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A debt collector cease and desist letter is a written no-contact request. Under 12 CFR 1006.6(c), a collector must stop contacting you about that debt, except for limited notices. The letter serves consumers facing repeated collection calls, especially about debts they dispute.
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A debt collector cease and desist letter is a short, signed letter to a collection agency that asks it to stop calling, texting, emailing and writing to you about a specific debt. The letter names the collector, the account and the contact you want to end.
The letter works under Regulation F, the federal debt collection rule that carries out the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). People also call it a stop-contact letter, a no-contact letter or a cease communication notice. It is one kind of cease and desist letter, the kind written for debt collection.
A stop-contact letter ends contact, while a debt validation letter asks the collector to prove the debt. Under 12 CFR 1006.38(d), when a consumer disputes a debt in writing within the validation period, the collector must cease collection of the debt, or the disputed portion, until it provides the verification that section describes.
A dispute keeps the conversation open so you learn what the collector holds. A cease and desist letter closes it. Some people send the dispute first and the stop-contact letter after the reply.
A written stop-contact letter bars further contact about that debt: under 12 CFR 1006.6(c)(1), if a consumer notifies a debt collector in writing that the consumer refuses to pay or wants contact to stop, the collector must not communicate further about that debt.
The rule covers one debt at a time. A letter about one account does not stop contact about a different account the same collector holds, so each account needs its own letter or its own line in the letter.
The letter leaves three kinds of notice open: under 12 CFR 1006.6(c)(2), the collector may still contact you only for these purposes.
The letter stops the contact, not the debt. A debt you owe stays owed, and the notices above can tell you that a remedy, such as a lawsuit, may follow. If the debt is old, read about the statute of limitations and ask an attorney how it applies to your account.
The letter reaches debt collectors, and under 12 CFR 1006.2(i) a debt collector is a person whose business mainly collects debts, or who regularly collects debts owed to another.
Under 12 CFR 1006.2(i), the term excludes a creditor's own officers and employees while they collect for the creditor in the creditor's name. The same section counts a creditor as a debt collector when it collects its own debts under a name that suggests a third party is collecting.
A letter to an original creditor, such as a card issuer or a lender, can still ask for written contact only or for fewer calls. Under federal law, the stop-contact rule of 12 CFR 1006.6(c) speaks to debt collectors and does not bind a creditor collecting in its own name, so that creditor may treat the letter as a request rather than a bar. The definition in 12 CFR 1006.2(i) is federal only: some state debt collection laws may also reach original creditors, so check the law of your state. Keep the same copies and receipts either way.
The stop-contact letter fits when contact about a debt has become a problem and you want the exchange in writing only. These situations are the most common reasons people send one:
The letter is not the right first step for everyone. If you plan to set up a payment plan with the collector, stopping all contact also stops those talks, so a request for written contact only may serve better.
The letter is clearer when it names the exact account. Before you write, collect the papers that show where the debt stands:
If you are unsure about your ability to pay, write down your monthly income and expenses. A clear picture of your budget helps you plan a next step.
A cease and desist debt collection letter needs enough detail to tie it to one account, so the collector can match it without a phone call. Include these parts:
The letter reads best when it is typed, legible and one page long. Ask someone else to read it for typos and wrong numbers before you mail it.
Plain wording makes the request hard to misread. Use short sentences, refer to the debt by its account number and describe each call or message with its date and time if you can. Leave out threats and angry language.
The letter does not need to admit or deny the debt in detail. A line such as "I dispute this debt" or "Please stop all contact about account [number]" says enough.
The letter takes five parts written in order: the parties, the debt, your position on it, the conduct you want to end and your signature. Follow these steps:
A final read catches mismatched details before the letter goes out. Read it once more as the collector would, and check that your name, the account number and the amount match the statement you received. Then print it, sign it and make a copy for yourself.
The letter works best sent by certified mail with a return receipt, which gives you proof of when the collector got it. Send it in these steps:
An emailed copy can go out the same day, but the signed paper letter with a receipt is the stronger proof. Save the sent email with its date.
The sample below shows how the parts fit together in a finished letter. The names, the account number and the amount are made up; replace every bracketed item with your own details.
From: [Your Name and Address]
Date: [Date]
Sent by: Certified mail, return receipt requested
To: [Collector Name and Address]
Re: Request to stop all contact, account number [account number]
Dear [Collector Name]:
You have contacted me about a debt you say I owe to ABC Collection Agency, account number [account number], in the amount of $500.
Under Regulation F, 12 CFR 1006.6(c), I ask that you stop all communication with me about this debt. This includes calls, texts, emails and letters.
Since [date], your agency has called me repeatedly, including late in the evening and at my workplace. I want this contact to end.
You may write to me only to tell me that your collection efforts are ending, or that you or the creditor may use, or intend to use, a specified remedy.
I am keeping a copy of this letter and my mailing receipt.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Contact after a stop-contact letter breaks the stop-contact rule unless it is one of the notices in 12 CFR 1006.6(c)(2), so write down each call or message that arrives after the collector received your letter.
Under 12 CFR 1006.14, a collector must not engage in conduct whose natural consequence is to harass, oppress or abuse any person. Under 12 CFR 1006.14, that includes calling repeatedly or continuously with intent to annoy, abuse or harass, and using obscene or profane language.
If the contact goes on, these are the next steps people take:
If the person bothering you is not a debt collector, the harassment cease and desist letter template may fit your situation better.
A contact log shows exactly what happened and when. Write down the date, the time and the caller's name each time a collector reaches out. Save voicemails, letters, texts and emails in one folder, so you can show an attorney or an agency the full picture.
Lawsuit papers need an answer, not a drawer. If a summons or other papers about the debt arrive, read them the day they come, keep the envelope and everything inside it, and ask an attorney for help right away.
A mailed stop-contact letter is only as useful as the copies you keep. Put these items together in one folder:
Organized papers let you answer questions quickly, particularly if a collection agency contacts you again about the same debt. Label each folder by date and by type of correspondence, and place the oldest items first.
A reply from the collector is worth reading against your own papers. Compare its account number and amount with your statements, and note anything that looks wrong. Keep the exchange in writing, and ask an attorney before you answer anything you do not understand.
These answers cover the questions people ask most often about writing, sending and following up on a letter to a debt collector.
Yes, for that debt: under 12 CFR 1006.6(c), once a collector has your written request it must stop contacting you about the debt, except to say its efforts are ending or that a specified remedy may or will be used.
You can send one, but under federal law the stop-contact rule of 12 CFR 1006.6(c) applies to debt collectors, and under 12 CFR 1006.2(i) a creditor's own employees collecting in its name are not debt collectors. Under that federal rule the letter then works as a request. The definition in 12 CFR 1006.2(i) is federal only: some state debt collection laws may also reach original creditors, so check the law of your state.
No. The letter ends contact about the debt but does not cancel it, and the collector or creditor may still notify you of a specified remedy (12 CFR 1006.6(c)).
Say so clearly in the letter and state that you dispute the debt. Add details that show the mix-up, such as a different address or account number, and keep copies of everything you mail.
You can email a copy, but a signed letter sent by certified mail gives you a paper receipt. Keep both, and save the sent message with its date.
No, each collection agency gets its own letter, because each has its own name, address and account number. Keep a signed copy of every letter with its own mail receipt.
A calm, polite and firm tone works best. State the facts, name the account and say what you want to happen; angry wording makes the letter harder to take seriously.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
