Communication standards
Collection agencies operating in Ontario must be licensed under the Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.14 (the "CDSSA"), and are held to conduct standards around how they identify themselves, what they disclose, and how they may communicate. A licensed collector must identify the agency by name, identify the original creditor, and state the purpose of the call. Threats, harassment, misleading statements about legal consequences, and repeated calls intended to annoy rather than inform are all prohibited.
You are entitled to ask, at any point, for the agency's name, the name of the original creditor, and confirmation of the amount claimed. A legitimate agency will provide this without hesitation.
Requesting written debt verification
Before making any payment, you have the right to request that the collector provide written verification of the debt: the original creditor's name, the amount owed, and an accounting of how that amount was calculated, including any interest or fees added since the account was placed for collection. Make this request in writing and keep a copy.
Verify before you pay
Do not make a payment or agree to a settlement until you have reviewed written verification. This protects you against paying an amount that has been miscalculated, or against acknowledging a debt that may be outside the applicable limitation period under Ontario's Limitations Act, 2002.
Keeping written records
Treat every interaction with a collector as something you may need to reference later. Log the date, time, the name of the representative, the agency name, and a summary of what was discussed after every call. Where possible, ask the agency to confirm important points — a settlement figure, a payment date, a promise to update reporting — by email or letter rather than relying on a verbal exchange.
These records are useful if a dispute arises about what was agreed, and they are essential if you ever need to file a complaint with the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery, which oversees collection agency licensing in Ontario.
Ontario contact-hour rules
The CDSSA and its regulations set specific windows during which a licensed collector may contact you by telephone. Outside these windows, contact is not permitted except in limited circumstances such as a call you have specifically requested.
7am–9pm
Permitted calling window, weekdays and Saturday
1pm–5pm
Permitted calling window on Sundays only
- No calls before 7:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. on weekdays or Saturday.
- On Sundays, contact is permitted only between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- No collection calls are permitted on statutory holidays.
- A collector may not disclose the existence of your debt to a third party — including a family member, employer or roommate — other than to obtain contact information.
If a licensed agency contacts you outside these windows or discloses your debt to someone else, that is a basis for a formal complaint.
Establishing a realistic payment arrangement
Once you have verified the debt and understand your budget capacity, propose an arrangement you can actually sustain rather than the largest figure that gets a collector off the phone. A smaller, consistent monthly payment that you honour in full builds credibility and is far more likely to hold than an aggressive figure that lapses after two months.
Ask for the arrangement in writing before your first payment, including the monthly amount, the number of payments, the total settlement figure if applicable, and how the account will be reported once the arrangement is complete. If FDR Asset Group holds your account, review our payment options or contact us to set up an arrangement that matches your budget.