When a consumer is contacted by a debt collector that consumer is entitled to request certain basic information. This is especially useful if the consumer does not believe that they owe the debt. Debt validation is a consumer’s right under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) 15 USC Section 1692g to force the debt collector to prove that the consumer owes the debt.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was in enacted in 1991 in response to consumer complaints about the abuses of telephone technology. It was determined by Congress that because telemarketers were escaping state prohibitions on nuisance calls, federal legislation was necessary.

The purpose of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is to stop debt collection practices that are abusive and to protect the consumer. Under the FDCPA, 15 USC Section 1692d, debt collectors cannot engage in conduct that is meant to harass, oppress, or abuse a person when attempting to collect a debt. More specifically, debt collectors cannot under this section.

How information is supplied to the three credit reporting agencies is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). However, the law does not say that lenders are required to report any information to them. Major banks generally do report information to all the credit bureaus. Credit unions and small local or regional banks may only report to one or two, but generally not all three. There are also some lenders and others who do not report to any credit bureau.