Dispute a Debt

Debt dispute summary

• You can dispute a debt when you believe you don't owe it or that the amount owed is incorrect. 

• You should dispute a debt in writing within 30 days of being notified about it. 

• Debt collectors must stop trying to collect from you until they verify that you owe the debt and that the balance is correct.

Debt dispute definition and meaning

To dispute a debt means stating in writing that you don't believe that the debt is valid. If you're contacted by creditors or debt collectors who are asking about a debt you don't remember, don’t recognize, weren’t aware of, think you already paid, or the amount shown is incorrect, you have the right to dispute it. 

Key concept: A dispute is a formal challenge by a consumer who questions the validity or the amount of a debt claimed by a creditor or debt collector.

More about disputing a debt

When you receive notice about a debt either from an original creditor, like your credit card company, or a debt buyer or debt collector, look it over carefully. Consider disputing the debt if:

• You're not sure if you owe the debt 

• You think you paid it off or you know it isn't yours

• The amount owed doesn't match your records

• You think the debt might be too old to collect 

• You want more information about it

• You're not sure what you want to do about it

You'll need to dispute the debt in writing with a debt verification letter (sometimes called a debt dispute letter). This letter is an opportunity for you to formally object to the debt collection process, challenge the details, ask for more information, and otherwise demand that the debt collector prove that you owe the debt. 

You must dispute a debt within 30 days of being notified of the debt by receiving a debt validation notice (or “debt validation letter”) from the debt collector. If you dispute a debt in writing within 30 days of this notice, a debt collector must stop trying to collect the debt. If the debt collector reports the debt to credit bureaus, it must note that the debt is being disputed. 

Debt dispute: a comprehensive breakdown

The key elements of a debt dispute include:

• Letter disputing the debt

• Records about the debt and any communication with the debt collector

• Understanding your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

A debt dispute letter should contain this information:

• Your name, address, and contact information

• The account information provided to you by the debt collector

• The reason you're disputing the debt. For example, an incorrect amount, never owed, already paid, or past the statute of limitations.

• A request to not report the debt to credit bureaus or to remove it from your credit reports 

You may also want to include proof that you don't owe the debt or a request for no additional contact about the debt.

Don't acknowledge the debt or admit to owing the debt, and don't provide personal information like your Social Security number. 

To resume collection efforts, the debt collector must first verify that you owe the debt and that the amount is correct.