collection agencies

Most people understand that a bankruptcy or foreclosure will tank their credit score, but there are plenty of small mistakes you can make that will turn a good score into a mediocre one. Here are seven of the more common errors, plus tips on how to avoid them.

Far too many customers aren't paying their phone bills on time, if you ask the phone companies. Three of the top four submitters to third-party collection agencies are major telephone carriers. And the reasons why should come as no surprise.

As part of its effort to crack down on scams that target Americans in financial distress, the FTC has sued more than 30 debt collection companies. On Wednesday, another one, Rincon Debt Management made the list and was shut down. Do you know your rights against abusive debt collectors?

Poor customer service is one of the primary reasons people tend to shun certain companies and even whole industries. 24/7 Wall St. identified the U.S. industries with the most complaints, as well as the troubles people have with them. If customer service is important to success, those we identified could be in trouble.

Former Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery customers say they are getting calls from a collection agency demanding payment for unreturned videos and games. The rental company started closing stores nationwide in 2009 and declared bankruptcy in February 2010. Consumers say the agency is charging...

In 2008, after a 20-plus year career as a business journalist, Fred Williams made what might have seemed like an unlikely career move: He took a leave of absence and applied for a job as a debt collector. Williams wasn't having a midlife crisis; rather, he wanted to see if the collection industry's...

Debtors prisons were federally abolished in the United States in the 1800's, yet in certain states, they seem to be making a comeback. Out of Minnesota come disturbing reports of Americans being thrown in jail due to outstanding bills -- sometimes for as little as $85. The Star-Tribune of...

We've warned you about this before: If you rack up big credit card debts, it's perfectly legal for those credit card companies -- or the debt collection firms they sell the debts to after they've been written off -- to sue you to try and reclaim what you owe them. What happens then is unsettling:...

We told you about the debt collection hassles endured by people shouldering a large amount of credit-card debt. Then we invited debt collectors to tell their side of the story. Both sides had a lot to say about just what goes on in the debt collection industry, but one assertion -- by the head of a...

Not long ago, we shared the experiences of several Americans who had climbed their way out of deep debts. Their tales touched a nerve with readers who shared their own harrowing stories of their experiences with debt collectors. Some of these agents treated their debtors professionally; others,...