Before September 20, 1977, American consumers had no way to fight back against the harassing and intimidating debt collection tactics used by bill collectors. Many companies resorted to issuing intimidating threats and making repeated harassing phone calls throughout the day.
After years of growing consumer discontent, the United State Congress wrote the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) into law. Widely regarded as the most significant federal consumer protection law, the FDCPA prohibits debt collection agencies from implementing overly aggressive debt collection practices.
Deceptive debt collection techniques also receive scrutiny by the FDCPA. Under a provision of the landmark federal consumer protection law, third party debt collectors cannot trick consumers into paying off outstanding credit card and personal loan accounts. In fact, the FDCPA grants American consumers the legal power to challenge an alleged debt by sending a dispute letter to a bill collector.
What Consumers Need to Know about a Dispute Letter
Contesting a personal debt over the phone with a debt collection is not considered a smart idea. First, you probably will not get the company to back off its initial goal of collecting the debt in question. Second, you have to tape record the phone call to produce evidence that a third party debt collector crossed the legal line by violating one or more provisions of the FDCPA. Unless you live in a one-party consent state, you cannot secretly tape record a phone conversation you have with a company such as USI Solutions, Inc.
Sending a debt dispute letter represents the most effective method for getting a bill collector off your back. The key is to follow the timeline established by the FDCPA. Five days after first contacting you, a debt collection agency must send you a debt confirmation letter that contains evidence of your legal responsibility to pay off an alleged debt. Many debt confirmation letters fail to provide enough proof of legal liability, which means you have 30 days to respond to a debt confirmation letter by sending a dispute letter via certified mail.
Writing a Convincing Debt Dispute Letter
The top of a debt dispute letter should include the date of the letter, your name and contact information, and the account number of the debt in question. Following the top of the letter comes the request for proof an alleged personal debt is valid. You want to ask USI Solutions, Inc, for the total amount owed on the debt, including any late fees and additional interest charges.
Your debt dispute letter also should request the copy of every bill statement sent out by the original creditor to ensure the amount of money requested to pay off the alleged is legally valid. Knowing the name and contact information of the original creditor allows you to contact the company to deny or confirm the existence of the debt in question.
![Sample Dispute Letter To USI Solutions, Inc.]()
Consult with a Licensed FDCPA Attorney
A state licensed FDCPA lawyer can help you craft a persuasive debt dispute letter that does not contain any emotionally charged language. Your attorney will also conduct an exhaustive review of your case to determine whether a third party debt collector such as USI Solutions, Inc. violated the FDCPA.
Schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced FDCPA lawyer.
Additional Resources
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against USI Solutions, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.