What are my rights if a personal loan goes to debt collection?

Key FDCPA protections: (1) Contact hours: Collectors can only call between 8am and 9pm in your local time zone. (2) Workplace contact: If you tell a collector not to contact you at work, they must stop. (3) Third-party contact: Collectors generally cannot reveal your debt to third parties (family members, employers) without your consent. (4) Harassment prohibition: No repeated calls intended to annoy, obscene language, false statements, or threats of violence or arrest (collectors cannot have you arrested for a civil debt). (5) Validation rights: Within 5 days of first contact, the collector must send a written notice with the debt amount, creditor name, and your right to dispute. (6) Dispute rights: Within 30 days of receiving the validation notice, you can dispute the debt in writing. The collector must verify the debt before continuing collection.

Cease-and-desist letters: You have the right to send a written letter telling the collector to stop all contact. They must comply, except to notify you of legal action being taken. This does not eliminate the debt but ends the harassment. Send by certified mail with return receipt.

Collectors' frequent violations: Calling too early or late. Failing to identify themselves. Threatening lawsuits they cannot file. Using false business names. Disclosing your debt to neighbors or family. Continuing contact after receiving a cease-and-desist. Each violation can be the basis for a lawsuit.

Filing a complaint: Report FDCPA violations to the CFPB (consumerfinance.gov/complaint), the FTC (ftc.gov/complaint), and your state attorney general. You can also sue the collector directly in federal court for actual damages plus up to $1,000 in statutory damages, plus attorney fees. Many consumer attorneys take these cases on contingency.

Original creditors vs. collectors: The FDCPA applies primarily to third-party collectors, not the original creditor collecting their own debt. Some states (California, New York) extend similar protections to original creditors through state law.