What is the Latest a Bill Collector Can Call and When

In the United States, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) sets limits on how often a bill collector can call you.

Typically, a bill collector can call you 7 times within a 7-day period, or a total of 30 days.

This law aims to prevent harassment and protect consumers from excessive contact.

The latest a bill collector can call is a bit more complicated than you might think. They can't call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you specifically tell them that's when you'd like to speak to them.

It's worth noting that debt collectors can't call your workplace if they know, or have a reason to know, that you cannot receive calls at work. This is a common issue, and it's good to be aware of it.

Here are some specific times when a bill collector can't call:

These restrictions are in place to protect you from being harassed or disturbed at inconvenient times. It's always a good idea to be aware of your rights and take steps to protect yourself from unwanted calls.

Debt collectors can only call you a certain number of times within a specific timeframe.

The Federal Trade Commission has clarified that collectors cannot call you more than seven times within a seven-day period or within seven days of speaking to you about a debt.

Debt collectors cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you tell them that’s when you would like to speak to them, and they also cannot call your workplace if they know, or have a reason to know, that you cannot receive calls at work.

Here's a breakdown of the call frequency rules:

Keep in mind that these rules are in addition to the other behaviors that may constitute a violation, such as threatening you with harm or using obscene language.

Debt collectors can call you to discuss your debt, but they have to identify themselves as debt collectors. They can't call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. unless you tell them that's when you prefer to speak.

Debt collectors can't call you repeatedly with the intention of harassing you. They also can't threaten you with harm, threaten to arrest you, or use obscene or abusive language. And, of course, they can't lie to you.

Within the first 30 days of being contacted, debt collectors must tell you the amount you owe, the name of the creditor, and that you have 30 days to dispute the debt in writing. If you write disputing the debt within this time, they must stop all collection efforts until they provide you with the information you requested.

You can still dispute the debt 30 days after being contacted, but debt collectors don't have to stop all collection efforts while these later requests are pending.

Debt collectors can call you up to seven times within a seven-day period, but they can't call you more than this within any seven-day period after speaking to you about a debt. They also can't call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

Here's a summary of the call restrictions:

In California, debt collectors are limited to making 6 calls per week to a single consumer. This rule is designed to give consumers a break from repeated calls.

Debt collectors in California are also prohibited from calling consumers before 5pm or after 8pm.

In New York, debt collectors are subject to a 9pm cutoff for calls, ensuring consumers can get some peace in the evening.

Debt collectors in California are not allowed to call consumers at work, unless the consumer has given prior consent.

In New York, debt collectors are not permitted to call consumers on Sundays or holidays.

Worth a look: Hope Calls

Debt collectors can call you a maximum of 7 times within 7 days after the debt is sold, and then they must wait 7 days before calling again.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is the law that governs debt collector call frequency. It's designed to protect consumers from harassment.

Debt collectors can call you at any time, but they must stop calling if you ask them to. This is known as a "cease and desist" request.

Old debt and call frequency can be a sensitive topic, especially if you're dealing with a bill collector. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) limits the number of times a collector can call you in a week, to 7 times.

If you've had a debt for a while, collectors might not be as aggressive, but they can still call you frequently. In fact, collectors can call you as many times as they want if the debt is more than 6 years old.

If you're worried about being called too much, you can ask the collector to stop calling you, but they're only required to do so if you send them a written request.