Collection Agencies

The following article was researched and written by the Better Business Bureau of Windsor & Southwestern Ontario President, Mr. Joe Amort and first appeared in the Windsor Star and the Chatham Daily News.

You might find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being contacted by a collection agency. The Ontario Ministry of Consumer Relations, in its annual report, found that "the number 1 source of complaints to the Ministry was collection agencies". The following is a typical complaint we receive at the Better Business Bureau:

Timothy C. writes: "I am behind on my payments and am being called by an out-of-town collection agency. They phone me at all hours of the night, call me names and are threatening to tell my employer that I am a deadbeat'. Can they do this?"

No. This company is breaking the law. Collection agencies in Ontario are regulated by the Collection Agencies Act. A collection agency cannot do any of the things mentioned in your letter. They are not allowed to call on Sundays or statutory holidays and can call only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. They are not allowed to discuss your collection status with an employer unless it's a garnishee resulting from a court order. Should they continue to treat you in this manner I suggest you get the company's number and lodge a complaint with the Registrar, Collection Agencies Act, Ministry of Consumer & Commercial Relations, 555 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 1Y7.

Another area causing a great number of inquiries and complaints to the Better Business Bureau deals with gift certificates from an audio store that simply closed its' doors. To the best of our knowledge, there is nothing to protect those consumers that purchased or received gift certificates from a company that is no longer in business. Nevertheless, the Bureau keeps track of company closings and openings for three years; we also have kept a list of names of those individuals that are now holding these useless certificates and had called our office. Should the owners of this store re-open in a similar business, we will present them with this list in the hope of having the certificates honored.