What must a debt collector tell me, and how do I dispute the debt?
A covered debt collector must give you validation information in its first contact or within five days: the creditor, the amount, how to dispute, and when the dispute period ends. If you dispute in writing by that date, collection of the disputed amount must stop until it verifies the debt. Whether the law covers you is separate. [S48]
General information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines depend on where you signed, what you bought and how you paid. For your situation, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.
What does the validation notice have to say?
A validation notice has to tell you who the creditor is, how much is claimed, how to dispute, and the end date of the dispute period [S48, S49]. Regulation F requires it in the collector's first communication or within five days after [S48].
Scope. This is a federal rule for debt collectors covered by the federal law. See the scope section below.
The clock. The dispute period ends 30 days after you receive the validation information [S48].
Where to check. CFPB, Regulation F, 12 CFR 1006.34 [S48], and the CFPB's page on disputing a debt with a collector [S49].
How do I dispute the debt in writing, and by when?
Send a written dispute before the end date on the notice. If you do, the collector must stop collecting the disputed amount until it sends verification, or a copy of a judgment [S48, S50].
The clock. The window closes 30 days after you receive the information. Count from receipt, not from the date on the letter. If you do not dispute, the collector may assume the debt is valid. You can still contest it later in court [S50].
What to put in it: your name, the account or reference number, the date you received the notice, a plain statement that you dispute the debt and are asking for verification, and a request to hear back in writing. Leave out explanations, admissions and promises to pay. Send it by a trackable method and keep a copy. The cancellation letter page has a template that can be adapted. How do I write a cancellation letter without admitting anything?
What it does not do. Disputing a collection does not cancel the contract. It requires the collector to verify. A dispute letter is not a legal defense to the underlying contract.
Does the federal collection law cover a coaching debt?
Maybe. It depends on what the debt is for and who is collecting.
Scope. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies to "debts", defined as obligations arising from transactions primarily for personal, family or household purposes [S51]. A purchase made for a business may fall outside it. The federal law generally regulates third-party collectors and debt buyers, not the original seller collecting its own bill [S51].
May apply. Do not assume you are covered, and do not assume you are not. Whether a coaching purchase was personal or business is its own question. Can I take a coaching company to small claims if my contract says arbitration?
Where to check. 15 U.S.C. 1692a [S51], the CFPB, and a lawyer.
Does California's Rosenthal Act add protection?
The Rosenthal Act may add protection. California's counterpart can reach more collectors than the federal law, and a 2025 extension reaches some commercial debts.
Scope. The Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Civil Code section 1788 and following, defines a debt collector as a person who, in the ordinary course of business, regularly engages in debt collection on behalf of that person or others [S52]. That wording is why it can include creditors collecting their own debts. SB 1286 extended it to certain commercial debts owed by a natural person to a lender, a commercial financing provider or a debt buyer, up to $500,000 owed to the same creditor, for transactions entered into, renewed, sold or assigned on or after 2025-07-01 [S54]. A seller's own payment plan is not shown to be covered by the commercial-debt text read [S54].
The clock. Check your contract date against 2025-07-01.
May apply. It may apply if the debt is personal, family or household, or if a lender, financing provider or debt buyer holds a covered commercial debt.
Where to check. Civil Code section 1788.2 and SB 1286 on the Legislature's leginfo site, then a lawyer or legal aid.
What should I do the day a collector contacts me?
Slow down. Do not pay, admit or agree to anything on the call. Ask for the validation information in writing.
- Write down the date, time, who called and what they said.
- Ask for the written notice if you have not got one. Note the date it arrives.
- Do not admit that the debt is yours or promise a payment. Do not sign new documents in response to a collection call.
- Put the end of the dispute period in your calendar.
- Send your written dispute before that date, trackably.
- Keep every letter and envelope.
Frequently asked questions about debt collectors
These answers cover the quick questions about collectors.
Does disputing the debt cancel my contract?
No. A written dispute makes the collector verify the debt. It does not cancel the contract, and it is not a legal defense to the contract.
What if the person collecting is the seller itself?
Federal and California law treat a seller collecting its own bill differently. The federal law generally covers third-party collectors and debt buyers, not an original seller collecting its own bill [S51]. California's Rosenthal Act generally reaches original creditors collecting consumer debts [S52]. Which law fits depends on the purpose of the purchase and who collects.
What to do next
Find the end of your dispute period, then write.
Who writes this site
Coached Into Debt is written by the organization, with no personal byline. More on who runs it. Who runs Coached Into Debt, and why?
Sources
- S48 Regulation F, 12 CFR 1006.34 · CFPB · consumerfinance.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S49 How do I dispute a debt with a debt collector? · CFPB · consumerfinance.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S50 15 U.S.C. 1692g (validation of debts) · Cornell LII · law.cornell.edu · accessed 2026-10-27
- S51 15 U.S.C. 1692a (definitions) · Cornell LII · law.cornell.edu · accessed 2026-10-27
- S52 California Civil Code section 1788.2 (Rosenthal Act definitions, current text as amended effective 2026-01-01), official text · California Legislature (leginfo) · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S54 SB 1286 (Chapter 522, Statutes of 2024), chaptered text read; official bill page not yet read · California Legislature; CLLA-hosted copy · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · eastern.clla.org · accessed 2026-10-27