Are collectors calling and demanding money for a debt that may not be yours? Are they demanding money you don’t remember owing or an amount you think may be wrong? All you have to do is send an initial dispute letter to stop calls, at least until the debt is fully validated.
According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) you you have the right to dispute any consumer debt within thirty days of written notice about that debt.
(b) If the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period described in subsection (a) that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, or that the consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector shall cease collection of the debt, or any disputed portion thereof, until the debt collector obtains verification of the debt or any copy of a judgment, or the name and address of the original creditor, and a copy of such verification or judgment, or name and address of the original creditor, is mailed to the consumer by the debt collector.
If you wish to dispute a debt it is in your best interest to do so in writing.The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires collectors, once they’ve received your dispute letter, to cease contacting or calling you until they verify the debt is valid. You have this right even if you’ve tried to explain why you do not believe particular debt is yours, and even where the collector continues to ignore your explanation and demands payment today.
Your rights under various consumer protection statutes may be violated by each contact. Each call could be worth five hundred to fifteen hundred dollars damages to you, and each law violated could entitle you to statutory damages of up to $1,000 or more, plus actual damages, plus attorney fees. Get FREE consumer financial legal rights analysis to learn if you qualify for any of this cash compensation by submitting your information for a FREE case review and consultation or call 888-332-7252 now and speak to a live person who wants to help.
Don’t just accept the conversation quickly deteriorating into verbal harassment and abuse, do something about it. Use the free sample debt dispute letter below to write your own personal debt dispute letter when you don’t owe the money or at least you don’t think you do. Feel free to copy and paste the letter below into your word processor.
Initial Debt Collection Dispute Letter
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your return address]
[Debt collector name]
[Debt collector Address]
Re: Account number: _______________To Whom It May Concern:
I am responding to your recent contact regarding an alleged debt you are trying to collect. I dispute the debt. Specifically, I demand you supply the following information:
Why you think I owe the debt and to whom I owe it, including:
- The name and address of the creditor to whom the debt is currently owed, when the current creditor obtained the debt, who the current creditor obtained it from, the account number used by that creditor, and the amount owed (itemizing interest and any other fees or charges);
- If this debt started with a different creditor, provide the name and address of the original creditor (including any other name by which I might know them, if that is different from the official name), the account number used by that creditor, and the amount owed to that creditor at the time it was transferred (itemizing interest and any other fees or charges);
- Provide verification and documentation that there is a valid basis for claiming that I am required to pay the debt to the current creditor (i.e., a copy of the original written agreement, monthly statements, a purchase order, invoice(s), etc.);
- If there have been any payments or other reductions since the last billing statement from the original creditor, provide an itemization showing the dates and amounts;
- Identify the last payment on the account; and
- If you are asking that I pay a debt that somebody else is or was required to pay, identify that person. Provide verification and documentation about why this is a debt that I am required to pay.
Details about your authority to collect this debt.
- If you are required to be licensed to collect debts in my state: Provide the date of the license, the name on the license, and the license number.
- If you are contacting me from outside my state and that state requires you to be licensed to collect debts: Provide the date of the license, the name on the license, and the license number.
I have asked for this information to make an informed decision about your claim that I owe this money.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Don’t just accept the conversation quickly deteriorating into verbal harassment and abuse, do something about it. Use the free sample debt dispute letter below to write your own personal debt dispute letter when you don’t owe the money or at least you don’t think you do. Feel free to copy and paste the letter below into your word processor.
Initial Debt Collection Dispute Letter
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your return address]
[Debt collector name]
[Debt collector Address]
Re: Account number: _______________
To Whom It May Concern:I am responding to your recent contact regarding an alleged debt you are trying to collect. I dispute the debt. I do not have any responsibility for the debt you’re trying to collect.
If you have good reason to believe that I am responsible for this debt, mail me the documents that make you believe that (along with the name and address of the original creditor). Stop all other communication with me and with this address, and record that I dispute having any obligation for this debt. If you stop your collection of this debt, and forward or return it to another company, please indicate to them that it is disputed. If you report it to a credit bureau (or have already done so), also report that the debt is disputed.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
IMPORTANT: Always save copies of your debt collection dispute letters. Also, recognize that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act does not require collectors to respond to your dispute unless they intend to take specific actions such as pursuing court actions. Finally, don’t be surprised if you never hear from the collector because when collectors cannot verify a debt, they usually drop the account or sell it to another collector.
If you’ve already sent an initial debt dispute letter and have heard nothing back, consider using this follow up debt collection dispute letter to be sure.
Use these free mailing and record-keeping instructions