This isn't mine, I copied it from a guy named Michael off yahoo's credit-repair site. It explains, quite eloquently, why we challenge debts. It's one of my favorite explanations Why challenging the collectors is so powerful: "Let's play a little game of imagination. Imagine, after going back and forth with a collector, they sue you so that they can get a judgment and get judicial enforcment. Imagine then, in court before the judge, the collector puts on their evidence. Imagine you show up in court and say that you have nothing to add to that, or maybe you just don't even show up, you automatically lose. Imagine you show up in court and demand that they prove their claim, and they show the judge reams of paper with your information and a dollar amount owed, you'd probably still lose. Imagine you show up, plead "non assumpsit [this is not my debt]", and bring along a stack of correspondence and telephone logs with notes, that show that you tried to get the creditor to explain how you owe this money, but they never did, well, what do you imagine the judge will do then? You have choices, and, as human beings, we have the ability to project what effect those choices may have into the future, based on our experience and learning. Use your imagination, and choose wisely."
