Debt Collector Scripts: What to Say, What Never to Say

Debt-collector response: repeated calls, unrecognised 2017 card debt · Pennsylvania

First move — validation: on the next call, say only: "I don't recognise this debt. Please send written validation to my address, including the original creditor, the account number, the amount with an itemisation, and proof you're authorised to collect it. I will not discuss it further until I receive that." Then end the call. Send the same request by letter, dated, with proof of mailing.

If disputing (after validation arrives or fails to): "I dispute this debt in writing. Do not report it as undisputed. Provide the documentation supporting the amount and my liability." Keep a copy.

Boundaries / cease contact: phone: "Do not call me at work, and do not call before 9 a.m. or after 8 p.m. Contact me in writing only." Letter: a written request to cease phone contact; many rules then restrict them to written notices of specific actions.

Never say: "I know I owe something" · "I'll pay $500 today" · "Can we set up a plan?" · any partial payment · any promise. A payment or acknowledgement can restart the limitation clock on a debt that may already be time-barred. The "$500 today to close it out" offer is designed to get exactly that. Decline it until you've validated.

Your rights: limits on call frequency and hours · no threats, profanity, or false statements about arrest or wage seizure · the right to written validation on request · the right to dispute · restrictions on contacting third parties about the debt.

Check first: is it real (validation) · is it yours (original creditor and account match) · is the amount right (itemisation: principal vs. added fees) · is it past the statute of limitations (a ~2017 debt is near or past the typical window in many jurisdictions; verify Pennsylvania's) — if time-barred, they can ask, but generally cannot sue, and any payment can reset that.

Paper trail: log every call (date, time, name, what was said) · everything in writing · certified mail for the validation and dispute letters.

If sued: do not ignore the papers; a default judgment is how time-barred debts get collected. Respond by the deadline and contact legal aid or a consumer attorney; the statute-of-limitations defence must be raised, not assumed.

Not legal advice — fair-debt rules and statutes of limitations vary by jurisdiction. A consumer-protection agency or legal aid can confirm your rights and handle a lawsuit.