Key findings
- Jefferson Capital Systems drew the most complaints from Texans (6,867), followed by Resurgent Capital Services (5,703) and Midland Credit Management (5,340).
- The most common problem was attempts to collect debt not owed (37% of complaints), followed by written notification about debt (28%) and took or threatened to take negative or legal action (22%).
- The Houston area accounted for 45,748 complaints and the Dallas–Fort Worth for 39,631.
- Complaints are a consumer's account, not proof of wrongdoing. They do show where Texans most often run into trouble, and which companies to research before paying.
The 25 collectors Texans named most
Collection agencies, debt buyers and collection law firms in our debt collector directory, ranked by Texas complaints. Complaints filed under "debt collection" about credit bureaus, banks and other original creditors are left out of this ranking. Select a name for the company's profile.
What Texans complain about
Many of these problems are what the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Texas Debt Collection Act regulate: collecting amounts not owed, false statements, threats of action a collector can't take, and improper contact. See how the FDCPA protects Texans.
The 10 most common specific problems
| Problem | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Debt is not yours | 27,600 |
| Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged | 25,495 |
| Notification didn't disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt | 21,155 |
| Debt was result of identity theft | 15,354 |
| Attempted to collect wrong amount | 11,543 |
| Didn't receive enough information to verify debt | 10,626 |
| Didn't receive notice of right to dispute | 3,819 |
| Debt was paid | 3,445 |
| Frequent or repeated calls | 1,389 |
| You told them to stop contacting you, but they keep trying | 1,366 |
What kind of debt
| Type of debt (as the consumer described it) | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| I do not know | 81,263 | 64% |
| Other debt | 18,650 | 15% |
| Credit card debt | 10,381 | 8.1% |
| Rental debt | 5,658 | 4.4% |
| Telecommunications debt | 3,449 | 2.7% |
| Medical debt | 2,967 | 2.3% |
| Auto debt | 2,935 | 2.3% |
| Payday loan debt | 1,471 | 1.2% |
| Federal student loan debt | 258 | 0.2% |
| Private student loan debt | 223 | 0.2% |
| Mortgage debt | 181 | 0.1% |
Complaints by quarter
* Partial quarter: the data window starts November 13, 2023 and ends November 12, 2026.
By metro area
Complaints grouped by the consumer's ZIP code (three-digit ZIP areas, so the boundaries are approximate). Each card lists the five directory companies named most in that area.
Houston area
45,748 complaints
Dallas–Fort Worth
39,631 complaints
San Antonio area
5,879 complaints
Austin area
4,714 complaints
Lubbock area
4,079 complaints
Midland–Odessa
2,850 complaints
Rio Grande Valley
2,789 complaints
El Paso area
1,658 complaints
Amarillo area
598 complaints
Corpus Christi area
566 complaints
Abilene area
431 complaints
Laredo
306 complaints
Wichita Falls area
186 complaints
Victoria area
176 complaints
San Angelo area
121 complaints
How companies responded
| Company response (as reported to the CFPB) | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed with explanation | 88,740 | 70% |
| Closed with non-monetary relief | 35,516 | 28% |
| Untimely response | 1,941 | 1.5% |
| In progress | 1,102 | 0.9% |
| Closed with monetary relief | 136 | 0.1% |
If a collector is on this list and calling you
- Don't pay or agree to anything on the first call. Ask for the company's name, address and a validation notice.
- Dispute in writing within the validation period if the debt isn't yours or the amount is wrong. The collector must stop until it verifies the debt (15 U.S.C. § 1692g).
- Keep records: dates and times of calls, voicemails, letters with envelopes, and screenshots of texts.
- If you've been sued, answer on time. Use our answer deadline calculator.
- If the collector broke the rules, talk to a lawyer. Texas Debt Law files FDCPA lawsuits against debt collectors in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. A collector that violates the FDCPA can be ordered to pay your damages and attorney's fees, and you generally have one year to sue.
Free FDCPA case review(214) 851-2250
Methodology
We downloaded every complaint in the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database with the product "Debt collection," a consumer state of Texas and a receipt date from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026 (127,436 complaints), using the CFPB's public API. Company rankings count complaints by the company name the CFPB lists and include only companies profiled in our directory; where the CFPB lists a parent or legal name, the profile explains the link. Metro areas are assigned from the first three digits of the consumer's ZIP code (17,704 complaints had no ZIP or fell outside these areas). Issue, debt type and response categories are the CFPB's own. We refresh this report monthly.
The CFPB publishes complaints after the company responds or after 15 days, and it does not verify every fact a consumer reports. A complaint count reflects how many people complained, which also depends on how many accounts a company handles, so it is not a measure of wrongdoing. Use these numbers as a starting point for research, not as a conclusion about any company.
Using this data: journalists, researchers and consumer advocates are welcome to cite or chart these figures. Please credit "Texas Debt Law analysis of CFPB complaint data" and link to this page.
Sources
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database API documentation
- CFPB: How we use complaint data
General information, not legal advice. Texas Debt Law is not affiliated with any company named here, and listing a company does not state or imply that it violated any law. Directorio de cobradores en español.