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WHERE TO COMPLAIN

 ABOUT ONTARIO BILL COLLECTORS

Here is a plain English description of the rules that collection agencies must follow when they contact you to collect money that you may owe or

ARE ONTARIO BILL COLLECTION AGENCIES OR BILL COLLECTORS MAKING YOUR LIFE MISERABLE?

How to Stop Ontario Bill Collectors Harassing Phone Calls

Are You Being Treated Unfairly

by an Ontario Collection Agency?

What Collection Agencies

Can and Cannot Do

While rules vary across Canada, generally collection agencies are forbidden from doing the following:

Try to collect a debt without first notifying you in writing or making a reasonable attempt to do so. ( there is no definition of what a reasonable attempt is)

Recommending or starting legal or court action to collect a debt without first notifying you. (In most cases the creditor not the collection agency will make that decision. In other cases, the cost of a court action is too much for the amount involved.)

Harassing you or your family or calling to collect a debt at certain prohibited times (which vary from one province or territory to another).

Giving false or misleading information to anyone.

Communicating or attempting to communicate with you without properly identifying themselves. Collection agencies must inform you who the creditor is who is owed the money and stating the amount you allegedly owe that creditor.

A collection agency cannot demand payment from a person who claims not to owe the money, The agency must ensure that the person does in fact, owe the money before they start collection attempts.

Debt collector may only contact your friends, employer, relatives or neighbours to get your telephone number or address. They cannot request other information although they probably will.

They can contact your employer, to confirm your employment, your job title and your work address.

File a Formal Complaint Against a

Collection Agency in Ontario on-line form

Ontario Collection Agency: Your Rights

Here is a plain English description of the rules that collection agencies must follow when they contact you to collect money that you may owe or when you can’t pay a debt.

THREATS OF LEGAL ACTION

If the collection agency or what appears to be their legal staff make written or verbal threats of legal action, have a lawyer send you a `draft` statement of claim or use other shady tactics report them to the

Law Society of Ontario

However you should never trust a law society to actually help you.

Always keep copies of all documents, correspondence, emails so you can prove your complaint.

Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act

 

Box 450 1201 Wilson Ave, Station A

Toronto, Ontario  M3M 1J8

Telephone: 416-326-8800

Toll Free: 1-800-889-9768

Phone (TTY): 416-229-6086

Phone (TTY) 2: 1-877-666-6545

Fax: 416-326-8665

 

Review the Ontario bill collectors laws

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