The debt validation sample letter below will help you to get details on the following:
• Why a debt collector thinks you owe this debt.
• The amount of debt and how old it is.
• Details about the debt collector’s authority to collect this money.
The text in [brackets] indicates where you must customize the letter.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Debt collector name]
[Debt collector Address]
Re: [Account number for the debt, if you have it]
Dear [Debt collector name]:
I am responding to your contact about a debt you are trying to collect. Please supply the information below so that I can be fully informed:
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, the account number used by that creditor, and the amount owed.
• If this debt started with a different creditor, provide the name and address of the original creditor, the account number used by that creditor, and the amount owed to that creditor at the time it was transferred. When you identify the original creditor, please provide any other
name by which I might know them, if that is different from the official name. In addition, tell me when the current creditor obtained the debt and who the current creditor obtained it from.
• Provide verification and documentation that there is a valid basis for claiming that I am required to pay the debt to the current creditor. For example, can you provide a copy of the written agreement that created my original requirement to pay?
• 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.
The amount and age of the debt, including:
• A copy of the last billing statement sent to me by the original creditor.
• State the amount of the debt when you obtained it, and when that was.
• If there have been any additional interest, fees or charges added since the last billing statement from the original creditor, provide an itemization showing the dates and amount of each added amount. In addition, explain how the added interest, fees or other charges are expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or are permitted by law.
• 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 amount of each of them.
• If there have been any other changes or adjustments since the last billing statement from the original creditor, please provide full verification and documentation of the amount you are trying to collect. Explain how that amount was calculated. In addition, explain how the other changes or adjustments are expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or permitted by law.
• Tell me when the creditor claims this debt became due and when it became delinquent.
• Identify the date of the last payment made on this account.
• Have you made a determination that this debt is within the statute of limitations applicable to it? Tell me when you think the statute of limitations expires for this debt, and how you determined that.
Details about your authority to collect this debt.
• I would like more information about your firm before I discuss the debt with you. Does your firm have a debt collection license from my state? If not, say why not. If so, provide the date of the license, the name on the license, the license number, and the name, address and telephone number of the state agency issuing the license.
• If you are contacting me from a place outside my state, does your firm have a debt collection license from that place? If so, provide the date of the license, the name on the license, the license number, and the name, address and telephone number of the state agency issuing the license.
I have asked for this information because I have some questions. I need to hear from you to make an informed decision about your claim that I owe this money. I am open to communicating with you for this purpose. In order to make sure that I am not put at any disadvantage, in the meantime please treat this debt as being in dispute and under discussion between us.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Consider sending the debt validation letter by certified mail or another method by which you can establish when the letter is received by the intended recipient.
If you need help, feel free to reach out to us and we can work on improving your credit scores by removing the derogatory information from your credit reports via credit bureau investigations, debt validation, method of verification, goodwill requests, etc…
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