# Disputes

A dispute is a debtor saying: "I don't think this debt is correct." Disputes are part of how collections work and the system is designed to make them easy on both sides.

This section explains disputes from both perspectives. If you are a creditor, you'll find guidance on responding to disputes you receive. If you are a debtor, you'll find guidance on opening a dispute and what to expect.

## In this section

* [How disputes work](/for-debtors/disputes/how-disputes-work.md) — the lifecycle, both sides.
* [Types of disputes](/for-debtors/disputes/types-of-disputes.md) — categories we recognize and what each one usually requires.
* [What to expect after disputing](/for-debtors/disputes/what-to-expect-after-disputing.md) — for debtors.
* [Frivolous disputes (for creditors)](/for-debtors/disputes/frivolous-disputes.md) — when a dispute is being used as a delay tactic.
* [Dispute resolution timeline](/for-debtors/disputes/dispute-resolution-timeline.md) — how long things take.

## Quick links

* **Debtor: I want to open a dispute** → [Opening a dispute](/for-debtors/debtor-portal/opening-a-dispute.md)
* **Creditor: I got a dispute notice** → [Responding to a dispute](/for-creditor-partners/creditor-operations/responding-to-a-dispute.md)

## The core principle

When a dispute is open, **we don't collect**. All calls and emails stop. The creditor has to respond. Without that pause-on-dispute rule, the dispute right would mean nothing.

This applies even when the underlying debt is clearly a commercial debt (not consumer) and federal FDCPA wouldn't technically require it. We do it anyway because it's the right way to run a collections business and most state laws either require it or expect it.

## Disputes and AI

Our AI agent is trained to recognize disputes during calls and emails. On a call, if a debtor says something like "I dispute this", "I don't owe this", or "I already paid", the agent fires the `capture_dispute` tool, ends the call politely, and the placement moves to `disputed` status. The agent does **not** argue with debtors about whether a debt is correct — that's not its role.

In email, an LLM-based reply classifier reads inbound replies and routes any message classified as a `dispute` to the same flow: the placement moves to `disputed` and email sequences pause. Sender-authentication signals (DKIM pass + From: address on the debtor's authorised list) gate destructive dispatch — a suspicious reply is held for human review instead of pausing outreach silently.

***

Last reviewed: 2026-05-12 by Compliance Lead.


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