What Happens If You Ignore Debt Collectors?
- Ignoring debt collectors won't make them—or your debt—go away.
- Debt collectors can do more than call you. They can send letters or emails, contact you on social media or at work, or even ask your friends and family how to find you.
- Stopping all communication with debt collectors could leave them with no choice but to sue you to recover the debt.
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Calls from debt collectors are never fun, and they can get downright harassing when they're constant. It's tempting to block the numbers, throw out the letters, and just ignore them until they give up.
Don't.
Ignoring a debt collector doesn’t make them go away. And it definitely doesn't make the debt go away.
At best, ignoring debt collectors simply makes them change contact methods. At worst, you could wind up with a lawsuit and court-mandated debt repayment. Here's what happens when you ignore debt collectors—and what to do instead.
What Happens If You Don't Answer Debt Collector Calls
Between caller ID and blocking numbers, it's easy to ignore a phone call these days. Ignoring calls from debt collectors probably won't get you the peace you're after, however. Debt collectors have other, perfectly legal ways to get in contact with you, according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) that regulates such things.
In addition to calling you, debt collectors can send you letters asking for repayment. They can contact you at work unless you tell them not to. They can also email you or contact you (privately) on social media.
Debt collectors could even contact your friends and family. They can ask for your phone number, address, and place of work, but not tell anyone about your debts. The exception is your spouse—debt collectors can speak freely with them about your debt, including amounts and payment plans.
What Happens If You Ask Debt Collectors to Stop Contact
You could go beyond the block button and stop all debt collector contact. The FDCPA gives you the right to tell debt collectors to stop contacting you in any way. As long as you do so in writing, they have to listen (except to tell you they'll stop contact, or to send legal notices).
But this is rarely a good idea.
If you take away all contact options, the debt collector might decide a debt lawsuit is the only way to get paid. What's more, if you ignore mail from the debt collector, you might not see a notice that you're being sued. Failure to respond to a lawsuit in time could lead to a default judgment, meaning you automatically lose because you didn't show up.
If you're sued by a debt collector and lose, you could face frozen assets or garnishment of your wages. In other words, ignoring debt collectors could mean you give up all your options to decide how to deal with your debt.
The Right Way to Respond to a Debt Collector Call
Instead of ignoring debt collectors, take control of the situation. Here's what to do when a debt collector calls:
Ask for verification of the debt. The debt collector must provide the amount of the debt, who owns the debt, and information on how to dispute the debt. You can also request information about the original creditor.
Dispute within 30 days from receiving validation. Dispute the debt in writing. Dispute a debt if it’s already been paid, or if there are issues like the wrong amount or the debt not belonging to you.
Check the statute of limitations. Each state has a specific period during which a creditor can successfully sue over a debt. This is called the statute of limitations. Once the statute of limitations expires, creditors and debt collectors might still sue you to collect that debt, but the court would consider it time-barred and therefore uncollectible.
Keep records of every communication. Note who called, when, from what number, and what was discussed. Get any agreements in writing.
Tell them a good time to contact you. If you don't want repeated calls or letters, tell the debt collector the best time to contact you—then don't ignore the call.
Once you're determined you really owe the debt and it's within the statute of limitations, you have a few options. You could pay the debt, or try to get rid of it another way.
How to Get Rid of Debt in Collections
The surest way to stop collection calls is to get rid of the debt. Depending on your situation, you may have a number of options:
Pay the debt in full. If you have the means to pay the full debt, that’s the fastest way to stop collection efforts.
Debt settlement. If you can't afford the full debt, you could try to negotiate with the debt collector to accept a smaller amount and forgive the rest. You can negotiate on your own or hire a professional debt settlement company to do so for you.
Debt consolidation. You could—especially if you can qualify for good terms—use a debt consolidation loan to pay off your debts in collections. You'd then pay off the loan via regular monthly payments.
Bankruptcy. If you have a lot of unsecured debts and few assets, Chapter 7 bankruptcy could get rid of your debt and stop collection calls. You may not qualify for Chapter 7 if you make too much money. In that case, Chapter 13 may be an option.
No matter which method you choose, never close down the lines of communication with debt collectors. Ignoring them won't make them go away, and it could escalate things out of your control. Keep your options open.
Author Information
Written by
Brittney Myers
Brittney is a personal finance expert and credit card collector who believes financial education is the key to success. Her advice on how to make smarter financial decisions has been featured by major publications and read by millions.
Reviewed by
Kimberly Rotter
Kimberly Rotter is a financial counselor and consumer credit expert who helps people with average or low incomes discover how to create wealth and opportunities. She’s a veteran writer and editor who has spent more than 30 years creating thousands of hours of educational content in every possible format.
How can debt collectors contact you?
Debt collectors can call you only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. unless you permit them to call you at other times, but they can't harass you. If you get multiple calls a day, or threatening calls, then tell the debt collector you know your rights and report them to your state's attorney general. If you are being contacted by debt collectors, there are ways to stop collection calls.
How long do debt collectors have to sue me?
The period during which you can be sued for an old debt, called the statute of limitations, depends on your state and the type of debt. In most places, it's between three and seven years. That means depending on where you live, a debt might linger on your credit reports longer than you can legally be sued for it.
Creditors might try to sue you anyway, even after the statute of limitations passes. If they do, you could ask the judge to throw out the case. That’s called using an affirmative defense.
Does enrolling in a debt relief program stop collection calls?
No. A debt relief company can’t make your creditors stop trying to collect. If you stop making payments to save for a debt settlement offer, your primary creditors will probably call you. Some may agree to hold off on suing you if they know you’re in a debt settlement program.
Once you or your debt settlement company reaches a settlement with your creditor, the debt is behind you and you won’t get collection calls about it again.
You can stop calls from debt collectors by asking them to stop and following up with a cease-and-desist letter. If a debt collector continues to call after that, it's a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and you could sue the collection agency for damages. The rule doesn't apply to the original creditor. In many states, your original creditor can call you whether you like it or not.