbors debt! apparently they used my name address and tele as a contact person UGH! maybe I think I will send them this info!
Sometimes when you have a debt that you are unable to pay, it is good to call the creditor and explain the problem, and how you are going to deal with it.
It’s nice to find out that you can make them stop calling and communicate with me in writing. Thanks.
Didn’t know you can request for a collection agency to contact you in writing only.
debt collectors keep phoning me about people with the same last name as mine all the time and I don’t know the people they are calling about …I keep telling them I don’t know them but that doesn’t deter them in the least I think they phone more after I tell them I don’t know the people they are trying to contact
Debt collectors called me at work my sister used my info.and now they are after me what can I do please help me thank you
Didn’t know they had to contact you by mail before the phoning
great info
Great article. Loved the info on what a debt collector can and cannot do. Knowledge is power!
Reply to Lesley Hastings: “Debt collectors called me at work my sister used my info. And now they are after me what can I do please help me thank you”
Hi Lesley — if they’re calling about a debt that doesn’t belong to you, here’s a link to the correct form to fill out and send to the collection agency. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can assist with!
I wish they knew how much it bothers me to not be able to pay my debt. I am sick and my finances are a mess.
great to know about contact by letter only.
our landline gets multitude of collection calls for a whole total different family of 3; up to 3x or more a day.
Very helpful information
Its really good to know you can dispute the claim officially.
I did not know about the dispute debt form
Great website. Thank you.
I didn’t know debt collectors could call so early or late, I thought it was between business hours…
thanx, very informative:-) i didn’t know you actually had forms for various situations.
Very informative.
Are not allowed to discuss case with strangers n problem won’t ago away if not answering calls
interesting
New info I learned is :
Debt collector must send a letter 5 days before attempting to call a customer.
I knew very little about the rights on both sides, so found it illuminating information.
I didn’t know debt collectors couldn’t call you after 9pm.
Loved the article . Learned a lot about debt collection . Did not know that you can be asked to be contacted in writing only . Also that one can get details of the debt in writing.
Didn’t know you could request contact in writing only
Early morning calls are the worst. Glad you can stop them altogether.
Tried to comment for the contest. Won’t let me 🙁
Good to know about callers that have the wrong ne but have left my phone number.
Reply to Erin: “Tried to comment for the contest. Won’t let me.”
Hi Erin — What’s happening when you try to leave a comment? Can you send us a private message on Facebook and I’ll try to help you post?
We put up with debt collectors for 6 years. They had the wrong name, wrong address, but our phone number. None of them would delete our information and look for the debtor, too damn lazy!!
Good info but most of its pretty common knowlage
Very good information.
I did not know there were certain hours that creditors can and cannot call.
Finding out the Collectors can only call my place of work once to obtain my contact information and then again only if failure to contact me at home was an interesting piece of information to find out. Also did not know I could stop the calls occurring either too early or too late.
I knew nothing about debt before I read this, it was very helpful.
I have had many of them do this: Exert undue, excessive or unreasonable pressure to collect a debt. I didn’t know they aren’t supposed too!
Did not know that you could request to stop the calls in writing
Finding out that if you can request the debt collectors to stop the phone calls, and comunicate in writing only, was brand new information!
I learned that collectors cannot ‘discuss details of your debt with someone else’.
Thank-u for information pertaining to times Debt Collectors may call you.I also find requesting written contact only quite useful if dealing with financial matters so you can better prioritize your day.
Everyone should read this.Amazing what these people can do without your knowledge!!
This site was very informative!
Learned that third-party collectors are required to be licensed in BC
a royal pain in my rump, and a few other people i know… someone using you for a credit reference without your knowledge or consent.. they when they default the harassment begins…
i don’t think you should be able to name someone as a credit reference without their informed consent.
Learned that calls cannot be made before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Getting calls from CVB(?)trying to collect on an imaginary Telus debt. I googled the numbers and according to other ‘victims’ they are a total scam. I’m averaging 12 calls a day from three numbers, all in the same office, starting a few minute after 7am and the last, around 8pm. I never answer, never will. I will be sending them a letter to only contact me via snail mail though, hopefully that works. Otherwise I’ll have to change my number
Hi Lee — If the collection agency is called “CBV,” then I can confirm that it’s a BC-licensed debt collection agency.
If you’re in doubt that the debt belongs to you, I’d suggest that you ask them to send a letter with the details of your debt (which they’re legally obligated to do before the collection calls start — if you didn’t get this letter, it could be that they didn’t have your mailing address).
If after you review the details of the debt and you still don’t think it belongs to you, there’s another form you can fill out called “dispute the debt”. Here’s the page you can get more info and the forms.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
I thought it was common sense that a debt collector couldn’t use profanity in a call, good to see it is listed , I have experienced it and of course the judgement that comes with it , thank you for posting this info.
so glad to know about consumer bc. nice to know there is someone there with great advice.
These rules, rights and obligations should be made a lot more public.
I didn’t know you could ask for written communication only.
Always good to know your rights. Good info, Thank you.
Debt collectors are not allowed to call before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. and these are good rules! Anyone who calls too early or too late should be punished.
Good information
I didn’t know you could request that they only communicate through the mail, thank you.
So many things I didn’t know. Thank you.
Didn’t know that you could request all the details on your debt, or never really thought to ask. Would need to ve careful who to share it with.
Great information… i never knew any of that before
Wow, learned that there are hours that debt collectors are not allowed to call. Didn’t know that before.
Good to know there are rules for debt collectors and support if you find yourself in this predicament .
What if you ask for all the details in writing and you never get it?
What if you pay the debt and still receive nothing in writing or a notice of satisfaction is not filed on your credit bureau?
Hi Tammy — By law, debt collectors have to supply you with written details about your debt (refusing to do so would be a violation of our laws). That said, it’s possible the debt collector cannot send this letter if they do not have your current mailing address — if that’s the case, you need to give the debt collector that information so they can supply the proper documents.
For your second question, collection agencies are required to note that a debt has been paid on your credit report. If you have inaccurate information on your credit report, the first step would be to submit proof of payment to the credit reporting agencies (Equifax and TransUnion) and request they fix the error. If that doesn’t work, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC oversees accuracy of information on consumers’ credit reports, so you could escalate the issue with them. I hope this information was helpful!
Hi Tammy,
I am a trustee in bankruptcy. I often hear from our debtors years after they are finished bankruptcy that collection agents start calling again to collect a debt that was included in their bankruptcy. We show these individuals how to rectify and errors on their credit report, but what should they do about these rogue creditors and collection agents who don’t acknowledge their bankruptcy?
Hi Leah — Thanks for your question. Consumers who are getting the calls can stop the communications by filling out and submitting a Debt in Dispute form (available on our website, here). If you’re the one receiving the debt collection calls on the behalf of the debtor, you would need to send the collector a letter with documentation that proves the debt has been paid/was included in the bankruptcy.
All this said, if you (or your clients) are getting repeated calls from a debt collector even after the proper form/letter was sent, then this is something we’d want to hear about. In that case, we’d ask the debtor (or you, depending on who is getting the calls) to send us poof that the debt collector was properly notified (along with evidence showing that they received the form/letter, such as an email read receipt, a fax transmission report or a certified mail receipt).
I hope that helps — let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Shannon — I’m sorry to hear about this. My suggestion would be to have your parents submit a “not the debtor” form to the debt collector (available on our website here: http://bit.ly/1wJhnXH). I know this step may seem a bit redundant as you’ve already relayed this information verbally, but what this does is create a paper trail of evidence that you can use if the debt collector violates BC’s debt collection laws going forward. Make sure the form is sent to the collection agency in a way that you can prove it was sent (such as by fax with a transmission report, an email with a read receipt or by registered mail) — this way the collector cannot claim s/he never received it. If the debt collector continues to call your parents after they’ve submitted the form (give them about a week to update their records), give us a call and we’d be happy to assist further: 1-888-564-9963.
On another note, you may also be interested to learn that you can make a request for all communications from the debt collector to be in writing only, thus stopping all calls completely. Here’s a form on our website if you wanted to make that request: http://bit.ly/1KSkzCF
I hope this information was helpful, Shannon!
I’ve been getting calls say about 10-15 times daily, they’ve been calling my parents house nonstop too. I’ve called the agency last week and asked them to take my parents number off the call list, they said they did but as of as early as this afternoon they were still calling their house. no reason for it as I have updated my info with them, not to mention when she calls she is very rude, any ideas how to stop this? can I charge them with harassment for calling my parents house? any ideas greatly appreciated
Are laws surrounding debt collection based on the province in which you incurred the debt or the province in which you currently reside? Thanks!
Hi Vince, a debt collection company would have to follow the law where you reside even if the debt incurred in another province. Any collector contacting someone who lives in BC, has to be licensed with us and follow the BC rules. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our Inquiry Centre at info@consumerprotectionbc.ca or toll-free 1-888-564-9963.
Im still getting collection calls, for debts that are from 2007-2010 that Im having trouble paying.. is that even legal? keep in mind though the calls have become once in a blue moon now… but up until 2 years ago I was getting like 5-6 a day
I’ve been receiving calls from a debt collector for months now and their the third group to contact me about said debt. I have never received any letters from any of them, the only letter I ever received was from the bank telling me that i was late with my credit card payment. after I received the letter from the bank I went in and told them I had been laid off and they had to wait for there money till I had it to give. Now I have a letter saying if I don’t pay them there going to take me to court and charge me with failing to pay and also make me pay the court fees. Every single time any of these people phoned me to tell me I owed them money, I told them all I am not working I haven’t worked in going on five years I have no money and I’m trying to better myself by going to post secondary education to become a functioning member of society. I received student loans for my classes but surely they don’t expect me to pay them with my school money. I am scared because I can’t pay.
Hello J, thank you for your question. If the debt is yours, collection agencies are allowed to call you. You may request communication to be in writing only – the link to the form is located on our website here. I hope this information helps!
Hello Phil, it sounds like a difficult situation for you. We always encourage people to speak to their creditors about their debts. There are also debt management options which may be able to help and it’s important to understand the different business models when it comes to those options. – you may find some useful information on our debt web portal (http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/debt-portal). Another thing you may want to do is to request communication to be in writing only – the link to the form is located on our website here: http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumers-debt-collection/how-to-make-a-complaint/forms I wish you the best, Phil!
Hi,
The company that I work for has a collector that is after one of our employees and they’ve been constantly calling our receptionist non-stop.
Unfortunately we don’t have a way to block unknown numbers. It’s adding to the stress level of our receptionist and I’d like to know what actions can be done to stop the collector?
Do we need to get police involved?
Thx
Hi Bob, thank you for your question. You may suggest your co-worker to request the collection company to communicate in writing only. We have a form for that on our website – http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumers-debt-collection/how-to-make-a-complaint/forms and it is best to keep a copy for his/her records and proof that the form has been sent (fax receipt, registered mail through Canada Post, receipt etc.).
Also do have a look at the blog post on this page if you haven’t already – it has a lot of information that may be helpful for him/her including when a collection agency is allowed to contact an employer.
Please also be aware of the information on this website which speaks to some upcoming changes to the law: http://goo.gl/MI6cMi. If you have any further or specific questions, please let us know.
Hi. I am in the position of having an outstanding debt. in B.C.Canada, but I now live in the U.S.A. I have been making payments on this debt until recently, and because of economic difficulties for me; I have had to make some tough decisions, and stopping making these payments was one of them. I haven’t had any calls from debt collectors yet, but am sure they will start soon.
What are the rules and regulations for cross border debts? I am totally in the dark here, and hope that you can help me to know what my rights are in this somewhat unique situation.
Thankyou
Hi John, thank you for contacting us regarding your question. If you currently live in the USA (NOT as a temporary resident for 6 months out of the year, for instance) then the collectors would have to follow the laws in the state you live in. You may want to contact the state attorney general to get more information. I hope you can find the information you are looking for there. I imagine that you know this but for the benefit of others, it should be noted that moving does not erase a debt and just because a person isn’t receiving collections notices, it doesn’t mean that the debt isn’t accruing.
Who and where are the best places to get a debt consolidation through?
Hi Brenda, thank you for contacting us. As we are the regulator of the debt collection and debt repayment agent industry, we are not able to make a specific recommendation on which company to contact. However we have some resources on our website on tips when you are dealing with debt repayment agents. Here there are: http://bit.ly/1U2OFMO (debt repayment info in general) and http://bit.ly/23TpyPf (your rights as a consumer related to debt repayment).
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact our Inquiry Centre, toll-free at 1-888-564-9963. I hope the information provided here points you to the right direction.
Hi Melaina. I have a collection agency claiming that they are collecting money that I owe to HSBC. I sent them a regestered letter asking for the type of credit/debt, all account numbers, and all relevant dates. They responded with only “HSBC finance”. I sent another regestered letter saying that just saying HSBC Finance is far to vague and asked again for the same three pieces of information. They responded with the same “HSBC Finance” but none of the info I requested. I honestly don’t know what this debt is and I can’t get any info out of them. The worst part is they are putting this on my credit report and I didn’t even know! I found out when I went to a bank for a pre-approval for a loan. What is the best way to get them to stop reporting this and even remove it from my credit? Thank you.
I have a collection agency calling me about a debt supposedly from years ago. planning to do a payroll verification report. My bank and the financial consultant I have contacted cannot find any trace of this debt on my credit reports. Is there a suggested way to move forward on this please? I thought any outstanding debts would be reported through a credit bureau and show on my credit report
If you do not acknowledge the debt, the timemperiodnto collectmorntskemtomcourt is two years. After that, the debt is legally null and void, AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT. If the leeches call, tell them you do not owe money, stop calling. If they still call, report them.
Hi Ryan, thank you for your question. Sounds like you have done your best to get the details of the debt from the collector – have you tried contacting HSBC directly to inquire if you have any outstanding debt with them? Also with the debt collector, although you may have been doing this with registered mail etc, you may want to send them the form to request communication in writing only. You can download the form from our website here – http://bit.ly/1NAUjV0.
If the debt turns out to be not yours, there are steps you can take with Transunion and Equifax – the two credit reporting agencies in Canada. You can visit their website for more information on this. I know there is a lot of information here so if you need any clarification, please feel free to contact us at toll free number, 1-888-564-9963.
Hi Greg, you may want to contact the debt collector to see if you can get the details of the debt. There is a way to request the communication to be in writing only with a collector – you can send them the form that is available on our website here – http://bit.ly/1NAUjV0.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us at toll free number, 1-888-564-9963.
i agree with your comment I’m not okay with it either and it should be wrong that they can call your employer. Its really nobody’s business but your own.[quote name=”Corinne Desgagne”]I didn’t know they could contact your family and friends for information…..really not okay with that! That somehow seems really wrong to me…..[/quote]
I am getting debt collector calls for ICBC in British Columbia. I have severe disabilities. I have never had a drivers license nor be a co-signer for a vehicle. I have never owned a vehicle in my life. I explained this to the collector and 6 times they had phoned me. I’m severely hearing impaired and have had someone else talk to the collector to explain my situation. I’m on Government Assistance right now. There is no way I can make payments and I have no idea what the debt is about considering I have never had a licence and a vehicle.
Hi Laura, that sounds like a frustrating situation. We have two forms that may be helpful to you. One is “request communication in writing only” and the other is “dispute alleged debt”. Both forms can be found on our website here – http://bit.ly/1TjwLjM Once you fill out these forms, make sure that you send them via registered mail or fax with record so you can prove that you have sent these forms.
If you have any further difficulties with the process, please feel free to give us a call at toll free number, 1-888-564-9963 or email info(at)consumerprotectionbc.ca.
Had a loan through HFC later HSBC well in 2007 they offered buy out paid 1263.00 things progressed, well amount was never wrote off after buy out HSBC sold to Contact Resources and they have started harassing me from 2013 on which is funny because exact year bank destroyed payment files. Since then every couple weeks till recently everyday 9 to 10 am , noon and 5:00 pm and sent a letter to take me to court which my husband signed for
Hi Carol, thank you for your post. You can use one of our forms to request communication in writing only. The link to the form is here – http://bit.ly/1U0OeOJ please make sure that the form is sent to the collection company with a proof of delivery. You may want to use fax or register mail for example.
With regards to the letter notifying you that they are taking you to court, please feel free to contact us by calling 1-888-564-9963 toll free. We would like to get more information about this over the phone. Thank you, Carol.
Are collection agencies allowed to check your credit report?
Hi sm, yes collection agencies are allowed to check your credit report.
Hi Karen — It sounds like you may be talking about the Limitation Act (which is not overseen by our office). The debt collection law we administer speaks to collector behaviour (such as when and how they’re allowed to contact people who owe debts). For more information about the Limitation Act, check out this information from the government: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/about-bcs-justice-system/legislation-policy/legislation-updates/limitation-act (there are some Q&As near the bottom of the page that may be helpful). If that doesn’t answer your questions, let me know and I’m happy to pass along some legal resources. I hope that helps!
I have a question. Can a collection agency [legally] attempt to collect a debt on which the BC Statute of Limitations has expired?
What can you do when someone else uses enough of your information to run up a debt that gets sent to a debt collector?
Hello Mr. Schuler — I may need a little bit more information. Is this a case of fraud? If so, this would likely fall under the jurisdiction of the police, although we would be able to offer assistance with getting the debt collector calls to stop and information about how to remove false information from your credit report. If it’s too difficult to explain in a comment, feel free to contact our call centre at 1-888-465-9963.
I have an instance where a landlord is trying to get extra money. cleaning fees, early move out etc etc. I have documentation which disproves everything they are saying. It has now been sent to a collection agency which has reported it to Equifax and trans-union. trans-union has done an investigation and has removed it. However the collection agency and Equifax have not responded to my request for an investigation and proof of their findings. My question is How do I get this to stop?
Hi Jonathan, thank you for your question. for credit report accuracy issues, you may want to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC).
For information on how to make a complaint with the OIPC, you can visit the “How do I make a Complaint?” page on their website. Here is the link – http://bit.ly/2jvWH4T I hope they can point you in the right direction!
I’m getting calls from a collection agency on behalf of a telecommunication company. They say it’s the law that I have to provide them a birthdate. It’s difficult to get any information from them as they repeat that they need to verify that they have to have the correct person. I’ve only identified myself by my name. They are reluctant to provide a confirmation of the spelling of their name as they blurt it out quickly. I’ve verified that I am in good standing with a zero balance with the company and that they have not sent my name to an agency. Two questions, is it true that I have to provide my birthdate and can compel the telecommunications company to clear my name by clearing it at the collections agency?
Hi Vince, thank you for posting your question. It sounds like the collection agency is doing their due diligence to follow the privacy act (Personal Information Protection Act) to verify that they are speaking to the right person. If you have concerns about the privacy issue, you may want to contact the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). I hope this information helps, Vince.
Hi. I have a credit card debt that has gone to 3rd party collections. i havent heard from them in a while and havent had anything mailed to me.im finally about to be caught up on my bills thx to a disastrous Alberta economy.i moved to bc.finally steady income and this weekend 1000 dollars was taken from my account without notice.this was money for my car payment and for my child.what are my rights.my scotiabank says they cant do anything.im pretty sure they need to give a notice of some sort.i have no money and need help.thx
Hi Buddy, thank you for your comment. I would need to have a bit more information about your situation so can you please contact our Inquiry Centre? Our toll-free number is 1-888-564-9963 or alternatively, you can contact us by email, info@consumerprotectionbc.ca. Thank you!
I’m confused. My daughter just had a collection agency (Gateway) call (this would be their initial call that they contacted her) and they told her she owed the debt in full. It was a BMO credit card that she missed paying on… BMO says it’s been referred to credit agency but she needs to pay BMO. Credit agency says it’s been referred to them but she needs to pay BMO. This doesn’t make sense to me. First, can collection agency demand payment in full without any paperwork? Secondly, who is she supposed to be “paying” and communicating with? She is in no condition to pay in full but stated she could pay $250. /month.
Hi Deb, thank you for your question. It is my understanding that generally you would arrange the payment process with the debt collector if your debt has gone to collection. However I’m not completely sure as our law that we oversee does not speak to how payments are arranged. Having said that, If both BMO and the collection agency are saying to pay BMO, then it might be your best bet to contact BMO again and get clarification on the process and organize a monthly or bi-weekly payment plan. I hope this information is helpful, and if I’ve misunderstood please let me know!
Hi Money Talks, thank you for your question. Our law does not speak to payment arrangements with debt collectors, however, if you would prefer to receive communication in writing only from the collectors you can use our form on our website.
Something you may be interested in doing is to seek a second opinion on payment options from a trustworthy financial institution. It may be helpful to get some additional advice to see if there are any other options for you. I hope this information is helpful to you!
I have been dealing with a debt collection agency, paying them a set amount each month, agreed upon with the agent I was dealing with. Now that agent has left the company, a new agent called me, telling me the past six months of payments were accepted as part of a waiting period for me to get funds in place to make a lump sum of X amount to clear the debt. Now that time is up. I explained that last conversation I had with the agent was about how much per month I was going to be paying and that was it. He said that was not what was in the file. I explained I am in no position to do anything other than the monthly payments at this point as I am on medical leave from work. He told me I had 48 hours to make arrangements to come up with X amount to clear the debt. So I better find a place to get a loan from, because a bank won’t touch you. Or family or friends. Can they do that? Ask for a lump sum when you’re making payments?
Are agencies allowed to call your place of employment several times a day , have you paged to speak with you , during your working hours?
Hi Julie, thank you for posting your question! Debt collectors are allowed to call you at work but only to request your home address, phone number and email address (if they don’t have it). If they are breaking this rule, please feel free to fill out our complaint form (link to that page is here). At the same time, you may want to request the collectors to communicate with you in writing only. If you visit this page, under “I want the calls to stop”, you can use one of our forms. Please let us know if you have any questions!
Thanks for the beneficial advice, but in my point of view A good relationship should be open and communicative. You should be able to ask questions freely and ask your agency about things like commission rates, reporting, staffing, debt collection tools- even ask for help with your internal accounts receivables. A good agency will offer all this and more.
Wow! All of the comments here follow the same grammatical patterns and have obviously been written by the same person! Too bad impersonating people named Chrissy, Helen, Laurie, Susan etc.. isn’t regulated by Consumer Protection BC.
Hi Chrissy, thanks for your comment. If you are referring to the oldest comments on the blog post (from November of 2014), there was a Facebook contest that took place where people from our Facebook community were asked to comment on the Facebook post to be entered to win. It looks like a few people may have misunderstood and commented on the blog post instead. I hope that clears things up for you!
I receive several phone calls a day sjnce months regarding a debt here the last payment was made 8 years ago! Is a Collection Agency allowed to harrass us with calls 8 years later? That debt is not even on my credit report anymore! Thanks
Hi Sabrina, if you owe the debt (even if it’s from 8 years ago) debt collection companies are entitled to contact you. You can request them to communicate with you in writing only but please know that this doesn’t make the debt go away. We have a blog post on this topic here. You can access the form from that blog post as well. I hope this information is helpful to you!
Can a 3rd party debt collector still take me to small claims court for an outstanding LOC debt with HSBC from 2012 here in BC?
Hi Chis, thanks for your question and sorry for the delay in my response. I think I must have missed this one! I have a resource for you that I think will provide the info you are looking for: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/about-bcs-justice-system/legislation-policy/legislation-updates/limitation-act. That’s where you can find information about the Statute of Limitations Act, which I think you are referencing (please correct me if I’m wrong). We can’t provide info on the Act, because we do not administer it or have any authority over it. We regulate and licence debt collectors but do not have any power when it comes to the Statute of Limitations. I think you will find some good info in the link I provided. Best of luck.
Hi. I received a call from a collection agency yesterday. But, they didn’t have my address and any other info so asked me for it.
So i asked them for the details or anything about the debt i owe, but they just gave the number of the insurance company i owe the money and told me to call them for the details.
As I know im supposed to get notified in writing but i haven’t got anything about my debt. Is it likely to be scam?
Hi there, Amhm. Thanks for reaching out to us here. There’s no way for me to tell you whether or not this is a scam. Does the name of the insurance company sound familiar? Have you used them before? Have you considered calling the number of the collection agency to request the details? If you want to know the details of your debt you are within your rights to ask for that information. Debt collectors should send you a letter detailing your debt – including info about the amount owing and who owns the debt. Were you able to contact the insurance company to ask for more information? If they did not provide that info – you can request it using this form on our website: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/debt-collection-self-help-tools/ You must have the agency’s email to do this with this form. I hope this is helpful, please let me know if you have any questions about the info I provided.
Hi Amhm, additionally, if you have the name of the collection agency you can do a search to determine if they are one of our licensed businesses: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/check-a-licence-search/. This may be a good indicator that they are legitimate or not.
The agency is on the licensed business.
There is things updated today. I called the agency to talk to the person who called me last week. She said i have to pay as much as I can before the end of this month.
Also, I called the insurance company’s number, but I need to know the extension number to talk to someone in person.
She told me to give call back tomorrow morning
and let her know how much I can pay. What am I supposed to do now..?
Hi amhm, Amanda is away for a few days so I’m responding to your question. Sounds like you are trying to connect with the insurance company so definitely connect with someone there to talk about the debt. As Amanda suggested, you can certainly use our self-help tool and send the debt collection agency a form to request written notification of the debt. That may be the first step so you know what the debt is about if you are still unclear about it. Here’s the link to the self-help tool again: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/debt-collection-self-help-tools/
Hello,
I just got an email about the alert on my credit score from Equifax, saying my credit score has decreased by 104. Even though I tried to figure out the details and anything about it but still “no one” has replied the email and phone call, I paid the small amount which is the maximum amount I can pay at this moment because the agency told me to pay as much as I can. Since then, the agency hasn’t called me back but my score has decreased by that much? I’ve never missed credit card payment and anything else that could affect my credit score by as much as 100. So only thing I can expect for the reason is that the agency might report to Equifax.
I have no idea what to do in this desperate situation…
Hi Amhm, thanks for reaching out to us here. Would you mind clarifying your question? What is it exactly that you’re looking for help with? To clarify what we can help with when it comes to debt collectors, here’s a link to our page on that topic: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/debt-collection/. If you believe that your credit score is incorrect, I would suggest following these steps we have outlined on our website:
Step 1: If there is an error for the amount owing, contact the original creditor to try and make the correction.
Step 2: Contact the reporting agency, either TransUnion or Equifax, to ask that they fix the error.
Step 3: You have the option to enter a 100-word statement on your credit report to explain the error. Contact the reporting agency directly to submit your statement. This is included every time your credit report is accessed.
Step 4: If you have tried the above steps, and you have concerns about the accuracy of your personal information on your credit report, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC) may be able to assist. Here is a link to their contact information: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/about/contact-us/.
If you would like more information about your rights around credit reporting, you may be interested in looking at this section of our website: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/credit-reporting/. We oversee a peice of legislation called the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority, and there is a section that speaks to credit reporting. The law covers what can be included in a credit report and who can see it.
I hope this is helpful and best of luck!
My daughter has a debt with CIBC that is years old. We are her parents and she gave out our phone number at the time of the loan and we have been plagued with phone calls for at least the last two years. When I do answer the phone, I tell them that she doesn’t live here and that we don’t know of her location, are not in contact with her and that she probably owes us more than she owes them. They have phoned as early as 6:30 on a Friday morning and often at 7AM with no one on the other end of the line. Not being the one who owes them, what can I do to make them stop?
Hi Brian, thanks for reaching out to us here. If you would like the calls to stop you can use our form that requests that they only communicate with you in writing. This blog post explains this in detail here: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/2016/09/asking-a-debt-collector-to-only-communicate-with-you-in-writing-what-you-need-to-know/. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
Excellent post. I’m experiencing some of these issues as well..
Regards
Ross Alisha
Hi Alisha, thank you for the comment and I’m glad the post is useful to you. If you are having specific issues and would like some help, please feel free to ask it here or over the phone. Our toll-free number is 1-888-564-9963 and we are here Monday to Friday 8:30-4:15.
Its such as you learn my thoughts! You seem to grasp a lot about this, such as you wrote the ebook in it or something. I think that you just could do with some p.c. to pressure the message house a little bit, but instead of that, this is great blog. An excellent read. I’ll definitely be back
Yes! Finally something about ABCya.
I’m wondering if an unpaid bill from 2005 that was just purchased from a collection agency is still a viable debt to be collected. Is there a time limit??
Hi Terry, regarding your question about your debt – you may want to take a look at BC’s Limitation Act. We don’t oversee this law so we wouldn’t be able to interpret it for you but this government website explains about it in depth. The Law Society of BC also has a page with some useful links so take a look at this page. I hope these resources will be helpful to you!
Terry – I too have just started to get collection calls regarding a supposed debt from 2005…from Alberta, but because I am in BC, they say that the debt is still valid??
Following links provided by Shoko for more info…
I’ve received 3 phone calls from Integrated Recovery Solutions looking for someone with the same name as me. They said a file was opened in Sept under my name and that they had mailed me info which I had chosen to ignore. I havent received anything in the mail. I have no outstanding debts with anyone. I keep telling them they have the wrong person and I wont give these callers any info over the phone because I don’t know if this is a scam. How do I get these people to stop calling me.
Hi Heather, thanks for reaching out to us here with your question. If you would first like to confirm that this is a legitimate debt collection agency, you can do a licensee search on our website: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/check-a-licence-search/. If you suspect that this may not be legitimate debt, you can also request a credit check to find out if you have any outstanding debts – this is a good idea in the slight chance that someone has taken out a debt in your name fraudulently. If you determine that the debt collection agency is legitimate, and they have the wrong person (and there’s no outstanding debt under your name in your credit report) I would suggest you read the section of this blog post above called “What can I do if a debt collector is calling me about someone else’s debt?” it explains what to do. Here’s what it says: Tell the debt collector you are not the person they are looking for and ask for the calls to stop. Be prepared to provide details to confirm that you are not the person they’re calling for, such as your addresses and birth date. We created a form you can fill out called “Stop the Calls Because You Are Not the Debtor” and send to the collection agency by registered mail, fax or email. There’s also more information on this in this section of our website under “they have the wrong person”. If you would like to speak to one of our staff on the phone about this, you can call our inquiry centre at 1.888.564.9963. I hope this is helpful to you and best of luck!