On April 23, the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the New York Attorney General announced they will host a “dialogue” to discuss consumer protection issues with the debt collection industry, including recent enforcement actions, consumer complaints about debt collection practices, and compliance issues.

The first “Debt Collection Dialogue” in Buffalo, New York will be on June 15, 2015 from 1:30-4:00 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue.  The CFPB is also expected to participate in this dialogue that is open to the public and will include the opportunity for participants to pose questions and provide comments to the regulators.

More information, including how to pre-register, is posted at www.ftc.gov/DebtCollectionDialogue.  Pre-registration for this free event is not necessary to attend but is encouraged for event planning. This FTC event in Buffalo is expected to be followed by additional dialogues, including events in Dallas and Atlanta (details are expected to be available soon).

 

Troutman Sanders will be monitoring these events and anticipates participating in one or more of them to provide input and pose questions on behalf of its clients in the credit and collection industry.