Debt collection

Debt collection complaints Debt collectors ranked

Consumers filed 313,263 complaints about debt collectors in the last 12 months (+18% on the year before). Collectors chasing debts that aren't owed, calling too often, threatening, or skipping the written notice. The most complained-about is CL Holdings.

Last 12 months: 313,263
Last 30 days: 15,445
Answered on time: 96.5%
Closed with relief: 24%
Money back: 0.1%
Companies: 5,550

Most complained-about debt collectors

#	Company	12 months	Change	On time	Relief	All time
1	CL Holdings	25,525	+136%	99.9%	51%	47,216
2	Encore Capital (Midland Credit)	19,484	+59%	100%	12%	57,060
3	Portfolio Recovery Associates	17,942	+60%	99.9%	63%	55,016
4	Resurgent Capital Services	17,500	+6%	100%	26%	54,761
5	TransUnion	9,367	-62%	100%	48%	58,125
6	Experian	9,347	-53%	100%	9%	52,595
7	CCS Financial Services	8,704	+51%	99.9%	2%	23,877
8	Equifax	7,993	-70%	100%	40%	56,820
9	Kriya Capital	7,526	+100%	100%	100%	16,464
10	I.C. System	6,903	+81%	100%	0%	21,049
11	National Credit Systems	5,918	+48%	99.9%	0%	17,574
12	Caine & Weiner	5,539	+112%	99.9%	39%	12,208
13	Spring Oaks Capital	4,664	+83%	100%	60%	8,993
14	Transworld Systems	4,009	+3%	99.9%	0%	17,597
15	Capital One	3,796	+13%	100%	18%	18,379
16	Bread Financial (Comenity)	3,459	+67%	100%	34%	11,096
17	National Credit Adjusters	3,039	+91%	100%	0%	8,829
18	Synchrony	2,898	+49%	96.9%	6%	13,445
19	Aldous & Associates	2,752	+118%	99.5%	0%	5,517
20	Radius Global Solutions	2,687	+50%	100%	98%	7,746
21	Affirm	2,677	+98%	99.9%	0%	5,232
22	Citibank	2,659	+39%	100%	66%	12,710
23	TrueAccord	2,593	+75%	99.8%	0%	5,261
24	Harris & Harris	2,470	+82%	99.9%	28%	5,049
25	Servicer under contract with Federal Student Aid	2,306	+338%	0%	-	2,833

Most likely to give relief

Least likely to give relief

Debt collection complaints by month

2023202420252026

Latest full monthThis month so farPeak: 33,670 in March 2026

What people complain about

Debt collection complaints by state

Per 100,000 people, last 12 monthsFewerMore

Your rights with debt collectors

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act a collector must send you a validation notice with the amount and the creditor, and if you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days it must stop collecting until it verifies it. Collectors cannot harass you, lie, threaten arrest, or call at unusual times, and you can tell them in writing to stop contacting you.

Scam warning: Fake collectors threaten arrest, demand payment by gift card, wire or crypto, and refuse to put anything in writing. Ask for the validation notice and check the collector's name and number independently before you pay anything.

General information, not legal advice; rules vary by state. Plain-English guides

Guides

Debt collectorsYour rights with debt collectors (FDCPA)What the FDCPA and Regulation F let debt collectors do, what they ban, and how to report a collector who breaks the rules.9 min read Debt collectorsHow to request debt validation (with letter template)A free fill-in letter to make a debt collector prove a debt, plus when to send it and what a proper reply looks like.8 min read Debt collectorsHow to stop debt collector callsUse a written cease-communication letter, or limit when and how a collector contacts you, and know what to do if you are sued.8 min read Debt collectorsMedical debt and your credit reportHow medical debt affects your credit in 2026, plus how to negotiate hospital bills, get charity care and fight surprise bills.9 min read Filing a complaintHow to file a complaint against a bank or financial companyGather records, complain in writing, then escalate to the right regulator if the company does not fix it.8 min read Filing a complaintCompany response types explainedWhat each complaint response label means, why "closed" is not always "fixed", and how to read a company's record.7 min read

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Complaint records are public consumer complaints filed with U.S. regulators, checked 3 minutes ago (newest received Nov 15, 2026). Complaints are consumers' own accounts and are not verified; counts grow with a company's size. How the data works