Does a cease letter make the debt go away?

No. It stops most contact from that collector, but the debt still exists. The collector or creditor can still report it or sue. If you aren't sure the debt is yours, send a debt validation letter first.

What can the collector still do after getting my letter?

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, once a collector receives your written request it must stop contacting you, except to confirm it is stopping or to tell you about a specific action it may take, such as a lawsuit.

Why send it by certified mail?

The law turns on when the collector received your letter. A return receipt gives you a dated, signed record of that, which matters if the collector keeps calling and you report it to the CFPB or a lawyer.

How much does it cost?

For a one-page letter from a prepaid balance: $8.61 certified, $11.64 with an electronic return receipt, or $14.27 with the green-card return receipt. Paying for just that letter by card costs $8.83, $11.83 or $14.42.

How to stop a debt collector from contacting you, with a cease letter sent by AI

If a debt collector keeps calling, texting or writing, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lets you tell them, in writing, to stop. Once they receive that letter, they generally have to stop contacting you. Sending it by certified mail with a return receipt proves exactly when they got it.

With Mailsnail connected to your AI assistant, you can draft and mail that letter in one conversation.

Connect once

Add this URL to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any app that supports MCP connectors, then sign in:

https://api.mailsnail.dev/mcp

Step-by-step instructions for each app are on the setup page.

Draft it with the assistant

Give it the facts plainly. For example:

A collector called Apex Recovery keeps calling me about an old credit card, reference number 55-90321. Draft a short letter telling them to stop all communication with me under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Don't admit the debt is mine. Then send it to them at 1200 Market St, Suite 400, St. Louis MO 63103 by certified mail with an electronic return receipt. Show me the proof first.

Keep the letter short: your name and address, their reference number, a clear request that they stop contacting you, and the date. You don't need to explain why, and you shouldn't promise to pay or admit the debt is yours.

Cease letter or validation letter?

A cease letter stops the contact. A debt validation letter asks the collector to prove you owe the debt and that they have the right to collect it. If you don't recognize the debt, send the validation letter first, within 30 days of the collector's first notice, so you keep your right to dispute it.

What happens next

verify_address checks that the collector's address is deliverable. Free.
preview_letter renders the letter and returns a proof PDF and the exact price. Nothing is charged.
You read the proof. Check the reference number and that nothing in it admits the debt.
send_letter mails it by certified mail with the return receipt you chose and gives you a receipt token.

Pick your proof

Service	What you get	From a balance	One letter by card
Certified	USPS tracking and proof of mailing	$8.61	$8.83
Certified + electronic return receipt	The recipient's signature as a PDF	$11.64	$11.83
Certified + green card	The signed card mailed back to you	$14.27	$14.42

One page, black and white. Extra pages are priced at our cost and the preview always shows the exact figure.

Keep the record

Save the receipt token. Later, ask the assistant "did Apex get my letter?" and get_letter returns the USPS tracking number, the latest scan and, for an electronic return receipt, a link to the signature PDF. If the collector keeps contacting you after that date, write down each call and consider a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

What Mailsnail doesn't do

We print and mail exactly what you approve. We don't give legal advice or negotiate debts. If you're being sued, talk to a lawyer or your local legal aid office.