How To Dispute A Debt
One of the first questions I am asked as a credit and debt consultant is often how to dispute a debt. Dispute is a fancy word meaning to disagree, debate, or argue something. I have found that in my experience almost all credit card dept should be disputed.
It is necessary to know that disputing a debt needs more effort than calling up your creditor and telling them that you disagree that you owe them money. Effective disputes require specific steps and accurate timing. I know these steps so well that significant portions of my clients end up free from debt, or they take advantage of opportunities to settle with creditors or debt collectors for a fraction of their original debt. I recommend to continue learning if you would like these outcomes for your specific debt situation.
Even after knowing the meaning of what disputing a debt means, many consumers choose to attempt a dispute over the phone. Disputing debt over the phone is basically useless. It provides you no evidence in court that the debt was disputed. This leaves you completely unprotected in the event that a creditor or debt collector decides to sue. Not to mention the fact that the creditor or debt collector will not treat you any better and will most likely harass you even more aggressively.
Credit and debt counselors often advise consumers to send debt verification letters to their creditor or debt collector. These letters are a waste of time because all they require is for a creditor or debt collector to confirm your name and address. The name and address of almost anybody in the United States is readily accessible online. In no way do a name and an address prove that a consumer owes their creditor or debt collector money.
Debt verification letters also have a few other flaws. A verification letter does not require a creditor or debt collector to provide any evidence of your account with them. These letters also do not provide any legal protection. Finally, debt verification letters do nothing to stop the harassment that comes from creditors or debt collectors. Debt verification letters are usually not the correct tool to use when deciding how to dispute a debt.
I am now gong to share with you the most effective way to dispute a debt. The process that will get you the most results is the process of sending debt validation letters. Debt validation is so powerful because federal law backs it. The FDCPA or Fair Debt Collection Practices Act sets forth terms and conditions that must be met by any creditor or debt collector once a request for validation is made. Thus, debt validation letters offer much more protection and help compared to debt verification letters.
The reason for debt validation letters is to eliminate wrongful collection from debt collectors. By sending a well-written debt validation letter, you force your debt collector to provide complete and validating information on your account. The fact of the matter is that most debt collectors do not have the proper information to completely validate their collection attempts on your account. Until this validation is made, the debt collector cannot continue to attempt collection on your account.
Now that you know more about how to dispute a debt, I would suggest taking a mini course online to learn more about debt validation letters. The knowledge you can gain by doing this will be extremely valuable to help you get through your debt dispute and validation process.
looking to discover more on how to dispute a debt, then go to Allan Henry’s site on how to choose the perfect debt dispute for your needs.
February 4, 2012 | Posted by Allan Henry
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