The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, more commonly referred to as the FDCPA, is a USA laws that is designed to protect consumers who have creditors who are attempting to collect a debt from them. It has several features that are designed to accomplish this.

One of the most important things the FDCPA does is provide consumers with a way of disputing debts that they don’t feel they owe to supposed debtors. It also gives a way for consumers to keep track of debts they are responsible for. The FDCPA has teeth. There are penalties that can be applied to companies who break the fair debt collection act.

If the creditor is represented by an attorney, they cannot be contacted without violating the act. There are also specific hours set up that a creditor can contact a debtor. If attempts at contact are made outside of these hours, they are in violation. Creditors are also banned from publishing the consumers name on a ‘debt list’, contacting the consumer after the consumer has asked for validation of the debt and using abusive or profane language.