Rights, in real situations
Consumer & identity
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Consumer & identity
What must a debt collector tell me?Background reading
Background reading
A collector generally must provide information identifying the creditor, the amount and how to dispute it. The notice should show the end of your 30-day dispute period.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
A collector says I owe money I do not owe. What do I send?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA personal, family or household debt handled by a collector covered by federal debt-collection law. A bill from the original creditor may follow different rules.
Send a written dispute within the 30-day period on the debt validation notice. A covered collector must pause collection of the disputed amount until it provides verification.
What to do next
- Find the dispute deadline, creditor, amount and reference number on the notice.
- Write which debt or amount you dispute. If you already paid, include copies of payment evidence. Keep the originals.
- Send your dispute to the collector’s address on the notice. Keep a copy and delivery proof; certified mail with a return receipt provides evidence.
Words you can use
I dispute [ALL / PART] of the debt in your notice dated [DATE], reference [NUMBER], because [REASON]. Please provide verification and the name and address of the original creditor. Please send your response in writing.
Replace the brackets with your details. Keep only what is true for you.
What could change this answer?
- Already past the 30 days? You can still dispute, but this particular pause-on-collection protection may not apply.
- Verify the collector before sending financial information or money.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
Does freezing my credit cost money?Background reading
Background reading
No. Placing and lifting a credit freeze is free. Contact each of the three nationwide credit bureaus to freeze your reports.
A freeze makes it harder to open new credit in your name. It does not stop every kind of identity theft.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
What can I do if someone uses my identity?Background reading
Background reading
Go to IdentityTheft.gov to report the theft and get a recovery plan. For other fraud or scams, the FTC uses ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Use the official sites yourself. REYETS does not submit a report when you read this answer.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
My credit card statement has a duplicate charge. How do I preserve my dispute rights?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA billing error on a consumer credit card, such as the same purchase charged twice. Debit-card rules differ.
Make sure the card issuer receives your written billing-error notice at its billing-dispute address within 60 days after it sent the first statement showing the error. Calling alone may not preserve these protections.
What to do next
- Save the statement, receipt and the date the issuer sent the statement. Identify both duplicate entries.
- Write your name, account number, disputed amount and why it is wrong. Follow the statement’s dispute instructions and retain delivery proof.
- Track the response. The issuer generally must acknowledge your letter within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue.
What could change this answer?
- You can withhold the disputed amount and related charges during the investigation, while paying correct charges.
- If the issuer concludes the bill is correct, read its explanation and payment deadline before deciding your next step.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
I lost my debit card this morning. How quickly should I tell the bank?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA lost or stolen debit card linked to a consumer bank or credit-union account and transfers you did not authorize.
Report it immediately. Reporting within two business days after discovering the loss generally limits your liability for unauthorized transfers to the smaller of $50 or the unauthorized amount.
What to do next
- Use the bank’s official app or published telephone number to report the loss and request a replacement.
- Identify unauthorized withdrawals or purchases separately. Save the report time, confirmation number and any written follow-up instructions.
- Review later statements and report additional unauthorized transfers promptly; do not assume a replacement card resolves every disputed charge.
What could change this answer?
- A card you still possess but whose number was stolen can involve different liability rules.
- Transfers you knowingly authorized, including some scam payments, require a different analysis from a thief’s unauthorized use.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
Can I stop next week’s automatic gym payment from my bank account?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA recurring electronic debit from a consumer deposit account. This is not a credit-card cancellation rule.
You can stop a preauthorized electronic transfer by notifying your bank at least three business days before the scheduled payment. Also tell the gym that you revoke its debit authorization.
What to do next
- Tell the company in writing that it no longer has permission to debit your account. Keep a dated copy.
- Give your bank the company name, payment date and amount, and request a stop-payment order at least three business days ahead.
- Ask about written confirmation and fees. If the bank requires confirmation within 14 days of an oral order, send it to the specified address.
What could change this answer?
- A missed confirmation deadline can end the bank’s obligation to honor the oral order.
- Cancel the underlying membership separately if that is your goal, and arrange another payment method for valid debts.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
My credit report lists a late payment I made on time. How do I challenge it?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationInaccurate or incomplete information in a consumer credit report, including payment history reported by a lender.
Dispute the specific entry with both the credit reporting company and the lender that supplied it. Include copies of payment evidence and explain exactly what should change.
What to do next
- Save the report and mark the account, month and status you dispute. Gather receipts or bank records.
- Send the dispute through the reporting company’s process and to the lender’s designated dispute address. Keep copies and delivery records.
- Read the investigation result and compare any updated report with your requested correction.
What could change this answer?
- Investigations generally take 30 days; specified situations allow up to 45 days.
- If the dispute remains unresolved, you can request a brief dispute statement in your file; that does not remove the entry or guarantee credit approval.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
A lender rejected my application because of my credit report. Can I get that report free?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA credit application denied based on information in a consumer report under federal credit-reporting rules.
Yes. Request it from the reporting company identified in the adverse action notice within 60 days. This free report is separate from your regular free annual report.
What to do next
- Keep the denial notice and find the reporting company’s name, address and telephone number.
- Request the free report within 60 days and explain that the request follows adverse action.
- Review the report for mixed identities, inaccurate balances or payment errors, and dispute mistakes with the reporting company and information provider.
What could change this answer?
- The lender must give the main reasons for denial or explain how to request them; the report alone may not explain its decision.
- If you believe discrimination affected the decision, save application records and describe that concern separately in any complaint.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
Where can I get my actual credit reports without buying a monitoring subscription?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationYour own reports from the three nationwide credit bureaus. Other specialty reports have separate request routes.
Use AnnualCreditReport.com, the authorized route for free annual reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The bureaus also currently offer free weekly online reports there.
What to do next
- Type AnnualCreditReport.com yourself or follow the FTC’s official link. Avoid ads promising a free report with a trial.
- Select the bureaus you want and complete the identity-verification process on the authorized site. Save the reports securely.
- If online verification fails, use the official telephone or mail request options described by the FTC.
What could change this answer?
- Federal law guarantees the annual report; weekly online access is an additional bureau program.
- A report request may require identity information. A site asking for payment-card details to start a subscription is offering something different.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
An online store missed its promised shipping date. Do I have to keep waiting?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationCovered merchandise ordered online, by telephone or by mail from a seller subject to the FTC’s shipment rule.
A seller that cannot ship on time must tell you about the delay and let you choose between agreeing to wait and cancelling for a full refund. Without a promised time, the usual shipping deadline is 30 days.
What to do next
- Save the order confirmation, promised shipping date and proof of payment before the seller changes the listing.
- Ask the seller for the revised shipping date. If you want to cancel, state that clearly and request the full refund.
- Keep the cancellation and refund records. If the seller will not resolve it, contact your payment provider promptly and report suspected fraud.
What could change this answer?
- Agreeing to a delay can change the shipment deadline; retain the terms of that agreement.
- Payment disputes have separate deadlines and protections. Do not let repeated promises cause you to miss a credit-card dispute deadline.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
A debt collector keeps calling my work line even though personal calls are banned. Can I stop that?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA collector covered by federal debt-collection law collecting a personal, family or household debt.
Tell the collector that your employer does not allow those calls. Once a covered collector knows you cannot receive its calls at work, it may not keep calling you there.
What to do next
- Tell the collector that your employer prohibits personal collection calls at that number. Keep a written copy when possible.
- Log later calls with dates, numbers, messages and the name of the person who called.
- If the collector discussed your debt with a coworker, save that person’s account of what was said and include it in a complaint.
What could change this answer?
- Collectors may make limited contacts with others to locate you, but generally cannot disclose that you owe a debt.
- An original creditor collecting its own debt may not be covered by these particular federal collector rules.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
Must a Maryland store disclose its no-refund policy before I buy?Background reading
Background reading
Choose Maryland to read this local rule and its limits.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
Maryland law
For this situationA Maryland consumer buying covered retail goods for personal use, including a covered online purchase.
For covered consumer goods, the merchant must disclose the refund or exchange policy in writing before purchase, including a policy that allows no refunds.
What to do next
- Before buying, read and photograph the posted policy or save the online policy and product page.
- If a return is refused, request the policy that was disclosed at purchase and preserve your receipt and correspondence.
- For missing or misleading disclosure, submit a Maryland Attorney General consumer complaint with copies of the advertisement, policy and receipt.
What could change this answer?
- Food, perishable goods, custom-made or custom-altered goods, and goods legally barred from resale have regulatory exemptions.
- In-person disclosure can use a conspicuous sign or label; online disclosure must appear on a web page before the transaction.
Links open the named service. REYETS does not send or file anything.
Applies only to the setting described in this guide. Legal review pending.
What should I save after a suspected scam?Background reading
Background reading
Start with transaction references; messages and receipts; report numbers, without passwords or full account numbers.
Keep your own observations separate from what someone told you. These are preparation steps, not a finding about your rights or eligibility.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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These guides cover the situations they name. They are source-checked drafts, not a complete state law library or a lawyer’s review. County rules are not inferred from your state.
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