WORKSHOP REPORT

Collecting Consumer Debts:  The Challenges of Change:  A Federal Trade Commission Workshop Report (February 2009)
When:
October 10-11, 2007

Where:
FTC Conference Center
601 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

The Federal Trade Commission staff will host a workshop on October 10-11, 2007, to explore changes in the debt collection industry and examine their impact on consumers and businesses. The event is free and open to the public, and there will be no pre-registration. The workshop will bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, state and federal regulators, and others with relevant expertise to provide information on a range of issues, including the effects of technological, economic, and legal changes on the debt collection industry and whether the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and other laws have kept pace with the developments.

The FTC staff invites interested parties to participate by submitting comments or original research by the dates specified below.

FILING A COMMENT

As announced at the workshop on October 10, the deadline for supplemental comments regarding debt collection practices is Friday, November 9, 2007. Comments should be captioned "Debt Collection Workshop - Supplemental, P074805" and should be submitted according to the instructions below.

To File Comments or Original Papers Electronically:
Follow the instructions and fill out the form at https://secure.commentworks.com/FTC/debtcollectionworkshop.
To File Comments or Original Papers in Paper Form:
Include “Debt Collection Workshop - Supplemental - P074805,” both in the text and on the envelope, and mail or deliver to the following address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room H-135 (Annex N), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Because postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay, please consider submitting your comments in electronic form, as prescribed above. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible.
To Request Confidential Treatment:
You must file in paper form and clearly label the first page of the document with “Confidential” and comply with Commission Rule 4.9(c).

FTC's PRIVACY POLICY

The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments, whether filed in paper or electronic form, will be considered by the Commission and will be available to the public on the FTC website, to the extent practicable, at http://www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm. As a matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments it receives before placing those comments on the FTC website. More information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy policy, at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.shtm.


CONSUMER PUBLICATIONS

  • Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
    Answers commonly asked questions about your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which requires that debt collectors treat you fairly and prohibits certain methods of debt collection.
  • Knee Deep in Debt
    If you or someone you know is in financial hot water, consider these options: realistic budgeting, credit counseling from a reputable organization, debt consolidation, or bankruptcy. Tips on getting back in the black.
  • How to Dispute Credit Report Errors
    Explains how to dispute and correct inaccurate information in your credit report. Includes a sample dispute letter.
  • Time-Barred Debts
    Offers information on debt collection practices as they relate to debts that are past the statute of limitations.