2. Talk to the collection agency or your creditor

If you don’t agree that you owe the money, the first step is to talk to the collection agency. Sometimes, you can talk to them on the phone and explain that:

• you don’t owe the money, or
• the information they have is wrong.

Explain your situation to the collection agency. For example, you might:

• never have owed the money
• have already paid back your creditor, who is the person or company you owed the money to
• owe less money than what the collection agency says you owe

If you already paid the debt, make sure that you also talk to the creditor.