FTC Schedules Additional Debt Collection "Dialogues," In Dallas And Atlanta

The Federal Trade Commission announced Friday it will host two additional Debt Collection dialogues this fall, in Dallas and Atlanta. The first event was co-hosted in June with the New York Attorney General’s Office in Buffalo. Industry sources said that meeting was a bit of a disappointment, as it didn’t live up to its promise of being a “dialogue” but instead was more of a lecture. Evidently, the plan is that these upcoming meetings will be structured differently, but more details are not yet available. 

The primary news announced at the June event was the upcoming release (the following day) of new FAQs by the New York Department of Financial Services. 

According to a press release, representatives from the FTC and other federal and state law enforcement agencies, and debt collection industry leaders and professionals, will discuss enforcement actions, consumer complaints, compliance issues, and industry best practices at the Dallas and Atlanta events. Agency staff will also answer questions, including how regulatory enforcement actions are investigated and pursued.

The Dallas event will start at 1:30 p.m. on September 29 in the Center for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak Street. More information, including how to pre-register, is posted on the FTC website. Pre-registration is not necessary to attend but is encouraged for event planning.

The Atlanta event, co-hosted with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, will begin at 1:30 p.m. on November 18 at the Latin American Association, 2750 Buford Highway. More information is available on the FTC website.

Both events will be free and open to the public.