About PlainCollector

Our Mission

PlainCollector exists because consumers contacted by debt collectors deserve transparent, data-driven information about who they are dealing with before making any payment or providing any personal information. The CFPB collects over a million debt collection complaints, yet most consumers never see this data when they receive a call from an unfamiliar company demanding money.

We believe that complaint data collected at public expense belongs to the public in a form they can actually use. PlainCollector transforms raw CFPB complaint records into searchable debt collector profiles with reputation grades, complaint trends, and consumer issue breakdowns that anyone can access in seconds. Our goal is to shift the information asymmetry, collectors know everything about your debt, but until PlainCollector, consumers knew almost nothing about the collectors.

PlainCollector provides free debt collector reputation data based on the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. Search 5,425 debt collection companies by complaint history, reputation grade, and consumer issues, before you respond to a collector or make any payment.

Our Data

All data comes directly from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Consumer Complaint Database. This is a public dataset of consumer complaints submitted to the CFPB about financial companies. Our database includes:

  • 1.14 million+ complaints from 2013 to July 2026
  • 5,425 debt collection companies
  • 56 states and territories
  • Complaint categories, response rates, dispute rates, and trend data

Reputation Grades

We assign A–F grades based on a composite score that weighs:

  • Total complaint volume relative to company activity
  • Complaint trend (rising, stable, or falling)
  • Timely response rate
  • Consumer dispute rate

Grades are relative within the debt collection industry. An A-grade collector has significantly fewer complaints and better response rates than an F-grade collector.

Methodology

We download raw complaint data from the CFPB API, process it through our ETL pipeline, calculate composite scores and grades, and organize it into searchable pages. No data is modified or editorialized. Complaint records reflect what consumers reported to the CFPB, the CFPB does not independently verify all facts in complaints.

Data Currency

PlainCollector currently displays CFPB complaint data covering complaints filed from 2013 through July 2026. The CFPB updates its complaint database daily, adding new complaints as they are processed. We refresh our database periodically to incorporate the latest submissions. Reputation grades are recalculated with each database refresh to reflect the most current complaint patterns.

There is typically a 1-2 week delay between when a consumer submits a complaint and when it appears in the public database, as the CFPB verifies basic information and routes the complaint to the company for response. Historical complaint data remains in the database indefinitely, allowing trend analysis over the full 2013-2026 period.

Important Disclaimer

This site is for informational purposes only. Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports and does not represent proven violations of any law. PlainCollector is not affiliated with the CFPB or any government agency. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. For legal guidance, consult a licensed attorney.

Debt collection complaint data reflects consumer experiences, not adjudicated outcomes. A company with many complaints may provide explanations not reflected in complaint records. A company with few complaints is not guaranteed to be problem-free.

Not Affiliated

PlainCollector is not affiliated with the CFPB, FTC, or any government agency. We are an independent data portal providing public information in a more accessible format.

Who Built This

PlainCollector is a consumer advocacy tool built to help people research debt collection companies before engaging with them. We grade every collector based on their complaint history at the CFPB, giving consumers the transparency they deserve when dealing with debt.

We process over 1 million CFPB complaints, assign letter grades (A through F) based on complaint resolution patterns, and present everything on free, searchable pages. No login required, no data harvesting.

Every collector profile traces back to public federal data. The two upstream sources are the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database (the canonical federal record of consumer complaints against debt collectors) and the FTC's full-text Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (the statute every collector must comply with). The CFPB's Regulation F documents how the FDCPA is enforced as of the November 2021 rule update.

Editorial Independence

Content on PlainCollector is compiled by our editorial team. Raw data from the CFPB, FTC, and related regulatory agencies is transformed into readable profiles by our continuous editorial pipeline, validated against the source before publication. The PlainCollector editorial team, is responsible for editorial standards, methodology, and corrections.

We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from manufacturers, sellers, or any covered entity. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense, advertisers do not influence which entities we cover or how we present data, and they do not receive preferential placement.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or feedback? Email us at hello@plaincollector.com.

We welcome:

  • Questions about data sources or reputation grading methodology
  • Reports of incorrect company information or misidentified collectors
  • Suggestions for additional features or data dimensions
  • Media and research inquiries

PlainCollector is a data intelligence company that builds free, public-interest data portals.