Our Mission Statement Illuminates Our Business Philosophy:
It is the policy of Collection Bureau Services to provide our clients with collection services that are the pinnacle of those offered in Montana, to continually strive to upgrade and improve procedures to the betterment of our clients, and to do so in a legal and ethical manner that preserves the dignity and self-respect of Montana consumers.
In short, if we provide the best possible service to you, it will ensure a relationship that is profitable to both parties. CBSI is a Montana corporation, licensed to do business by the Secretary of State on May 3, 1976, and annually thereafter. We are determined to remain in Montana and are at the forefront of the collection industry here, both in terms of technology and customer service.
For past due accounts, NSF or account closed check collections, current or delinquent accounts, state, county and municipal government collections, including litigation and legal services, CBSI has long been and continues to be the collection agency of choice!
How Debtors Are Protected
Both the State Act and FDCPA prohibit debt collectors from engaging in certain practices, and give debtors some protection during the debt collection process. In general, both statutes:
- Require debt collectors to clearly identify themselves and the nature of any debt at issue in their communication with consumers
- Prohibit a broad range of actions by debt collectors
- Establish a consumer’s rights to limit the type, frequency and location of a debt collector’s contacts with the consumer
- Establish consumer remedies, including statutory damages, if debt collectors violate the requirements and prohibitions of either Act
Where Delinquent Debt Goes: Third
When you cant pay your debt, most creditors follow a similar process to increase their chances of persuading you to pay. One of the tools at their disposal is selling your debt to a third-party collection agency.
When a debt has been purchased in full by a collection agency, the new account owner will usually notify the debtor by phone or in writing. Selling or transferring debt from one creditor or collector to another can happen without your permission. However, it typically doesnt happen without your knowledge.
If you receive a debt validation letter, you may want to contact a not-for-profit consumer protection organization that can help you navigate the collections process, as it can get complicated and lengthy. For example, if a collector is unable to make satisfactory arrangements with a consumer after a few months, the individual debt may be bundled with many others and sold to another collection agency. That process can be repeated many times over, even beyond the applicable statute of limitations for the consumers debt.
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What Is The Bureaus Inc
The Bureaus, Inc. is a debt collection agency based in Northbrook, IL that was originally founded in 1928.
As a third-party debt collection agency, The Bureaus works to recover debts for businesses in a variety of industries. Specifically, they provide the following debt collection services: 12
- Acquiring debt portfolios
- Analyzing consumer data
- Filing and handling lawsuits
In addition to working for creditors and lenders, The Bureaus also collects debts on behalf of debt buyers that have purchased severely delinquent accounts.
Everyone Has A Financial Journey
Everyone has a financial journey. Just like everyone has a career journey, an education journey, everyone also has a financial journey.
We get it! We really do! We will work with you to resolve your debt. Click the pay online tab at the top of this page to self-serve.
We talk to people every day about debt and life circumstances. If you would like to speak with a relationship specialist, give us a call at 866-245-0375.
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Will The Bureaus Try Suing Or Garnishing My Wages
It’s very unlikely that The Bureaus decides to sue. In rare cases it may happen, but it is not the norm. State and federal laws have limits or ‘exemptions’ that apply to bank and wage garnishments. We strongly recommend giving us a call to determine the likelihood of a lawsuit, but also steps you can take to get this collection removed.
How To Deal With The Bureaus
Ready to take control of your debt with The Bureaus? Choose the methods you want to attempt below.
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If you’re ready to pay up, learn how to do it in a way that keeps you on better financial footing. |
The FinanceJar Team is a group of financial experts, writers, and industry professionals who collaborate to bring you fresh and simple insights into your finances. They’re dedicated to guiding you toward the right path on your financial journey.
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Cba Is An Industry Leader Because Of The Following Distinct Competitive Advantages
Since 1959, Collection Bureau of America, Ltd. is a privately-held, diverse, minority-owned accounts receivable management firm specializing in collecting consumer and commercial debts, both locally in California and nationally.
CBA is a Minority Owned Business certified through the California Public Utilities Commission as well as a State of California certified small business and is licensed / authorized to collect in all 50 states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will The Bureaus Sue Me Or Garnish My Wages
The Bureaus may resort to litigation, but if you work with a law firm like Lexington Law, you have nothing to worry about. They help you dispute The Bureaus debt and possibly remove it from your credit report. Its also quite possible that you will never hear from or have to deal with The Bureaus again.
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812 Furnishing Certain Deceptive Forms
It is unlawful to design, compile, and furnish any form knowing that such form would be used to create the false belief in a consumer that a person other than the creditor of such consumer is participating in the collection of or in an attempt to collect a debt such consumer allegedly owes such creditor, when in fact such person is not so participating.
Any person who violates this section shall be liable to the same extent and in the same manner as a debt collector is liable under section 1692k of this title for failure to comply with a provision of this subchapter.
15 USC 1692k
How We Make Money
We make money from advertising. We place links on our website to our affiliates, and when you click those links, our affiliates compensate us for it. Our relationships with our affiliates may affect which products we feature on our site and where these products appear in our articles.
We hope this template helps you achieve your goals.
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Type Of Debts Covered
Both the State Act and FDCPA cover debt collection activities against consumers arising out of “consumer debts” incurred primarily for personal, family or household purposes. This covers nearly the whole range of personal transactions for which a consumer may incur debt, including retail financing, credit card purchases, auto loans, and first and second mortgages. No minimum or maximum dollar amount triggers or cancels the protections available under either statute.
The State Act and the FDCPA provide nearly parallel protections for consumers. Debt collectors who are operating in New Hampshire must comply with the requirements of both the State Act and FDCPA. The redresses offered to consumer debtors who find themselves harassed by unscrupulous debt collects are somewhat different.
Who Does The Bureaus Collect For
The Bureaus is a debt collector reporting a collection account on your credit report.
In some cases this means they purchased the debt from the original creditor . Usually this means they paid pennies on the dollar, sometimes 1/10th of the original cost, to buy this debt. In other cases they may not own the debt themselves, instead being paid to collect on behalf of another company.
They may attempt to communicate with you via mail or phone calls . Even worse, a collections account now appears on your credit report. This hurts your score to get approved for a loan or other important financial event.
Getting this account removed may be possible.
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817 Exemption For State Regulation
The Bureau shall by regulation exempt from the requirements of this subchapter any class of debt collection practices within any State if the Bureau determines that under the law of that State that class of debt collection practices is subject to requirements substantially similar to those imposed by this subchapter, and that there is adequate provision for enforcement.
Limiting Debt Collector Contact
The consumer-debtor has the right to limit further contacts by the debt collector. Under the FDCPA, you can stop a debt collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the debt collector asking that contact stop. The letter should include a statement such as: “I am exercising my right under federal law and I want you to stop contacting me.” This letter should be sent to the debt collector by certified mail with a return receipt requested. Keep a copy of the letter for your files. Understand, however, that this type of letter does not make the debt go away if you really do owe it. You can still be sued for the debt.
Once the debt collector receives the letter, the collector should have no more contact with you, with the following two exceptions:
- A single notice both to advise you that the collection efforts are being terminated and inform you of any actions which may be taken as a result of nonpayment
- Any communications incidental to seeking legal remedies for nonpayment
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806 Harassment Or Abuse
A debt collector may not engage in any conduct the natural consequence of which is to harass, oppress, or abuse any person in connection with the collection of a debt. Without limiting the general application of the foregoing, the following conduct is a violation of this section:
The use or threat of use of violence or other criminal means to harm the physical person, reputation, or property of any person.
The use of obscene or profane language or language the natural consequence of which is to abuse the hearer or reader.
The publication of a list of consumers who allegedly refuse to pay debts, except to a consumer reporting agency or to persons meeting the requirements of section 1681a or 1681b1 of this title.
Causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with intent to annoy, abuse, or harass any person at the called number.
Except as provided in section 1692b of this title, the placement of telephone calls without meaningful disclosure of the caller’s identity.
15 USC 1692e
How Do I Remove The Bureaus From My Credit Report
Removing The Bureaus from your credit report may be possible if any information on the account is incorrect, error’d, or fraudulent, and is not fixed in an appropriate amount of time. According to a study by the U.S. PIRGs, 79% of credit reports contain mistakes or serious errors. We specialize in going after these types of accounts for our clients.
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What Is A Collection Agency
A collection agency is a company used by lenders or to recover funds that are past due, or from accounts that are in default. Often, a creditor will hire a collection agency after it has made multiple failed attempts to collect its receivables. A lender may outsource the debt-collection activity to a third party , or it may have an internal department or a debt-collection subsidiary that would handle the job.
Who Does The Bureaus Inc Collect Debts For
The Bureaus collects debt in a wide range of industries, although they dont disclose any specific information about the companies they work for on their website.
However, complaints filed against the company on the Better Business Bureau website indicate that The Bureaus, Inc. collect debts on behalf of the following types of companies: 3
- Banks and other financial institutions
If youre receiving communications from The Bureaus, it probably means that they think you owe money to one of the lenders or debt buyers that they work for.
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State Of The Art Technology And Services
At PBCM, we utilize the AdvantEdge® Recovery Management System. AdvantEdge® provides PBCM clients a fully automated work environment. All of our technology in combination allows us to maintain lower account to representative ratio to maximize coverage and generate faster customer contact.
We also offer clients in-house Certified Public Accountants and a Legal Department to provide counsel and oversee legal collections. Litigation services are also available through our network of collections attorneys. Accordingly, many of our accounts receivable representatives are bilingual speakers in both English and Spanish. We also offer translation services in French.
What The Debt Collector Must Do
After receiving the notice of dispute from the consumer-debtor, the debt collector must:
- Suspend collection activities regarding the claimed debt until the collector verifies the debt or gets a copy of the judgment against the debtor
- Provide the verification requested by the consumer
If more than one debt is being collected by the debt collector, the consumer-debtor needs to instruct the debt collector on how to apply any payments made to those other debts. The debt collector may not apply a payment to a disputed debt.
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Collections On Your Credit Report
When an account becomes seriously past due, the creditor may decide to turn the account over to an internal collection department or to sell the debt to a collection agency. Once an account is sold to a collection agency, the collection account can then be reported as a separate account on your . Collection accounts have a significant negative impact on your credit scores.
Collections can appear from unsecured accounts, such as and personal loans. In contrast, secured loans such as mortgages or auto loans that default would involve foreclosure and repossession, respectively. Auto loans can end up in collections also, even if they are repossessed. The amount they are sold for at auction may be less than the full amount owed, and the remaining amount can still be sent to collections.
Collections can be removed from credit reports in only two ways:
Remove The Bureaus From Your Credit Report Today
Lexington Law can assist you in disputing The Bureaus accounts. They have over 18 years of experience and their clients saw over 6 million removals on their clients in 2021 alone.
If youre looking for a reputable company to assist you with collection accounts and repair your credit, consider working with Lexington Law.
They have helped many people in your situation. Give them a call at for a free credit consultation to see what they can do for you.
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Tips For Responding To The Bureaus Inc Appropriately
You can start by sending a dispute letter if you feel you do not owe the money that The Bureaus, Inc is after. You can also let them know that you are only to be contacted at a certain number, or at a certain time.
If you owe them money, it’s best to get a payment plan set up so you can pay The Bureaus what you owe. They may be willing to come down on the final price if you set something up promptly and let them know you’re willing to work on handling your debts.
Paying Your Debt Once It Has Been Transferred To A Collection Agency
If the debt is yours and the amount is correct, paying the full amount you owe will resolve the issue.
When repaying your debt:
- always get a receipt for any payment you make
- only deal with the debt collector who contacted you to make payments
- dont contact the creditor that lent you money, as this might create confusion
If its not possible for you to pay the full amount:
- explain why to the debt collector
- offer an alternate method of repayment, such as monthly payments
- follow up in writing
- include a first payment to show your commitment to paying back the debt, if possible
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For Your Informationwhat To Do If You Are Contacted By A Debt Collector
If you are being contacted by a debt collector, keep a record of the dates, times, description of what was said or done, and the name of the person making the contact.
Whenever you need to communicate with a debt collector by mail, send the letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, and keep a copy of the letter for your files.
