Complaint trends

Debt collection complaint trends

How debt collection complaints concentrate today, by state, by collector, and across reputation grades, drawn from CFPB data since 2013.

Data updated July 2026

How have debt collection complaints changed over time? According to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), consumers filed 1,139,236 debt-collection complaints between July 2013 and March 2026, and the mix has shifted markedly, from contact-and-harassment grievances toward disputes over whether a debt is even owed. The charts below, drawn from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and built using our published methodology, show where those 1,139,236 complaints concentrate today: by state, by collector, and across the A–F reputation grades assigned to all 5,425 tracked collectors.

Debt-collection complaints by state (top 8)

Where consumer complaints concentrate

complaints

What this shows Complaint totals track population, the largest states file the most, before adjusting for residents.

Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, aggregated by the consumer's state As of 2013–2026

Debt collection complaints have evolved significantly since the CFPB began collecting them in 2013. Early complaints concentrated on aggressive contact practices, repeated calls, threats, and harassment. Over time, the complaint mix has shifted toward disputes about whether consumers actually owe the debt, reflecting both improved industry practices in some areas and persistent problems in others.

The top complaint categories in debt collection are: "Attempts to collect debt not owed" (consumers disputing the validity of the debt), "Written notification about debt" (issues with validation notices), and "Communication tactics" (harassment, excessive calls, threats). Each category tells a different story about the collector's practices.

Most-complained-about debt collectors (top 8)

By total CFPB complaints since 2013

complaints

What this shows The three national credit bureaus dominate the count, they touch nearly every consumer file.

Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, complaints tallied per company As of 2013–2026

What Rising or Falling Complaints Mean

A collector with rising complaint counts may be growing their portfolio (more accounts = more complaints) or developing operational problems. A collector with falling complaints may be improving their practices, shrinking their business, or simply receiving fewer consumer-filed complaints due to reduced awareness. PlainCollector tracks these trends on individual company profiles so you can evaluate direction, not just current levels.

Industry-wide trends are influenced by regulatory enforcement, economic conditions (recession increases debt), and consumer education. The CFPB's Debt Collection Rule (effective November 2021) updated contact frequency limits and required more detailed validation notices, which may have shifted complaint patterns in recent years.

How graded collectors break down (A–F)

Grades are assigned on a curve

collectors

What this shows Each grade holds about a fifth of all 5,283 graded collectors, a grade is a collector's rank against its peers, not an absolute score.

Source PlainCollector reputation grades, derived from CFPB complaint volume, response rate, and dispute rate As of 2013–2026

Using Trend Data in Your Research

When evaluating a debt collector on PlainCollector, check the complaint trend alongside the reputation grade. A company with a C grade but improving trend is different from one with a C grade and worsening trend. For industry-wide context, compare any collector's patterns to the overall trends shown here.

Sources & methodology

Every figure on this page is aggregated directly from the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's public complaint data, no estimates or third-party panels. Reputation grades are derived in-house from complaint volume, company response rate, and dispute rate, and the full derivation is published in our methodology.