contacting collection agencies

According to me, the first step should be to contact the collection agency over phone and inquire about the debt for which they are calling. Keep a record of every possible details of the entire discussion. Then send a debt validation letter to the CA through a certified mail with a return receipt requested.
Here's a Sample Debt Validation Letter.

but prepare yourself, the CA will only want to discuss payment arrangments, they will try to control the conversation to only discuss when payment will be made, that is all they care about. Just my .02.

The choice of whether to deal with CA's by phone is up to you. Personally, I can't take all the stress and hassle any phone call with a CA usually degrades into, so I prefer to deal with them by USPS.

I usually make that initial phone call to a CA in order to verify who they are, address, phone number, and what the alleged debt is they are collecting on. I keep that phone call short and sweet, without getting into the typical CA garbage phone call. Once I get the information I'm looking for, I tell the CA I will have no contact with them by phone, they are not to call any third parties regarding me without my written permission, and they are by no means to contact me at work. I tell them I only communicate with CA's through United States Mail.

I usually try recording the phone call when I do this. I try not to let the conversation degenerate, and if it does I tell the CA I'm hanging up, and do so. I can usually find the information I need on the Internet anyway. My main purpose of the call is to let the CA know my contact information is correct and they don't need to call any third parties "trying to locate me." Of course, that doesn't always stop them from trying.

I then follow up with them in a written DV/Limited C&D letter sent to their office. And I keep a copy of the phone conversation for if that call back after I have told them not to.

They don't always go this smoothly; however, it's more of a guideline as to what I'm attempting to get accomplished.

Hello, everyone. I haven't been on the forum in a while.been really busy. Ya know, when I DO contact my CA's, by phone, it seems like I'm talking to a brick wall. When I ask if I can call them back ( for whatever reason..) I'm given the answer that, " I need to settle this now", etc. Well.....I'm not gonna "settle" anything unless I can have the debt verified. I actually had ONE CA tell me they were "not obligated to send me a verified letter." OMG!! I thought if you asked for one, they had to send you one. Am I wrong about that!?

you are not wrong. They have to send you validation if requested. I myself never delt with them on the phone. My experience is they never want to discuss the debt just the arrangements. And be very cautious they will try to trip you up on the phone that is why i never delt with them on the phone. If you say the wrong thing, they will take it that you claimed it even when you didnt. This is why i dealt through the mail. then you have time to think clearly of your responses to thier questions and are not bullied into something that you dont feel is right or correct.

I think the best thing to do is keep the phone conversations very short. The CA???s entire goal is to keep you on the phone as long as possible to break you. I have had CAs come up with all kinds of stories and threaten me with a ton of junk. Just make sure you are prepared to deal with that crap if you are going to talk to them on the phone.

I was in a conversation for about 15 minutes with a collector one day just because I felt like arguing with someone. One of my favorite lines they tried to use on me was asking me if I had cable. I said I do. Then they said that there were cable charges on this particular card therefore it must be mine. I called the collector an idiot. I then asked the Collector if he had cable and said if he did then the card must be his since having cable obviously proves someone owes a debt. He then said he had the cable operator on a second line verifying my cable account. I said good link us up because I need to adjust my cable service anyway. Of course he said oh they just hung up so he couldn???t link us. I then told him he was an idiot again. He was mad at me at that point. He then shouted to someone across the room and pretended like he was verifying the call with the cable company. I just laughed and called him an idiot again and reminded him I had already sent a validation letter and a limited C&D letter so they were in violation of the fdcpa. I then told him the debt was not mine and would require each item per my request via mail before I would have any further communication. He yelled at me and hung up.