I built a tool to stop debt collector calls using a federal law

Hey HN,

I built something that helps people in the US stop debt collectors from contacting them.

https://stopanddesist.com/

It’s based on the FDCPA (Section 805c). Basically, if you send a written cease and desist letter, collectors are legally required to stop contacting you.

I didn’t know this existed until recently. Apparently it’s been law since 1977.

The tool just asks a few questions and generates the letter in a format that’s ready to send.

There’s also a second part I found more interesting while building:

If a collector keeps contacting after receiving the letter, each contact is a violation. So I added a simple tracker where users can log calls/messages and it calculates potential damages.

It also exports a report that can be used if someone wants to talk to an FDCPA attorney (most of them work on contingency).

I’m not from the US (I’m based in India), which is partly why I noticed this. It felt strange that a law like this exists but most people dealing with collectors don’t seem to know about it.

Still early. There are probably rough edges.

If anyone tries it, I’d like to know:

where it’s confusing if the flow feels too long anything that reduces trust

Not a lawyer / not legal advice obviously.