Debt collectors are known to be pushy. Fortunately, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives you tools to make sure that you only pay what you owe. One of these tools is debt validation. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Debt Validation?
Debt validation is a step that all debt collectors must take before they can enforce a debt. Collectors must send you a Debt Validation Notice within five days of their initial communication with you. If their first communication was written—a letter or email—they can also send the debt validation notice with it.
The collector must give you all the information you need to prove you owe the money that they say you do. To start the process, the collector must send you the following info in written form (called a Debt Validation Notice or Letter):
- The name(s) of the creditor(s)
- Your name and mailing address, along with their name and address
- The account number that is related to the debt, if there is one
- The amount of money that you owe
- An itemized summary of the amount you owe that includes interest, fees, payments, and credits
- Contact information that you can use to reply to the collector if you think the debt isn’t yours or the amount is wrong
- The date of the end of your 30-day window to dispute the debt
- A statement that the communication is from a debt collector
The collector can include additional information but is not required to.
What Happens if the Collector Doesn’t Meet the Debt Validation Requirements?
If a debt collector fails to meet the requirements, you will not be considered liable for the debt temporarily. That means you don’t have to pay them, and they can’t try to communicate with you until they have met the requirements of debt validation.
You are also able to submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) if you feel they are violating the FDCPA.
Debt Validation Letter Template
Even though you won’t be writing debt validation letters, it can be helpful to know what to look for. The CFPB has model debt validation notices that include all required information. Look at the letter you received and see if it contains all the same information, even if the format is slightly different.
How to Dispute a Debt With Collectors
Debt validation notices must contain information about how to dispute the debt, and what the deadline to dispute is. If you don’t think the debt is yours, or the amount of debt is wrong, you have 30 days to send the collector a written notice that you’re disputing the debt. You can also request additional information.
The CFPB has sample letters for the most common types of disputes. Once you start a dispute, it’s up to the collector to verify the debt.
Debt Validation vs. Debt Verification
Debt validation is when the collector provides you with information to verify that the debt is yours and the amount is correct. Debt verification, on the other hand, is when a collector investigates whether your debt is correct using your dispute and the information you provided.
In Summary
Debt validation gives you a chance to make sure a collector’s claims are legitimate before you pay. If the collector doesn’t follow the rules, you don’t have to make payments until they do. Always read every notice carefully, check that all required details are included, and use your right to dispute errors within 30 days. Knowing how debt validation works helps you protect yourself from paying a debt you don’t actually owe.
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