Why is RBC Collections Calling Me?

What is RBC Collections?

RBC Collections is a debt collection firm under contract to Royal Bank of Canada that collects money on their behalf.

If they are contacting you, you’ve likely defaulted on payments to RBC, and they are attempting to recover the debt you owe them.

RBC is the largest bank in Canada and, without a doubt, the most challenging creditor to deal with. It’s not uncommon for RBC Collections to refuse to settle debts for anything less than top dollar.

We’ve prepared this guide so you know what to expect from RBC Collections and what to do if they call you.

Who do RBC Collections collect for?

RBC Collections collects debts for Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). They are responsible for pursuing a variety of RBC debts, such as credit card debt, mortgage debt and loan debt.

Why is RBC Collections calling me?

If you’re getting calls from the RBC collections department several times a day, you likely have an account, loan or credit card with RBC, and you owe them money.

When RBC debt remains unpaid for a while⁠—typically between 120 and 180 days⁠—RBC collections are assigned to collect the debt. You should receive a letter informing you of this action.

An RBC collections agent will keep calling until you answer. If you think this is a mistake, contact them immediately so they can rectify the error.

RBC collections hours

An RBC debt collector can only contact you at certain times of the day. These rules vary depending on where you live in Canada:

	Monday to Saturday	Sunday
Alberta	7am – 10pm	1pm – 5pm
British Columbia	7am – 9pm	1pm – 5pm
Manitoba	7am – 9pm	Not allowed
New Brunswick	7am – 9pm	1pm – 5pm
Newfoundland and Labrador	8am-10pm	1pm – 5pm
Northwest Territories	7am – 9pm	1pm – 5pm
Nova Scotia	8am-9pm	Not allowed
Nunavut	9am-7pm	1pm – 5pm
Ontario	7am – 9pm	1pm – 5pm
Prince Edward Island	8am-9pm	Not allowed
Quebec	8am-8pm	Not allowed
Saskatchewan	8am-9pm	Not allowed
Yukon	7am-9pm	Not allowed

You can send a written request to the RBC collections department to stop the calls and request that they only contact you in writing. Be sure to provide an address and phone number in your letter.

What can RBC Collections do?

When you owe money to RBC debt collections, they will attempt to contact you in various ways. Expect to receive phone calls, voicemails, letters and emails from them.

They may also attempt to communicate with your employer, neighbours and people you know to obtain accurate contact details so they can contact you.

Can RBC Collections take me to court?

If you ignore their requests, the RBC collection department will send a letter notifying you that they are taking legal action. At this stage, they will attempt to obtain a court order to take further collection actions, such as wage garnishments.

Debt collection agencies can only take legal action for a certain amount of time, starting from when you acknowledged the debt or last made a payment.

This is called a statute of limitations, and the time limit depends on where you live:

Province or territory	Limitations period
Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Saskatchewan	2 years
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories	6 years
Quebec	3 years

A Licensed Insolvency Trustee in your area can advise further on the regulations in your province and help you resolve court action.

If you acknowledge that you owe RBC money or make a payment towards the debt, the length of time is reset, which gives the collection agency more time to take legal action against you.

Can RBC Collections garnish my wages?

RBC Collections can only garnish your wages if they take you to court and win. The amount they can take depends on the amount owed, your income and where you live in Canada.

Can RBC Collections damage my credit score?

Ignoring debt collection action from RBC Collections can hurt your credit, making it more difficult to obtain credit from lenders.

Debts in collections severely damage your credit score and appear on your credit report for six to seven years.

What are my rights when dealing with RBC Collections?

A debt collector must follow a code of conduct which includes the following:

• Every time a debt collector contacts you, they must identify themselves.
• They cannot make false or misleading representations to collect a debt.
• Debt collectors may not harass, threaten or intimidate you.
• Debt collectors may not use threatening, profane, intimidating or coercive language.
• Debt collectors may not apply undue, excessive or unreasonable pressure.

If you feel your rights have been violated, complain to the consumer affairs office in your province or territory.

How to stop RBC Collections from calling

The easiest way to stop RBC collection calls is to pay your debt or arrange a repayment plan based on what you can afford. You can contact either the RBC collection department or RBC directly.

Be honest, and tell them why you haven’t paid. They may be able to work out a reduced payment plan to ease your financial burden.

However, collection calls can cause stress and anxiety, so if you don’t want to deal with collections on your own, you can request help from a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. They offer free financial advice and can stop collection calls from RBC.

Only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee has the authority to eliminate debt through bankruptcy or a consumer proposal. While RBC is notorious for voting against consumer proposals, they have to accept the offer if most of your creditors agree.

But these are not the only options; a trustee may recommend debt consolidation, better financial planning, or another solution.

If you’re unsure whether you owe money, request to have more information sent to you in writing. Be careful what you say on the call, and don’t acknowledge that you owe the debt until you know.

RBC banking accounts, loans and mortgages: 1-800-769-2511

RBC credit cards: 1-800-769-2512

Share this article