Debt collectors on notice about misleading tactics

The Commerce Commission is putting the debt collection industry on notice, concerned about the way customers are being treated. One operator, Intercoll, has received a warning after purchasing a debt and then incorrectly telling the debtor to dispute the debt with the company she originally owed money to. Commissioner Anna Rawlings said complaints about debt collection had increased in the past year and debt collectors needed to have systems in place to ensure compliance with their legal obligations. Over the past year the commission received 125 complaints about 37 different debt collection agencies. In the previous 2016-17 financial year, it received 98 complaints about 33 different debt collectors.