A debt collector is chasing me for money I do not owe — who helps?
First ask the collector, in writing, to prove the debt: the original contract, the invoices, and their authority to collect. Until they do, you dispute it and they must stop calling. Collection fees must stay within the legal caps and cannot be added to a disputed or unproven debt. OMIC — Oficina Municipal de Información al Consumidor (consumo.gob.es) takes complaints about collectors who threaten, add illegal fees or ignore disputes. If the debt is real but you cannot pay, Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio) (mjusticia.gob.es) helps for free. Only a court can order you to pay — Juzgado de Primera Instancia — juicio verbal (administraciondejusticia.gob.es) is where a real claim would go, and where you can object.
🗣️ What to say
"I dispute the debt you refer to in your letter of [date], reference [number]. Please send me the original agreement, the invoices and proof that you are authorised to collect it. Until then, stop all contact except in writing and do not add any costs."
🪜 Step by step
- Do not pay a "partial" amountPaying anything can be read as acknowledging the whole debt and restarting the limitation period. Dispute first.
- Ask for proof in writingContract, invoices, authorisation. Give a deadline. A collector without proof has nothing.
- Check the fees and the ageCollection costs are capped by law in most countries, and old debts may be time-barred. Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio) checks this with you for free.
- Complain to OMIC — Oficina Municipal de Información al ConsumidorHarassment, calls at work, threats, fees beyond the cap, chasing a disputed debt — all reportable.
- If they go to courtYou will receive a court letter, never just a collector's threat. Object within the deadline on the letter; Juzgado de Primera Instancia — juicio verbal explains how.
📇 All contacts
❓ Frequently asked
Can a collector seize my things?
No. Only a bailiff with a court order can. A collector who claims otherwise is breaking the rules — report it.
The debt is real but I cannot pay
Say so in writing, propose a payment plan you can keep, and ask Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio) for help. Collectors accept realistic plans more often than people think.
Can it damage my credit record?
Only registered defaults and court judgments do; a collector's letter does not. If they registered a disputed debt, demand its removal and complain.
📎 Sources
- OMIC — Oficina Municipal de Información al Consumidor →
- Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio) →
- Juzgado de Primera Instancia — juicio verbal →
- Colegio de Abogados — turno de oficio / justicia gratuita →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “debt collector wrong debt what to do Spain”
- “debt collection fees legal maximum”
- “debt collector harassment complaint Spain”
- “time barred debt”
- “prove the debt letter”
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