A Consumer Says a Collector Keeps Calling About a Card They Closed in 2018
The consumer says they explained it multiple times and kept getting calls. The company closed the complaint with an explanation.
The Case
On 24 September 2025 a consumer filed a complaint against Encore Capital Group about a credit card debt. They say they had a card that was lost and that they closed the account in 2018. They say that despite explaining this multiple times, they keep receiving calls telling them they have to pay what they used. It has now been seven years, and they say the account has damaged their credit.
They chose the issue "Attempts to collect debt not owed" and the detail "Debt is not yours".
The Consumer
The complaint mixes two things that the law treats separately: a dispute over whether the debt belongs to the consumer, and a dispute over the account's history. The consumer says the account was closed, but also describes using the card. A collector can lawfully collect a debt that is owed; it cannot collect one that is not. The complaint does not give the details needed to say which applies.
The Institution
Encore Capital Group received the complaint on the day it was filed, responded on time and closed it "with explanation". The public data does not show what the explanation was.
What the Law Said
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lets a consumer dispute a debt in writing within 30 days of the collector's first notice, after which the collector must pause collection until it sends verification. Collectors may not make false statements about a debt. Phone calls and written disputes are not equal: the rights above are tied to the written dispute.
What Was Decided
There was no ruling. The company reported "closed with explanation", meaning no relief was recorded. This is self-reported and not verified by the CFPB.
Why It Matters
Debt can be bought and sold, and the people who call about it may be several steps removed from the original lender. After seven years, the collector may hold little more than a record of a balance. The burden of paper falls on the consumer: the complaint says "I explained", but the law's protections attach to what was sent in writing.
What You Can Learn From This
- Dispute a debt in writing, by a method that gives you proof of delivery, and keep a copy.
- Ask the collector for the name of the original creditor, the amount, and proof that it owns the debt.
- Check how old the debt is. Time limits for collecting a debt vary by state and can be restarted by some actions, so check your state's rule before you pay or promise anything.
Documents & Evidence
Primary source: the CFPB complaint record (ID 16158136).
Authority: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Jurisdiction: United States
Outcome: Closed with explanation (self-reported)
Investigation: The Copy-Paste Complaint: How Templates Took Over America's Financial Complaint Database →
Dataset: The CFPB Complaint Vault Dataset (Zenodo, DOI) →
A CFPB complaint is the consumer's account, not a finding of fact. Company responses are self-reported and are not verified by the CFPB.