A debt dispute letter demands that the collection agency demonstrate that you do indeed owe the debt and can provide detailed information and documents to prove the amount owed. Federal law says that after receiving written notice of a debt, consumers have a 30-day window to respond with a debt dispute letter.

What happens when you dispute a debt collection?

Once you dispute the debt, the debt collector can't call or contact you to collect the debt or the disputed part until the debt collector has provided verification of the debt in writing to you. Your dispute should be made in writing to ensure that the debt collector has to send you verification of the debt.

When should you dispute a debt?

Normally, collections are disputed because the debtor believes they are incorrect for some reason. For example, if you review a copy of your credit report and you see a collection account that you believe belongs to another person, has an incorrect balance or is greater than seven years old, you can file a dispute.