When it comes to collections, you have a very important right as outlined in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The right to have a collection account "validated." This process, as outlined in the FDCPA, is quite different from the "verification" process referred to above. When a credit bureau asks a creditor to "verify" information, the investigation that follows can be pretty cursory. The creditor reviews its records and any information supplied by the consumer and then decides whe...