Debt Validation Letter

Debt validation letter summary:

• Debt collectors are required to provide accurate information to show a given debt belongs to you. 

• A debt validation letter is a request you send to a debt collector to verify the debt. 

• You have rights under debt collection, per the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA). 

Debt validation letter definition and meaning

Debt validation works two ways: A debt collector uses debt validation to prove you owe money. You can send a debt validation letter to ensure the debt collector has their facts straight. 

Key concept:

A debt validation letter is meant to get everyone on the same page and assure you that the debt is legitimate. You're free to dispute incorrect information provided by the debt collector.

More about debt validation letters

When a debt collector tells you how much money it thinks you owe, it's often called a debt validation notification. When you request these details, it's often called a debt validation letter. The letter you send to a debt collector could also be called a debt verification letter. There is no official, universally accepted name for your letter or for their letter, but the labels don’t matter. Here’s what’s important:

• Debt collectors must provide specific information that proves an unpaid debt is yours. It’s spelled out in a federal law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

• You have the right to request this information if they don’t provide it when they first contact you

Debt validation: a comprehensive breakdown 

A debt validation letter allows you to make sure the debt you're being contacted about actually belongs to you. When you send a letter, this letter should request:

• Details regarding the original creditor. In other words, if Bucks and Coins Debt Collectors, Inc. reaches out, you want to know to whom you originally owed the debt.  

• A copy of the original agreement showing that you are obligated to repay the debt.

• An itemized breakdown of all portions of the debt, including the principal, fees, and interest. This breakdown should include the dates each of the expenses was added. 

• Documentation showing the age of the debt and the original date it became delinquent. 

• Evidence of the collection agency's license to collect debt in your state, and information about the state agency that issued the license. 

Once you've sent a debt validation letter, the collection agency must stop trying to collect until it can adequately respond to your request. 

Once they provide the requested information, you have 30 days to dispute any part of it.

In addition, you can send a debt collector a cease-and-desist letter telling them to stop contacting you. Note that if you tell them to stop contacting you, it could be harder to work out a solution. The next time you hear from them could be a notice that they’ve filed a lawsuit against you.