Scumbag Debt Collectors, Part 9

Send the debt collection agency a certified letter asking for verification of the debt.

Oftentimes, you don’t get the benefit of a letter or anything written from the debt collection agency before the calls begin. The calls might just start, and many times a debt collector will not identify themselves on the phone or give you any information. This is why the internet search is so valuable.

If you send the debt collector a certified letter, you’re essentially beating them to the punch. You’re telling them that you expect them to verify the debt or leave you alone.

If you notify a collection agent in writing that you dispute a debt, they must verify the debt within thirty days. This might buy you some, but don’t count on it.
This brings me to another point: so what exactly constitutes “verification” of a debt?

In many cases, the debt collector just sends you a letter saying they investigated the debt and they found it to be legitimate. I have received my fair share of debt collection notices, and they never fully validate a debt. You can keep this back and forth going on as long as you like – you can send them another letter telling them that you have requested that they verify the debt and provide supporting documentation, and ask them to stop calling them until they do.