Collection Agency Disputes

• Excessive, repeated or threatening contact from a collection agency.
• Failure to provide written verification of a claimed debt on request.
• Collection of amounts, fees or interest not authorized by the underlying contract or by law.
• Continued collection or reporting activity on debts discharged in bankruptcy or a consumer proposal.
• Attempted collection of debts that may be statute-barred under provincial limitations legislation.
• Re-aged or duplicated tradelines reported by a collection agency alongside the original creditor.

Collection agencies operating in Canada are licensed and regulated at the provincial level, for example under the Ontario Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.14, and comparable licensing and conduct statutes in other provinces. These regimes set limits on contact frequency and manner, require debt verification on request, and prohibit misleading representations, harassment and unauthorized fees. Limitations legislation in each province also governs when a debt becomes statute-barred and can no longer be sued upon, which is distinct from, but relevant to, its continued appearance on a credit report.

1. Review the collection history, correspondence and any reported tradeline.
2. Prepare a formal debt validation and/or cease-contact demand under the applicable statute.
3. Lawyer review, signature and dispatch to the collection agency.
4. Track the agency's response and its impact on the credit bureau reporting.
5. Escalate to the applicable provincial regulator where conduct violations persist.