Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Complaints
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles complaints involving
credit reporting agencies or lenders other than credit unions,
banks or savings and loans.
You may contact the FTC's Consumer
Response Center by phone, mail, or online:
Phone
Toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357)
Mail
Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580
Online
Use FTC's
secure complaint form
While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer disputes,
your complaint, comment, or inquiry may help spot a pattern
of law violations requiring law enforcement action. It can also
help the FTC recognize and tell people about larger trends affecting
consumers.
The FTC's Division of Financial Practices is responsible for developing
policy and enforcing laws related to financial and lending practices
affecting consumers. It also is responsible for most of the agency’s
consumer privacy program. Among its specific areas of responsibility
are:
- Financial privacy, including enforcement of the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).
The FCRA ensures the accuracy and privacy of information kept
by credit bureaus and other consumer reporting agencies, and
gives consumers the right to know what information these entities
are distributing about them to creditors, insurance companies
and employers. The GLBA requires financial institutions
to provide notice to consumers about their information practices,
and to give consumers an opportunity to direct that their
personal information not be shared with non-affiliated third
parties.
- Subprime lending, including enforcement of laws targeting deceptive,
unfair and abusive practices in the subprime market, such as
the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Home Ownership and Equity
Protection Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
- Enforcement of many of the
nation’s
other consumer credit statutes, including:
The Truth in Lending Act, which requires creditors to disclose
in writing certain cost information, such as the annual percentage
rate (APR), before consumers enter into credit transactions;
The Consumer Leasing Act, which requires lessors to give consumers
information on lease costs and terms;
and The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which prohibits debt
collectors from engaging in unfair, deceptive or abusive practices,
including over-charging, harassment and disclosing consumers’ debt
to third parties.
For further information, visit the FTC's
website.
The information provided in this website is
not legal advice and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
This website is intended to provide a basic understanding of this
information in summary form. This information may not be comprehensive,
is subject to change, and may not apply to all individual circumstances.
Any information received here should be confirmed with the appropriate
government agencies or with an attorney, particularly as it relates
to your individual circumstances. Your use of this website indicates
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