Consent vs. Preference in Reg F – Don’t Confuse Them

Regulation F (Reg F) has led to increased conversations about consumer contact, especially when it comes to two important terms: Preference and Consent. These terms may sound similar, but they are not interchangeable. And there is a lot of risk - regulatory, legal, and strategic - in confusing the two.

Those confused about the differences might email or text someone without their consent (i.e., legal / regulatory risk) or miss potential contacts with consumers by failing to take advantage of their preferred methods of contact (which may not require consent, but will impact business outcomes).

But wait, there's more! You also need to understand how Preference and Consent relate to Inconvenient Calling Times/Places/Mediums under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) if you want to avoid adding an additional, substantial layer of risk.