A Melbourne debt collector who threatened, harassed, and misled debtors has been convicted and fined $15,000 after pleading guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Michael John Stanyer, 55, of Essendon was charged with engaging in prohibited debt collection practices and seeking to recover his costs under the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012.
Under this law, Stanyer is also now prohibited from engaging in debt collection or running a company that engages in debt collection in Victoria for five years.
We took legal action against Stanyer and his business RMS Collections Pty Ltd (ACN 639 085 439) after receiving complaints from consumers across several states.
Stanyer used a range of prohibited methods to attempt to recover debts for his clients between June 2021 and March 2023, including using insulting language, threats and excessive contact over phone and email.