Hunstein vs. PCMS

Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Date: 2022

Issue on Appeal: Whether the transmission of consumer information to a third-party mail vendor in connection with debt collection communications constitutes a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

RLC’s Position: The RLC argues that routine business communications involving third-party vendors—such as print and mail services—do not constitute unlawful disclosures under the FDCPA. Expanding liability to include standard operational practices would create significant compliance burdens, increase litigation risk, and disrupt widely used business processes across the retail and service industries. The RLC emphasizes that such an interpretation would invite a surge of class action litigation over technical, non-harmful conduct, ultimately increasing costs for businesses and consumers alike.

Other Amici: Chamber of Commerce of the United States and other business organizations.

Counsel: Counsel from national appellate and consumer finance practices representing amici curiae.