What you’ll learn:

• How to tell who’s calling – collector, lawyer, or bailiff

• What a private debt collector can and cannot do

• What a real enforcement looks like

• How to react to aggressive calls or pressure

• When to complain and when to call the police

Who is calling you?

📞 1. Collection agency – a private company working for the creditor. It has no public authority. It cannot seize anything. Its role is to persuade – often forcefully.

📞 2. Lawyer – can represent a creditor in court, send letters, or call you. But they cannot carry out enforcement. They might use legal language to sound more serious.

📞 3. Court bailiff (exekutor) – the only one who can lawfully seize your property. But only after a final court ruling and with an enforcement order. Bailiffs do not call to pressure you – they send official documents.

What can a collector do (and not do)?

❌ They cannot:

• threaten enforcement if there’s none,

• visit your home without permission,

• pretend to be a bailiff, police, or authority,

• make criminal threats without legal basis.

✅ They can:

• contact you politely (by phone, email, letter),

• request payment on behalf of the creditor,

• offer a payment plan (without legal powers).

Beware of fake “officials”

📌 Some agencies intentionally mimic authorities – using names like “collection office”, fake seals, or letterhead resembling courts. The goal? Fear.

🔍 Tip: Look up the company’s ID, check the business register, and verify who’s really calling. Real bailiffs send written documents with official case numbers.

Can you file a complaint? Absolutely.

📌 If someone:

• threatens you,

• pretends to be an authority,

• contacts you repeatedly or aggressively:

→ file a complaint with the Czech Trade Inspection or the Czech Bar Association (if it’s a lawyer),
→ or report it to the police if there’s serious pressure or deception.

Even as a debtor, you have rights.

Lawyer’s recommendation

Many clients come to me after paying something they didn’t owe – just because a caller pressured them. Never pay under threat. Always verify who’s calling, and consult a lawyer. You may have stronger rights than you think.