Fascinating look at the world of consumer debt collection

[Mannlicher]

the only way to deal with debt, is to pay it up front.  If you can't do that, then walk on it, and never, ever, pay a penny.

[drewtam]

IIRC you must make the request in writing, including giving the collector some amount of time to respond, and maintain proof of delivery.  If they can't produce said documentation within the alloted time then the next instance of collection attempt constitutes fraud.  If done across state lines it becomes a felony.

IANAL and this is all best-recollection so YMMV.

Edit to add... A handy page on the debt validation requests process:
http://www.creditinfocenter.com/forms/sampleletter9.shtml

Brad

What Brad said.

I did it to Comcast when they tried to get me for fraudulent charges and then refused to take it off my bill. After I sent the certified, signature required letter to the collection agency I never heard from them again, and my credit history never heard from them either. In unrelated news, I have yet to ever do business with Comcast again.

[lupinus]

Shortly after turning 18 I realized I had been apparently been quite the spender as I had all manner of outstanding debt.

All were opened when I would have been 12-14 years old. None of them were me, or even places one would have the remotest belief a 12 year old would have interest in.

It was amazingly hard to get them to write off debt that, even had it actually been me, would have been extended to a 12 year old. Some wrote it off and had it taken off my credit score when I proved how old I was in relation to the credit being extended. Some seriously latched on and it took a lot of back and fourth even after my age had been acknowledged.