Debt Validation and Disputing a Debt

Your Right to Make the Collector Prove It | Serving PA, NJ, NY, MD & DC

Short answer. A debt collector must send you a validation notice with the amount, the creditor and your right to dispute. If you dispute in writing within 30 days, the collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt. Collecting without following these steps can break the law. Email msiddons@siddonslaw.com.

Last updated October 13, 2026.

Tell Us What the Debt Collector Did

Email msiddons@siddonslaw.com or use the form below. Tell us who is collecting, what they did and when, the state you live in, and whether you have been sued. Do not send documents through this website. We will reply with what we need.

    Key Takeaways

    • The validation notice must arrive within five days of the collector’s first contact.
    • You have 30 days from receiving it to dispute in writing and to ask for the original creditor’s name and address.
    • After a timely written dispute, collection must stop until the collector mails verification.
    • A collector that reports a disputed debt to a credit bureau must report it as disputed.
    • Not disputing does not mean you admit you owe the debt.

    What Must the Validation Notice Say?

    • The name of the creditor the debt is owed to.
    • An itemized amount: what was owed on a set date, plus any interest, fees, payments and credits since then.
    • That you have 30 days to dispute the debt, and the date that period ends.
    • That if you dispute in writing, the collector will get verification and mail it to you.
    • That on written request, the collector will give you the name and address of the original creditor if it is different.

    How Do You Dispute a Debt?

    1. Write a letter or use the dispute form that came with the notice.
    2. Say that you dispute the debt and ask for verification and the original creditor’s name and address.
    3. Send it within the 30-day period. Keep a copy and proof of mailing or delivery.
    4. Do not pay, sign anything or agree to a payment plan on the phone until you get a response.

    When Does a Collector Break the Rules?

    • It never sends a validation notice.
    • The notice leaves out required information or states the wrong amount.
    • It keeps collecting after your timely written dispute without sending verification.
    • It pressures you or makes statements that overshadow or confuse your 30-day right.
    • It reports a debt to a credit bureau without noting that you disputed it.

    What If You Missed the 30 Days?

    You can still dispute the debt, and the collector still may not lie to you or try to collect money you do not owe. The 30-day window controls only when collection must pause for verification.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is verification the same as proof I owe the debt?

    Not exactly. Verification usually confirms the amount and the creditor. It is often thin. A collector that sues you must still prove its case in court.

    Should I call or write?

    Write. A written dispute triggers rights that a phone call does not.

    The collector says it bought my debt. Does it still have to validate?

    Yes. A debt buyer is a debt collector under the FDCPA and must follow the validation rules.

    Email Us About a Debt Collector

    Email msiddons@siddonslaw.com with the name of the collector, what happened and when, and the state you live in. The first conversation is free. All fees and costs are set out in a written engagement letter. Attorney Michael A. Siddons represents consumers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Washington, D.C., and the firm has handled hundreds of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act cases.

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