US debt-collection agency mailing addresses

Why write to a debt collector by mail?

Two letters cover most situations: a debt-validation/dispute request, asking the collector to confirm in writing what you allegedly owe and to whom (useful if you don't recognize the debt or think it's wrong), and a cease-contact letter, asking to be contacted only in writing going forward. Neither letter makes a genuine debt disappear — they exercise your right to written confirmation and to control how you're contacted. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives you the right to request written validation of a debt within 30 days of first contact, and to demand in writing that a collector stop contacting you. Always send a copy for your own records and consider a trackable mail service.