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Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Debt validation letter: make them prove it

If a collector contacts you about a debt you don't recognize, or the amount looks wrong, you have the right to dispute it in writing. Do it within the validation period and the collector has to stop collecting until it verifies the debt.

Timing is everything

  1. The collector sends a validation notice within 5 days of first contacting you. It lists the amount, the creditor, and the date your dispute period ends. (§ 1692g(a))
  2. You have about 30 days from receiving that notice to dispute in writing. The notice itself should state the exact end date.
  3. If you dispute in writing within that window, the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification of the debt, or the name and address of the original creditor if you asked for it. (§ 1692g(b))

Missed the window? Send the letter anyway. The collector's duty to pause collection may not apply, but a written dispute still matters: a collector that reports the debt to the credit bureaus without noting that you dispute it may be violating § 1692e(8).

A letter you can copy

[Your name] [Your address] [Date] [Collector name] [Collector address from the validation notice] Re: [Reference number on the notice] I am writing in response to your notice dated [date]. I dispute this debt, and I request validation under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g(b). Please provide: 1. The name and address of the original creditor. 2. The amount you claim is owed, with an itemization of interest, fees, and payments since the itemization date. 3. Documentation showing that you own or are authorized to collect this debt. Until you provide verification, please stop all collection activity, and if you report this debt to any credit bureau, report it as disputed. This letter is not an acknowledgment that I owe this debt. Sincerely, [Signature]

Do's and don'ts

  1. Send it by certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep a copy and the receipt.
  2. Don't make a payment "to show good faith." On an old debt, a payment can restart the statute of limitations in some states. See zombie debt.
  3. Don't give bank or card details over the phone.
  4. Don't ignore a lawsuit. A validation letter doesn't stop a court case. If you're served, respond by the deadline on the papers.
  5. Check your credit reports. If the collector is reporting the debt, dispute it with the bureaus too.

Three ways to get this fixed

Everything on this site you can do yourself, for free. If you'd rather have help, pick the path that fits.

Have it handled for you

BCR Consulting prepares and sends disputes on your behalf and tracks every deadline.

See BCR Consulting

Do it yourself, with software

The Deletion Machine walks you through disputes step by step and keeps your paper trail organized.

See The Deletion Machine

Talk to a consumer attorney

If a violation cost you a loan, a job, or an apartment, or it keeps happening, a consumer attorney can tell you what the claim is worth.

Find an attorney (NACA)

Not sure which? Tell us what happened.

Please don't include your Social Security number or full account numbers. Sending this doesn't create an attorney-client relationship; BCR Consulting is not a law firm.

More guides

Is the debt also showing up wrong on your credit report? See FCRAViolations.com for your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.