Why debt collectors must validate debt before they collect

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Behind that supremely confident tone debt collectors have when they call, resides an inescapable truth: They have no way of knowing for sure if they’re talking to the right person. This is why debt collectors must validate a debt before they proceed to collect on it. Knowing this puts you at an advantage, whether you owe the debt or not. 

Debt Has a “Shelf Life”

Collectors have a finite window within which they can sue consumers for payment and win a judgment against them. The clock starts the day you fail to make a payment and keeps running for a specific period of time, which varies by the type of debt and from state to state.

Here’s the thing, though: You do still owe the debt regardless of whether or not the time has run out. And, if a collector can get you to admit responsibility for the debt, the clock starts running again as of that date. Thus, it’s best to refuse to accept responsibility for any debt until it is unequivocally proven to be yours — and the time to collect it hasn’t run out.

They Might Not be Authorized to Collect on It

It is not unheard of for a collection agency to contact people about debts for which they have not been authorized to act upon.

What if you pay in good faith, only to subsequently learn that the agency had no right to contact you, the people you owed never got the money and they are now actually sending someone after you about it?

People Make Mistakes — All the Time

Data is only as good as the people entering it. One juxtaposed number or letter can be all it takes to trigger calls you shouldn’t be getting.

The call might well be about a debt you’ve already paid. People do make mistakes. When you get a call about XYZ credit card and you vaguely remember having an issue with it, your first instinct might be to just pay it, or seek some form of credit card debt relief so you can go on with your life.