The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) reported on October 1 that more than 7,100 debt collection complaints were logged across Germany during the first half of 2026. This marks a 62% increase compared to the same period in 2025; the organisation called for strengthened oversight of debt collection agencies.
- Registered complaints rose by 62% year-on-year and 106% compared to the first half of 2024.
- In 61% of complaints, consumers contested the legal validity of the underlying debt claim itself.
- Consultation statistics do not provide an estimate of problem prevalence across the wider general population.
Subject Matter of Consumer Complaints
According to vzbv, the majority of complaints pertained to potentially unjustified collection actions, with consumers reporting that no valid underlying claim existed. In numerous cases, consumers could not identify the basis of the demand or had no relationship with the stated creditor. Other cases involved demands related to cancelled contracts or goods that had already been returned.
Felix Methmann, head of vzbv’s law and trade team, acknowledged that previous statutory reforms helped curb excessive collection fees, but argued that the current complaints demonstrate the need for further legal adjustments. In his view, consumers must understand precisely why money is being demanded, and supervisory bodies must have the power to intervene when mandatory information is withheld.
Proposals Put Forward by vzbv
The federation calls for equipping supervisory authorities with additional resources to audit debt collection agencies’ compliance with information obligations and statutory duties of care. The organisation also advocates identifying detrimental market trends proactively, rather than solely reacting to consumer complaints.
A specific recommendation from vzbv concerns dedicated statutory remuneration rules for debt collection services. The organisation contends that in mass automated collection processes, fees must reflect actual work performed, and the legal necessity of engaging an external collection agency must be scrutinised more closely.
Scope of the Statistics
As vzbv clarifies, the evaluation is based on consumer consultations logged across all 16 state consumer centres, representing approximately 200 advisory offices nationwide. Data status is August 13, 2026.
The organisation explicitly highlights that these consultation records do not allow direct conclusions regarding the prevalence of such issues across the total population. Case descriptions likewise do not allow statistical determinations of overall incidence in consumer advice centres or across the German public.