STOP HARASSMENT BY DEBT COLLECTORS - THIS WORKS!

If you receive a collection notice, call the agency and / or if a collector calls you, here's what to say...

Tell the representative that they need to validate the debt. You want to see proof that you indeed owe the amount of money for which they are trying to collect from you.

You want to see a contract or some other document with your signature on it which binds you to the original creditor.

They might try to tell you that you have to call the creditor yourself to get that information. That's not acceptable. You tell them that they are the ones claiming you owe the money so it is their job to do the leg work.

If they try to tell you that they have or can get a letter from the original vendor or creditor which indicates the allege amount and dates, that is not good enough. You want documentation with your signature and not an electronic signature.

If they cannot produce such a document then they cannot collect from you.

Be sure to record on paper the dates you spoke with a representative and the person's name and / or ID number. You might also want to send them a letter via certified mail / return receipt stating the same.

Most collection agencies cannot produce any original documents. If they tell you that they are mailing them out to you and if within a few weeks you do not receive the documents you requested, they probably don't exist or they don't want to even put any effort into locating them. But, they may still continue to send you letters and call you. They will attempt to intimidate and threaten you with lines such as - you know this is going to hurt your credit... They will try every angle to get you to pay. DON'T GIVE IN! Keep in mind, that if they can't prove you owe the money then they will have to remove any derogatory marks from all of your credit reports referencing this delinquent account.

If they do continue to harass you after this, remind them that they could not produce the documents you asked for and without them there is no proof that you owe them anything. Tell them and also write them, certified / return receipt, that you are demanding that they stop harassing you and remove any entries they may have submitted to any of the credit bureaus with regards to this account.

They might ask you if you are claiming it was identity theft. Answer by saying, I can't be sure, I guess it could have been.

Good Luck!