In order to fully understand how we perform credit relief, it’s equally important to understand what we don’t do. When it comes to a debt, we’re not in the business of refusing to pay one that’s legitimate and valid. Let’s talk a little about what that is, how it affects you, and how our credit repair business can help.

Suppose you get a phone call from a debt collector. They want money from you. The problem is, you don’t think the debt is actually yours. What should you do? If there’s one thing you shouldn’t do it’s automatically agree with the debt collector that the debt truly is yours. According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a debt collector is required to send you written proof of debt within five days of contacting you. The letter must include:

• The amount you owe
• Who the debt is owed to
• A statement giving you 30 days to dispute the debt
• A statement claiming that, if the debt is disputed by you within the 30-day time frame, the debt collector will mail you either verification of the debt or a copy of the judgment against you.
• A statement that the debt collector will include the name and address of the original creditor, if it’s different the current creditor, providing that you request the information, in writing, within 30 days.

In such cases, you simply call us and we do all the work for you, right? Well, not exactly. When it comes to disputing a debt, the battle is waged through the U.S. Mail. We’ll write a dispute letter and send it to you. You’ll sign it, make a copy of it, and send it via certified mail and return receipt. A month later, you’ll receive another letter from us, building on the information of the first letter. You’ll send that out in the same manner. For two more months, the same process will happen.

What happens after that? Ideally, the debt collector will issue either a zero-balance statement or a letter of dismissal. They may also sell the debt to a third-party debt collector. Don’t worry, we have that situation covered. We’ll draft a response forcing them to prove that the debt is real, it belongs to you, and they have the legal capacity to collect the debt.

Dealing with debt collectors can be frustrating and confusing. But whatever happens, we’ve got your back. For more information on how to start taking your financial life back, contact us today.