About Contact Defender
Who We Are
Contact Defender was founded by industry professionals and consumer advocates with the single goal of safeguarding consumers and debt collectors.
The National Preference Center developed by Contact Defender is an online solution designed to help consumers take control of when and how participating debt collectors make contact. Establishing personal contact preferences, allows the consumer to better manage their time and help hold collection agencies accountable to legislative policies and consumer protection laws
How It Works
Contact Defender’s online platform is a one-of-a-kind solution bridging the communication divide between consumers and debt collectors. The National Preference Center is available nationwide. It is easy to use and enables consumers to take control of when and how a collection agency may make contact. Simply sign-up online to create a secure profile. Set the days of the week, times, and preferred contact numbers so that agencies can reach you at YOUR convenience. The online solution benefits the consumer by allowing you to set calling windows that do not cause interruptions at your job or during important family time. Debt collectors benefit as they can set their call campaigns around your preferences which reduces frustrating repeat call attempts. Now is the time to put yourself in the driver’s seat and accelerate getting your debt back on track.
Why Us?
Being in debt is stressful enough. Nobody wants to negotiate a payment in front of their nosy coworkers, or be embarrassed about a past due balance in front of their children or family members. Today, there is no easy way for consumers to communicate with collection agencies and set when and how they prefer to be contacted. Nor is there a way to measure or track if debt collectors are following the government restrictions. As a result, the collection agencies make their own schedules, frequently calling multiple times to a home, work or cell numbers.
Now there is a solution! At Contact Defender we want to protect you. Our online preference center allows you to instantly take back the negotiation power and work with debt collectors on your own time. Our tool helps consumers coordinate their payment arrangements more successfully with less stress. Imagine if you had a way to set up calls to negotiate payments around your pay cycle. Or coordinate a time when family members are home on Saturday afternoon with no work or school distractions? With Contact Defender you can. Plus, when you use our tool, consumers can stay informed on any new consumer regulations and help collection agencies comply to those standards. Protect yourself with Contact Defender.
Background on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
In September 2019, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published its proposed debt collection rule (Proposed Rule), which would provide consumers with clear protections against harassment by debt collectors and straightforward options to address or dispute debts. The rule would:
Prohibit a debt collector from communicating or attempting to communicate with a consumer through a medium of communication that the consumer has requested the debt collector not use, such as a specific telephone number or email address.
Clarify that calls to mobile telephones and electronic communications, such as texts and emails, are subject to the FDCPA’s prohibition on communicating at unusual and inconvenient times and places.
Limit on the number of telephone calls a debt collector may place to a consumer about a particular debt within a seven-day period, subject to certain exceptions. The proposal would prohibit a debt collector from calling a consumer about a particular debt more than seven times within a seven-day period. The proposal would also prohibit a debt collector from engaging in more than one telephone conversation with a consumer about a particular debt within a seven-day period. A debt collector who stays within the proposed limits would not have engaged in repeated or continuous telephone calls or conversations with intent to harass, as prohibited by the FDCPA.