 TITLE: What Is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act? CONTENT: What Is a Third-Party Debt Collector?\n-------------------------------------\nAs defined by the FDCPA, a debt collector is any party whose primary business is collecting or attempting to collect debts owed to another party. These debt collectors are generally called collection agencies, and they may be employed by companies looking to collect from customers who have defaulted on debts. In exchange for successfully collecting outstanding debts, the collection agency is generally paid a percentage of the amount they recover.\nFor example, if you default on an apartment lease and you owe the landlord or property owner $1,000, it's not uncommon for them to hire a debt collector to attempt to collect what they are owed. To that end, a debt collector may call you, send you collection letters, report the debt to the credit reporting companies as a collection account, and even go so far as to sue you in civil court and attempt to obtain a judgment. END