What debt collectors can and cannot do in Australia

Specific list. No spin. The source document is the ACCC/ASIC Debt Collection Guideline.

They CAN

  • Contact you by phone, email, SMS, or letter — within reasonable hours.
  • Phone you up to 3 times per week (cumulative across attempts that connect or don't).
  • Visit you in person — but only once per month, and only with a legitimate reason.
  • Pursue the debt through court if other options fail.
  • List the debt with credit reporting bodies subject to specific notification rules.

They CAN'T

  • Phone you outside reasonable hours (before 7:30am, after 9pm weekdays; before 9am, after 9pm weekends; never on public holidays).
  • Use abusive, threatening, or humiliating language — written or verbal.
  • Threaten action they aren't entitled to take ("we'll have you arrested" — no, they can't).
  • Discuss your debt with your employer, family, or neighbours unless tightly defined exceptions apply.
  • Continue collection activity while a hardship review is genuinely in progress.
  • Mislead you about who they are, what they're owed, or what will happen.
  • Charge you for fees that weren't disclosed in advance.

What to do if a line is crossed

  1. Document it — date, time, what was said. Keep voicemails.
  2. Make a formal complaint to the collector's internal resolutions team, in writing.
  3. Escalate to AFCA if not resolved in 30 days. AFCA is free for consumers and binding on the financial firm.
  4. Report systemic misconduct to ASIC for credit-licensed collectors.
  5. State consumer body for non-credit debts.

Practical tip

Most reputable collectors comply because non-compliance is expensive — AFCA decisions can include compensation to the consumer plus the collector's own legal costs. The threat of escalation usually resolves a complaint quickly.