Choose the change you actually want
| Need | Request to consider | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Calls at a bad time or place | Clearly identify inconvenient times, places or a prohibited workplace channel. | Tell the collector the actual restriction and keep proof. |
| Stop a particular electronic channel | Use the stated text or email opt-out, or another clear channel request. | Opting out of texts is not necessarily a request to stop every form of contact. |
| An attorney handles this debt | Give the collector the attorney’s relevant contact information. | The attorney relationship and applicable exceptions still matter. |
| Stop collection communications generally | Send the covered written cease-communication request through a verified route. | Specified final communications and lawful remedies can remain; the debt is not canceled. |
Regulation F sets communication rules for covered debt collectors, including inconvenience, represented consumers, cease requests and electronic opt-outs. Regulation F §1006.6: Collection communications
Treat the phone rules as presumptions with conditions
For a particular debt, a covered collector is generally presumed to violate the telephone rule if it places more than seven calls within seven consecutive days or calls within seven consecutive days after a telephone conversation about that debt. Exceptions and exclusions can affect the count. Staying within a numerical presumption does not make otherwise harassing conduct lawful. Regulation F §1006.14: Harassment and call frequency
Voicemail attempts and different phone numbers can matter to the pattern. Record the debt discussed, caller, number, date, time and whether a conversation occurred. Multiple debts can require separate analysis; do not simply count every call from every business as one seven-call total.
These telephone presumptions do not turn into an identical seven-message allowance for texts or emails. The general harassment prohibition can apply across media, including the cumulative effect of conduct.
Preserve evidence that shows the conduct
Incident entry
Date and local time · company and representative · debt referenced · channel · what occurred · exact threat or request · your earlier preference · supporting voicemail, letter or screenshot.
Keep the original message and surrounding context. Preserve opt-out confirmations, written requests and delivery records. If a family member or employer is contacted, note what was said and who heard it. Avoid publishing account details or sending documents to an unverified complainant portal.
Threats of arrest, false legal claims, abusive language, disclosure of debt to others and repeated pressure may raise different legal issues. Describe the specific conduct rather than labeling every unwelcome reminder as the same violation. Get advice before recording conversations because recording-consent laws vary.
Use the record to request a concrete remedy
Ask the collector to correct the contact problem, investigate the identified conduct or respond in writing. If unresolved, use the CFPB, state attorney general or relevant state regulator complaint route; legal counsel can assess private claims and deadlines. A complaint record is more useful when it names the company, conduct and requested correction.
Keep substantive debt disputes, payment decisions and court responses on their own tracks. A cease-contact request can reduce communication but does not establish that a lawsuit has stopped or that a debt is invalid. Continue reviewing official notices and the court docket where a case exists.
Sources and further reading
- Regulation F §1006.6: Collection communications
- Regulation F §1006.14: Harassment and call frequency
- Regulation F §1006.2: Collector and debt definitions
General educational information. The original evidence, dates and recorded qualifications are available in the optional archive below.