When a company you don’t recognize like Collection Bureau, Inc. shows up and starts demanding money, it’s natural to worry if they’re legitimate. Debt collection is sanctioned under federal law, but you do have rights to help you defend yourself, especially if you’ve been subjected to unethical behavior like aggressive or excessive phone calls.
We provide letters below to help you stop incoming phone calls (at least for a short time), request more information about your debt, and even dispute its legitimacy.
Table of Contents
- What is Collection Bureau, Inc.?
- Who does Collection Bureau, Inc. collect for?
- Is Collection Bureau, Inc. a scam?
- How to stop Collection Bureau, Inc. from calling you
- How to remove Collection Bureau, Inc. from your credit report
- How to deal with Collection Bureau, Inc. harassment
- Should you pay Collection Bureau, Inc.?
What is Collection Bureau, Inc.?
Based in Nampa, ID, Collection Bureau, Incorporated (CBI) is a debt collection agency that’s been in business since 1993. 1 Collection Bureau, Inc. may also go by the name Carol Collection Agency or Account Billing Services, Inc. 2
Collection Bureau, Inc. collects debts across a variety of industries, and they perform the following debt collection services: 3
- Account scrubbing
- Skip tracing
- Phone and letter communications
- Debt resolution
- Litigation
Other companies with similar names
Be careful not to confuse CBI with any of the following other debt collection agencies, which all feature Collection Bureau in their names:
- United Collection Bureau, Inc. (UCB)
- Collection Bureau of America
- Advanced Collection Bureau, Inc.
- First National Collection Bureau, Inc.
Who does Collection Bureau, Inc. collect for?
Collection Bureau, Inc. collects debt on behalf of various lenders, businesses, and organizations. Specifically, they work for government entities, healthcare providers, and financial services companies. 3
Complaints filed on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website indicate that they often collect unpaid residential debts on behalf of property management companies, but they may also work for the following other companies and organizations: 2 3
- Law firms
- Government agencies at the state, government, and municipal levels
- Hospitals
- Urgent care facilities
- Physicians
- Dentists and orthodontists
- Utility providers
- Banks and credit unions
- Auto lenders
Is Collection Bureau, Inc. a scam?
No, Collection Bureau, Inc. isn’t a scam. They’re a legitimate debt collection agency. However, they’re not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and they could still violate your rights. 2
Moreover, you should be vigilant about scammers posing as Collection Bureau, Inc. representatives to collect money from you. Be sure to verify any debts you’re contacted about before you make any payments. To do so, contact Collection Bureau, Inc. directly using the contact information below.
VIDEO: Collection Bureau, Inc. in 2 Minutes—Fix Your Credit Report & Know Your Rights
How to stop Collection Bureau, Inc. from calling you
Collection Bureau, Inc. will call, email, or mail you if they believe you have an unsettled debt. The reason debt collectors like these are calling you is simple—they want to pressure you into paying up.
Unfortunately, Collection Bureau, Inc. representatives will keep trying to contact you unless you pay the debt, prove that it doesn’t belong to you, or reach an agreement with them (or with your original creditor).
Don’t ignore debt collectors like Collection Bureau, Inc.—in the end, you may get sued, and you may even have your wages garnished. It’s smarter to engage with them tactically to ensure you don’t have to pay, or that you get the best deal you can.
To begin, you can get Collection Bureau, Inc. to stop calling you—at least temporarily—by sending them something called a debt verification letter.
Send a debt verification letter
A debt verification letter is a formal request that obligates a debt collector to provide further evidence of a debt. You must send it within 30 days of them first contacting you. Note that Collection Bureau, Inc. should have sent you a debt validation letter proving you owe the debt first, as it’s required by law.
Benefits of sending a debt verification letter
Sending a debt verification letter has three benefits:
- You’ll prevent Collection Bureau, Inc. from calling you during this period: When you send a debt verification letter, third-party debt collection agencies like Collection Bureau, Inc. are required by law to stop contacting you until they can provide evidence that you actually owe the debt they’re trying to collect. 4
- You’ll get more information about the debt: You should never pay a debt that you don’t recognize. Forcing Collection Bureau, Inc. to provide documentation will help you determine whether this is a legitimate debt that you actually need to pay. It’s an easy way of figuring out if the debt collector is a scam agency.
- You may successfully disown the debt: If Collection Bureau, Inc. can’t provide more information about the debt (which is frequently the case), then they have no choice but to delete it from your records.
Beware the statute of limitations
The verification materials that you receive may show that your debt has passed the statute of limitations. This is a legal limit that means the debt is too old for Collection Bureau, Inc. to sue you over, at which point it’s known as time-barred debt.
If this is the case, you can send Collection Bureau, Inc. a letter telling them to stop contacting you. Legally, they’ll have to abide by that.
The statute of limitations on most debts is between 3 and 6 years, but the exact amount of time depends on several factors, including the state you live in. The best approach is to check your state attorney general’s website and email their office if the information you’re looking for isn’t available online.
How to remove Collection Bureau, Inc. from your credit report
If your credit score is suffering as a result of Collection Bureau, Inc. debt, there are three ways to recover:
1. Dispute the debt with all three credit bureaus
If you think that the debt associated with Collection Bureau, Inc. on your credit report is illegitimate (e.g., if you paid it on time or it belongs to somebody else), dispute the item on your credit report. You can also dispute debts that are older than 7 years (measured from the date of your first missed payment)—by law, they’re supposed to fall off your credit report by then.
To dispute a debt for free, send a credit dispute letter to the credit bureaus that are showing Collection Bureau, Inc. on your credit report.
To find out which credit bureaus you need to send the letter to, request your free credit report from each of the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) at AnnualCreditReport.com. If they don’t respond to your dispute within 30–45 days, then they’re legally obligated to remove the item in question.
2. Negotiate with Collection Bureau, Inc.
Unfortunately, if the debt is legitimate and it’s less than 7 years old, removing Collection Bureau, Inc. from your credit report will be very difficult (although not impossible).
Your best move at this point is to simply pay the debt. Newer credit scoring models ignore paid-off collection accounts, which means paying off your collection will boost your credit score even if you can’t remove the item.
However, when you pay, there are two negotiation strategies you can try as a last-ditch attempt to remove Collection Bureau, Inc. from your credit report:
- Pay for delete: You might be able to convince Collection Bureau, Inc. to remove the negative mark in exchange for paying off the debt. You can open these negotiations by sending them a pay-for-delete letter.
- Goodwill deletion: This is an alternate strategy you can try after paying your debt. Once the account is paid off, you can send Collection Bureau, Inc. a goodwill letter asking them to empathize with your situation and remove the mark from your credit report as an act of kindness. Create your letter using our free goodwill letter template.
3. Wait 7 years for Collection Bureau, Inc. to fall off of your credit report
Unfortunately, most collection accounts will stay on your credit report for 7 years after your first missed payment. Even if you pay off your debt to Collection Bureau, Inc., it will remain on your credit report.
Learn more about Collection Bureau, Inc.’s impact on your credit score:
- How many points will my credit score increase after I pay off collections?
- How to rebuild your credit after having a debt sent to collections
How to deal with Collection Bureau, Inc. harassment
Unless you tell them not to, Collection Bureau, Inc. will keep contacting you until you pay off or settle your debt. However, there are restrictions on how they can go about doing this.
Restrictions on Collection Bureau, Inc.
When attempting to collect payments from you, Collection Bureau, Inc. must adhere to the regulations specified in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This is a federal law that prevents debt collectors from engaging in harassment or predatory behavior, such as lying to you or calling you incessantly or at unreasonable hours.
Collection Bureau, Inc. representatives also need to follow the rules set out in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these laws so that you can take action against Collection Bureau, Inc. if they do something illegal.
Can I sue Collection Bureau, Inc. for harassment?
Yes, you can sue Collection Bureau, Inc. for harassment. If you can show that they’ve violated your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, then you can collect $1,000 in statutory damages for each violation as well as payment for any damages that you’ve sustained as a result of their violation. Collection Bureau, Inc. will also have to pay your attorney fees and court costs.
How to file a complaint against Collection Bureau, Inc.
If a debt collector violates your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or does something illegal, then you can report them to the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or your state attorney general. From there, you’ll be able to find out whether you can also sue Collection Bureau, Inc..
Another option is filing a complaint on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, but this might not have the outcome you’re hoping for. Bear in mind that the BBB is actually a private organization that has no affiliation with the US government. They’ll forward your complaint to Collection Bureau, Inc., but there’s no guarantee that the agency will address it in a satisfactory manner. What’s more, if your dispute is sent to an arbitrator, then you may give up your right to take Collection Bureau, Inc. to court.
Should you pay Collection Bureau, Inc.?
You should only pay a collection agency like Collection Bureau, Inc. if you’re certain the debt is yours and you owe it. If you’re struggling financially and can’t afford to pay this debt collector, you can get help from a non-profit credit counselor.
