A debt collector letter may be an attempt to reach someone who may owe a specific debt. If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of receiving the required information about it from the collector, the collector must send you verification of the debt.
What to have in front of you
- The letter from the debt collector.
- The required information about the debt that the collector gives you.
- Your credit report, if the debt appears on it.
Look at the letter alongside the information the collector gives you. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, says that a collector contacting you for payment usually must give you certain information in the initial communication or within five days of that communication.
The 30-day period for a written dispute runs from when you receive the required information about the debt from the collector. The five-day period concerns when the collector usually must give you that information.
Why a collector may be contacting you
The CFPB says a debt collector is generally a person or company that regularly collects debts owed to others, or whose primary purpose is collecting debts. A collector is likely contacting you because they are trying to reach a person who may owe a specific debt.
One possible reason is that a creditor believes you are past due on a debt. Creditors may use their own in-house debt collectors. They may also refer or sell a debt to an outside collector.
Another possibility is that a debt buyer has bought the debt. A debt buyer may collect the debt itself or use other debt collectors to collect it.
A collector may also contact someone to locate a person they know. In that situation, the CFPB says the collector is not allowed to reveal that the consumer owes any debt.
What the collector must usually provide
If a debt collector is contacting you for payment on a debt, the CFPB says there is certain information the collector usually must give you. The collector must usually provide it in the initial communication or within five days of that communication.
You can also ask the collector for additional information. If you received a letter, keep it in front of you as you review the information the collector has given you.
The required information is also important to the timing of a written dispute. The CFPB describes the 30-day period as starting when you receive that required information about the debt from the collector.
Your options for responding
If you do not believe you owe the debt, or you believe the amount is wrong, you can dispute it with the debt collector. If the debt appears on your credit report, you can also dispute it with the credit reporting company.
A written dispute has a specific timing rule. If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of receiving the required information about the debt from the collector, the collector must send you verification of the debt.
You can also ask the debt collector for additional information. The CFPB says it is important to take action to contest the attempt to collect if you do not owe the debt or have already paid it.
Asking the collector to stop contacting you
You can ask a debt collector to stop contacting you. The CFPB says that making this request will not necessarily stop the collector from suing you or reporting the debt to a credit reporting company.
Reporting the debt can affect your credit report and credit scores. If you do not owe the debt or have already paid it, the CFPB says it is important to take action to contest the attempt to collect it.
Asking the collector to stop contacting you and disputing a debt are options the CFPB describes. You can consider them in light of what the collector has sent you and what you believe about the debt.
If you are having issues with debt collection
The CFPB says you can submit a complaint with the agency if you are having issues with debt collection. You can also ask the collector for additional information about the debt.
The CFPB’s information is general consumer information. It is not legal advice or regulatory guidance.
Where this comes from
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What is a debt collector and why are they contacting me?