InsideARM.com, a debt collection industry publication, recently announced the launch of “The Complaints Issue,” a site that purportedly “delves deep in the topic of consumer complaints against debt collectors.” Although the site doesn’t have much content yet, it’s fascinating to see how the debt collection industry spins the exponential increase of consumer complaints. For example, it notes that, between 2007 and 2009, there was a 1612.5 percent increase in the number of consumer complaints about debt collectors failing to identify themselves when making debt collection calls. Yet instead of calling out debt collection agencies to do a better job policing their employees, the article asserts, “…it might have something to do with consumer attorneys and Web sites.” Huh?

Even more interesting is a graphic about the increase in the number of other types of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act consumer complaints. While the failure of a debt collector to properly identify himself did rank first, there was a 1067 percent increase in complaints about debt collection agencies that did not send written notices and a 1019 percent increase in complaints about debt collectors who threatened violence. That’s significant.

The new minisite does offer some constructive advice to debt collection agencies, such as telling them to record all calls, fire debt collectors who violate the FDCPA, and institute bonuses for employees that comply with the FDCPA and don’t generate complaints. We think that debt collection industry publications should spend more proverbial ink on this kind of guidance, and less on placing the blame on consumers and their attorneys when they try to hold debt collectors accountable for violating the FDCPA.