Debt collector response template

You’re saying: “This is not my debt.”

Use the sample letter on the next page if you want to tell a debt collector that you aren’t

responsible for this debt, and that you don’t want to be contacted again.

How to use this template:

1. Read the background below.

2. Fill in your information on the template letter and edit it as needed to fit your situation.

3. Print and mail the letter. Keep a copy for your records.

Background

This letter tells the debt collector to stop contacting you unless they can show evidence that you

are responsible for this debt. Stopping contact does not cancel the debt. So, if the debt collector

still believes you really are responsible for the debt, they could still take other action. For

example, you still might be sued or have the status of the debt reported to a credit bureau.

Template letter begins on the next page

[Yourname]

[Yourreturnaddress]

[Date]



[Debtcollectorname]

[DebtcollectorAddress]

Re:[Accountnumberforthedebt,ifyouhaveit]



Deardebtcollector,



Iamrespondingtoyourcontactaboutcollectingadebt.Youcontactedmeby[phone/mail],on[date]

andidentifiedthedebtas[anyinformationtheygaveyouaboutthedebt].

Idonothaveanyresponsibilityforthedebtyou’retryingtocollect.

Ifyouhavegoodreason

tobelievethatIamresponsibleforthisdebt,mailmethedocumentsthatmake



youbelievethat.Stopallothercommunicationwithmeandwiththisaddress,andrecordthatIdispute

havinganyobligationforthisdebt.Ifyoustopyourcollectionofthisdebt,andforwardor

returnitto

anothercompany,pleaseindicatetothemthatitisdisputed.Ifyoureportittoacreditbureau(orhave

alreadydoneso),alsoreportthatthedebtisdisputed.



Thankyouforyourcooperation.

Sincerely,



[Yourname]

Debt collector response template

You’re saying: “Tell me more about this debt.”

Use the sample letter on the next page to ask for more information about this debt.

How to use this template:

1. Read the background below.

2. Fill in your information on the template letter and edit it as needed to fit your situation.

Delete any bullets that don’t apply to you, or isn’t information you’re looking for.

3. Print and send the letter as soon as you can.Keep a copy for your records.

Background

Send this letter as soon as you can and, if at all possible, within 30 days of when a debt collector

contacts you the first time about a debt. Even if 30 days have passed, and a debt collector isn’t

legally required to give you certain information, you can still ask for it.

If you ask in writing before the deadline, a debt collector has certain legal responsibilities to give

you some information. But if the collector doesn’t provide everything you request, that doesn’t

necessarily mean the debt collector has broken any laws or has given up a legal right to collect a

debt. The debt collector could still be allowed to demand that you pay, or file a lawsuit. If you

have specific questions, contact an attorney.

If the debt collector makes vague statements about what will happen if you do not pay, read

their response to your letter carefully. If they tell you that they intend to sue you, you should

take that seriously. Federal law prohibits a debt collector from threatening to take any action

they can’t take or that they don’t intend to take.

State laws, have statutes of limitations, or limited time periods when creditors or debt collectors

can file a lawsuit to collect a debt. These periods of time can be two years or longer; the period of

time varies by state and by the type of debt. In some states, even a partial payment on the debt

will restart the time period. You may want to consult an attorney or the applicable law in your

state to know when the statute of limitations expires before making any payment on a debt.

Knowing whether or not a debt collector is licensed is useful (though not all states require

licenses) because if the debt collector isn’t conducting itself properly, you can contact the state

licensing agency which in many cases is the state attorney general.

Sample letter begins on the next page

[Yourname]

[Yourreturnaddress]

[Date]



[Debtcollectorname]

[DebtcollectorAddress]

Re:[Accountnumberforthedebt,ifyouhaveit]



Deardebtcollector:



Iamrespondingtoyourcontactaboutadebtyouaretryingtocollect.Youcontactedmeby

[phone/mail],on[date]andidentifiedthedebtas[anyinformationtheygaveyouaboutthedebt].

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,specifically:



•

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.



IhaveaskedforthisinformationbecauseIhavesomequestionsaboutthisdebt.Becauseofmy

questions,pleaseconsiderthedebttobedisputedatthistime.Ifyoustopyourcollectionofthisdebt,

andforwardorreturnittoanothercompany,pleaseindicatetothemthatit

isdisputed.Ifyoure portit

toacreditbureau(orhavealreadydoneso),alsoreportthatthedebtisdisputed.Inaddition,you

shouldstateinanyreportthatyouhavefailedtofullyverifythedebtinresponsetomyrequest(unless

youhavealreadyprovidedall

thenecessaryinformation).



IfyoufailtoprovideanyoftheinformationordocumentationIhaveaskedfor,pleasesaywhy.Ifyoudo

notprovideit,anddonotadequatelyexplainwhy,Iwillunderstandthatyouareunabletoconfirmor

documentyourclaims.



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,prov ide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.



Pleaseletmeknowwhetheryouarepreparedtoacceptlessthanthebalanceyouareclaimingisowed

onthisaccount.Ifso,pleasetellmein writingyouroffertoacceptlessthanthefullbalance.



Thankyouforyourcooperation.

Sincerely,

[Yourname]

Debt collector response template

You’re saying: “Stop contacting me.”

Use the sample letter on the next page if you want to tell the debt collector to stop contacting

you.

How to use this template:

1. Read the background below.

2. Fill in your information on the template letter and edit it as needed to fit your situation.

Delete the paragraph about disputing the debt if you don’t dispute the debt.

3. Print and send the letter. Keep a copy for your records.

Background

Generally speaking, federal law says that a debt collector must stop contacting you after it gets a

written request to stop contacting you. They can, however, contact you to tell you that they won’t

contact you again, or to notify you that the creditor or debt collector could take other action (for

example, filing a lawsuit against you).

Stopping them from contacting you does not cancel the debt. You still might be sued, or have

debt reported to a credit bureau.

You can ask a debt collector to stop contacting you at any time, so keep in mind that you could

ask them for more information before deciding whether to tell them to stop contacting you.

Sample letter begins on the next page

[Your name]

[Your return address]

[Date]

[Debt collector name]

[Debt collector Address]

Re: [Account number for the debt, if you have it]

Dear debt collector,

I am responding to your contact about a debt you are attempting to collect. You contacted me by

[phone/mail], on [date]. You identified the debt as [any information they gave you

about the debt].

Please stop all communication with me and with this address about this debt.

Record that I dispute having any obligation for this debt. If you stop collection of this debt, and

forward or return it to another company, please indicate to them that it is disputed. If you report

it to a credit bureau (or have already done so), also report that the debt is disputed.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Debt collector response template

You’re saying: “Only contact my lawyer.”

Use the sample letter on the next page if you want to instruct a debt collector to only contact

your lawyer.

How to use this template:

1. Read the background below.

2. Fill in your information on the template letter and edit it as needed to fit your situation.

3. Print the letter and mail it. Keep a copy for your records.

Background

If a lawyer is representing you about the debt, then the debt collector should generally contact

the lawyer instead of you. Use this template letter to tell the debt collector to contact your

lawyer.

After you have given the debt collector your lawyer’s contact information, the debt collector

should not contact you directly unless the lawyer doesn’t respond.

Sample letter begins on the next page

[Your name]

[Your return address]

[Date]

[Debt collector name]

[Debt collector Address]

Re: [Account number for the debt, if you have it]

Dear debt collector:

I am responding to your contact about collecting a debt. You contacted me by [phone/mail],

on [date] and identified the debt as [any information they gave you about the debt].

Please contact my lawyer about this debt, and do not contact me directly again. My lawyer’s

contact information is:

[Contact information for your lawyer].

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Debt collector response template

You’re saying: “Here’s how to contact me.”

Use the sample letter on the next page if you want to tell a debt collector how they can contact

you and instruct them not to contact you any other way.

How to use this template:

1. Read the background below.

2. Fill in your information on the template letter and edit it as needed to fit your situation.

3. Print and send the letter. Keep a copy for your records.

Background

Under federal law, debt collectors can’t contact you about a debt at a time or place they know is

inconvenient for you. They also can’t contact you at work if you let them know that your

employer prohibits it. Use this letter if you want to specify and restrict how a debt collector can

contact you. But be careful about over-doing it: If you want to work something out, you don’t

want to make it too hard for the debt collector to reach you.

Keep in mind that in some cases, phone calls could be the best way to deal with a debt collector.

If you have questions you want answered or want to make a deal, it is often easiest to do that by

phone. Stopping a debt collector from contacting you does not cancel the debt. You still might be

sued, or have debt reported to a credit bureau. If you tell a debt collector not to call you, they

could still try to sue you to resolve the debt.

Sample letter begins on the next page

[Your name]

[Your return address]

[Date]

[Debt collector name]

[Debt collector Address]

Re: [Account number for the debt, if you have it]

Dear debt collector:

I am responding to your contact about collecting a debt. You contacted me by [phone/mail],

on [date] and identified the debt as [any information they gave you about the debt].

You can contact me about this debt, but only in the way I say below. Don’t contact me about this

debt in other way, or at any other place or time. It is inconvenient to me to be contacted except

as I authorize below.

You can only contact me at:

[Mailing address if you want to get mail]

[Phone number and convenient times if you want to be contacted by phone]

[If correct, include the following] My employer prohibits me from receiving

communications like this at work.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

[Your name]