How to Resolve a Discover Collections Debt

George Simons | January 27, 2025

George Simons
Co-Founder of SoloSuit
George Simons, JD/MBA

George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Are you being sued by Discover Collections for a debt you owe? To avoid a default judgement and give yourself time to negotiate the debt with Discover, be sure to file a written Answer with the court first. Be open and honest when dealing with Discover Collections to improve your chances of settling for less. Use tools like Solo to streamline the settlement process.

Discover Financial Services or Discover Bank, commonly known by consumers as Discover Collections, contacts you when they believe you owe them money. Its customers receive calls and messages asking them to pay delinquent credit card or loan debts they owe before the bank charges them off and reports them to the credit reporting bureaus.

If you delay payment for too long, Discover's in-house or a third-party debt collector may consider suing you to recover the money. With accounts staying delinquent for several months before being charged off, the debt keeps growing due to late fees and penalty interest rates. Resolving such growing debt starts with engaging openly with Discover to determine your options. You may be able to settle your debt for less.

This article will discuss resolving how to resolve a debt in collections with Discover. Let’s begin with understanding how the company works and how to contact it.

Settle debt with Discover Collections

You can negotiate debt settlement at any stage of the collections process. SoloSettle makes it easy.

Settle with SoloSettle

Who is Discover Collections?

Discover is an online bank offering financial services. They provide credit cards and loans. Discover has an in-house debt collection team that contacts customers who are late on their credit card payments or have defaulted on a loan. You will likely hear from Discover if you have a past-due account with them. Sometimes, the company hires third-party debt collectors to help recover money from defaulted accounts.

Discover’s contact information is as follows:

  • Phone Numbers: (1-800-347-2683 (within the US), 1-224-888-7777 (outside the US)
  • Website: Homepage
  • Email: executiveoffices@discover.com
  • Address: PO Box 17019, Wilmington, DE 19850-7019

Discover encourages consumers to contact it directly to resolve debt.

Read Discover online reviews to learn more

Several online platforms allow consumers to leave reviews based on their impressions of the company. Below are some of them.

As you can imagine, consumers have differing opinions about Discover. The BBB gives Discover an A+ accreditation. Some consumers disagree. However, one thing is evident: If you want to resolve a debt, you must first actively communicate with the company to find out the account details, discover your options, and resolve the matter.

Who does Discover collect for?

Discover collects debts for itself. Aside from credit card debts, it collects past-due debts on the following loans:

  • Home loans
  • Student loans
  • Personal loans, etc.

Discover transfers some defaulted accounts to third-party debt collection companies at its discretion.

How do you engage with Discover Collections?

As a consumer, you should not fear communicating with debt collectors. There are laws to ensure that you are safe and your dignity is intact, even when you are in debt. Discover should operate within the FTC guidelines. If you discover that the person contacting you is a scammer, report them to the FTC to protect yourself and other consumers.

The following are some of the rules Discover should observe.

Debt collectors cannot harass you

Debt collectors should not threaten to hurt you, call the police, or take legal action if they have not followed the correct procedure. They should not use obscene or profane language to intimidate or belittle you. It is also against the law for them to call you repeatedly or outside 8 am and 9 pm your time.

Debt collectors should be fair

Discover should not exaggerate the amount you owe or make you pay a debt that is not yours. You can address this concern by sending a debt validation letter. This document requests Discover Collections to confirm if you are the correct account holder. They should validate the amount they claim you owe.

What should I do after Discover Collections contacts me?

If Discover Collections contacts you, you should ask for more information about the alleged debt. When you receive a call from Discover Collections, ask the caller to give you their full name, address, company's professional licensing number, and active phone number.

If a third party is involved, they should give you more information about when they took over your debt. You should also ask for more account details to verify their credibility.

Request a debt validation

You can request proof that you owe the debt by sending a debt validation letter. This letter asks the creditor to provide more information about the debt. They should give the exact debt figures, the creditor's information, and a statement of notice showing you can dispute the debt within 30 days of their initial contact with you.

If Discover cannot validate the debt, they must stop all collections.

Ask them to stop contacting you

FTC guidelines permit you to mail a letter to a debt collector requesting them to stop contacting you. Ensure you keep a copy of the letter. Also, use certified mail and pay for the return receipt. Once Discover Collections gets the letter, they can only contact you to tell what action they will take (i.e., filing a debt lawsuit). You can also direct them to communicate with your attorney instead of you.

However, this tactic is only effective if you don’t actually owe the debt. If you really owe the money, it’s best to work with Discover to get a new payment plan set up that works for your current financial situation.

Dispute the debt with the credit bureaus.

You can send a dispute letter if you believe you do not owe the entire debt or if the amount is inaccurate. Request a credit report from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Ask them for detailed information about your credit history and your credit score.

Once you receive the report, thoroughly check and identify errors, complete a credit bureau dispute form highlighting the mistakes, print it, and mail it to them to perform their investigation.

They are required to give you feedback within 30–45 days. You can inform Discover Collections about these steps you have taken. They will stop collecting the debt until the investigation is over and the credit agency confirms or corrects the debt details.

What if Discover Collections is suing me?

Discover may sue consumers who ignore collection attempts. Depending on your state, you have 14-30 days to respond to the lawsuit. If you fail to respond, the courts will declare the debt valid, and Discover can garnish your wages.

Finding an attorney can be challenging and cost even more than the debt you owe. You can save time and money by representing yourself with the help of SoloSuit.

If you’ve received a Summons and Complaint, then Discover Collections has filed a lawsuit against you. You will need to Answer the complaint to protect yourself from a default judgment. You can draft an Answer to your lawsuit in minutes with SoloSuit. SoloSuit can also file the Answer for you after having an attorney review it.

The more proactive you are, the better your chances of resolving a debt collection lawsuit. Check out this flowchart that outlines all the different routes a debt lawsuit can take:

SoloSuit can help you file an Answer in all 50 states.

How can I settle a debt with Discover?

Discover mentions several times on its website that they are willing to discuss the possibility of debt settlement. If you are too deep in debt to pay off an account, you can prepare a settlement offer and approach Discover for consideration. After a few rounds of negotiations, Discover may let you off the hook for less than you owe. But you must take the first step.

If you have never negotiated with debt collectors before and do not know where to begin, try SoloSettle. You can use it to make offers and negotiate with Discover. Communication stays in one place, allowing you to keep records for future reference.

What is SoloSettle?

SoloSettle is an online software designed to bring debt collectors and consumers together to discuss and reach debt settlement. Most consumers are struggling with credit card debt, and Discover knows that. This platform provides an avenue to explain your situation and willingness to work things out. You can make offers and counteroffers until you reach an agreement.

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Debt collector guides

Are you being contacted by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a great way to legally resolve debt, but it's usually best to consider it as a last resort. Here are some bankruptcy guides to help you decide which debt resolution option is best for you.

Check your case status

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created state guides on how to check the status of your case throughout the US, complete with online search tools and court directories.

Credit

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt, along with other credit-related resources.

Debt collection FAQs

Find answers to some of our the most commonly-asked questions about debt collection below.

Debt collection documents and templates

If you're dealing with debt, these documents and templates will help you respond, protect your rights, negotiate, and resolve your debts.

Debt relief

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt settlement

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created state guides on debt settlement. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

Eviction

Facing an eviction? The following guides will help you navigate your situation with confidence.

Federal debt collection laws

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Legal aid

Helping people find access to justice is at the heart of Solo's misison. If you're dealing with a legal debt issue, the following guides will help you through it.

Medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing with medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Personal finance

Learn how to manage your finances and overcome crushing debt. Check out our personal finance guides below.

State debt collection laws

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote guides on each state’s statutes and more.

Stop collection calls

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Wage garnishment

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in your state, plus other wage garnishment resources.

The Debt Hotline

Hosted by Team Solo, The Debt Hotline breaks down debt and personal finance topics with help from attorneys, financial experts, and industry pros. We respond to real questions to help you navigate debt with knowledge and courage.

Other debt resources


Contents

Affordable Legal Help
Trustpilot

Respond to Your Debt Lawsuit

Get your professionally reviewed Answer in minutes. No expensive lawyers needed.

loading...
Get My Answer
Affordable Legal Help
Trustpilot

Respond to Your Debt Lawsuit

Get your professionally reviewed Answer in minutes. No expensive lawyers needed.

loading...
Get My Answer
loading...
Get My Answer