Debt Collector and Creditor Contact Log

Who this is for

A written record of every contact about one debt. Each call, letter, email or visit gets a line for who got in touch, the person's name, what was said and what was agreed, and a table tracks the documents you have asked them for.

Anyone being contacted by a creditor or a debt collection agency, people who have fallen behind and are arranging lower payments, and anyone who will hand the history to a debt adviser.

What this helps you track

• Who holds the debt now, their reference and the amount they claim
• Every contact in date order, with the name of the person you dealt with
• What was said or asked for, written at the time in your own words
• What was agreed, and the date you are due to follow up
• The documents you asked for, and whether they arrived

How to use it

1. Use one sheet per debt. Write the original creditor, who is collecting it now, their reference and the amount they say is owed.
2. Add a line straight after every call, letter, email or visit while it is fresh: the date, the time, how the contact was made and the person's name.
3. Write what they said or asked for and what was agreed in plain words; if nothing was agreed, write that.
4. Note the follow-up date, whether it is a payment, a letter you are waiting for or a call you said you would make.
5. List each document you ask for with the date asked and the date it arrived, and keep every letter with the sheet.
6. Take the sheet, or the browser version, which saves in your own browser, to any debt adviser you see.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why write down every call?

Calls are easy to remember differently later. A dated note of who you spoke to and what was agreed, made at the time, is far easier to rely on than memory if there is a disagreement about what was promised.

What should I ask a collector?

Who they are, who they are collecting for, their reference, how the amount is made up and what they need from you. Write the answers down. Check the rules where you are on what collectors may and may not do.

Which documents should I ask for?

Whatever you need to check that the debt is yours and the amount is right. The table starts with common ones, such as the agreement and a breakdown of the balance; a debt adviser can say what else to ask for where you are.

Can one sheet cover several debts?

Use a separate sheet for each debt, because each has its own reference and history. If one collector chases several debts, still keep them apart so an adviser can follow each one.

Where can I get help with the debt itself?

Free debt advice services exist in many countries and can look at all your debts together. Bring this log and the letters; it saves time and shows exactly what has been said and agreed so far.