Happy family

Find a legal form in minutes

Browse US Legal Forms’ largest database of 85k state and industry-specific legal forms.

Credit Letters Information

This website contains information on letters you send to credit card companies, collection companies, and other credit issues. If you are looking for the actual Credit Letters go to Credit Letters. Whenever you get a letter from a creditor or collection company, there are things you must do. No matter how bad things seem to be, there are ways to work it out. If the creditor will not work with you, there are things you can do. Is it easy? NO. Can it be overcome? YES.

2 Things you must do before you do anything is:

  1. Do not ignore the letter, if you do, it only gets worse. Read the letter, word for word, do not skim over it. Remember, it’s a piece of paper–you don’t have anyone standing in front of you so you have nothing to worry about reading a letter from a creditor.
  2. Once you have read the letter, reply back to it within 7-10 days & wait for their reply & answer(s).

If you get a phone call from a creditor or collection company on the phone — record the complete conversation. This helps YOU by keeping notes on the account and you have proof of what was agreed to.

In any letter, you fill in the spaces and make the letter fit your particular situation. When writing the letter to any creditor or collection company, do the following on all letters you send. By doing this, it will help you in the long run.

  1. Fill in all areas and make the letter fit your particular situation. Everybody has different situations happen, so when writing any letter apply only the truth and facts that applies to you.
  2. Keep your letter simple but precise, detailed, and be honest.
  3. Once you have completed the letter, read it word for word out loud to yourself. By doing this you will know how it will sound to the person you are writing it to. Plus, you may find you left out a word.
  4. At the bottom of any credit letter always include “Thank You for the help on this issue” & sign your name. You get a lot further getting help in your favor by being nice & professional, then you do being grumpy & cussing. Plus, if it ever ends up in court, it shows a reflection of what type of person you are on the whole issue with the creditor.
  5. When you print out your letter ALWAYS make 2 copies. One goes to the creditor/collector, the other one is your copy to keep. File it in a tab envelope & write on the tab the creditor name & account number. Collection companies normally have their own account number. If the letter is to a collection company, put the name of the creditor first, then the name of the collection company, then the account number on the tab.
  6. Always send your letter Certified Mail. By doing this – you have proof you sent the letter & know when they got it. This eliminates the excuse “It got lost in the mail or we never got any letter.”
  7. When sending certified mail, at the post office have both copies of the letter. One goes inside the envelope you are sending to them. When you pay for the letter to be mailed, staple both the receipt & the certified certificate, on your letter copy, while you are at the post office. This way you do not lose either the receipt or certificate. Then when you get back home, file it away.
  8. Wait for the reply from the creditor/collector you are sending the letter to. Figure you should have an answer back within 30 days or less.
  9. If you are sending a final payment or an agreed payment to a original creditor, not collector, to finalize the account, make a copy of the check or get a money order or cashier’s check. In the memo on the check put the account number & on the back of the check write in small letters Account Paid in Full. Also, send a Letter of Agreement which covers the whole issue. Make sure you include the person’s name & physical address – no P.O. Box — & send it certified mail requiring a signature & insured. DO NOT PAY IT OFF OVER THE PHONE – ESPECIALLY TO A COLLECTION COMPANY, because you have no proof of the agreement made. With it in writing, you have proof the account has been paid in full.
  10. If you are dealing with a collection company, get everything in writing, including any agreement made over the phone. Not all, but many collection companies will tell you ANYTHING you want to hear and go back on their word. So, if you make any agreement with a collection company get the agreement in writing.
  11. Sorry to say, most will not give you anything in writing. Therefore, you send them a letter with the payment. By doing this, the letter you send has the complete agreement that was made on the phone.
  12. If they say there was no agreement and there was — you have the proof because you recorded the past conversations, which in the long run — the recorded conversations & written letters can help you.

If you need to write letters to creditors look at letter templates.

 

Return to DebtRelief Home


Inside Credit Letters Information