Credit Bureau Systems Inc or CBS is an Accounts Receivable Management organization based in Kentucky that specializes in third-party debt collection for healthcare providers. CBS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including attempting to collect debts not owed and the use of false or misleading language in an effort to collect a debt. If you have been contacted by Credit Bureau Systems, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Credit Bureau Systems, Inc. is a collection agency and credit reporting agency that uses the alternate business names, CBS Calling Center and CBS CHI Division. The BBB established CBS’s profile page in 2005. Buzzfile has six listings for Credit Bureau Systems; two of those listings are for different companies that use the same name. The other four listings show different addresses for CBS—one address is in Clarksville, TN; the other three addresses are in Kentucky—one in Hazard, one in Lexington, and one in Owensboro. Buzzfile estimates of Credit Bureau Systems’ annual revenue at $694,493 and indicate an estimated staff size of 10 people at its collections services location.
Credit Bureau Systems collects primarily for the healthcare industry. According to its website, Credit Bureau Systems “has been providing accounts receivable management solutions and consumer credit products to a wide range of industries for over 60 years and has earned a reputation as an industry leader with proven results.” CBS’ main goal “is to provide clients with the services they need to positively impact their financial well-being.”
Credit Bureau Systems offers its accounts receivable management services through “seven operating divisions”—Accounts Billing Service (ABS); Ambulance Medical Billing (AMB); Credit and Consumer Services (CRD); Healthcare Insurance Recovery Services (HIRS); Medical Accounts Receivable Systems (MARS); US Coding Solutions (USCS); and Collection Services (CBS).
Credit Bureau Systems “provides customized billing solutions…to dramatically improve the recovery of the patient portion of medical accounts.” AMB employs a “team… expertly equipped…with the most efficient and effective methods to work Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance claims.” CRD provides credit reports, background checks, and tenant screenings. HIRS “provides supplemental insurance collection services in a flexible model totally customizable for each client’s specific needs.” MARS “employs a highly-skilled team of …specialists to… transition clients from…their current billing vendor” to the MARS system. USCS “personnel are fully certified by AAPC, RCCB, AHIMA and/or ACMCS and have a minimum of three years’ experience in their area of specialty.”
Finally, Credit Bureau Systems collections “offers a complete line of consumer and commercial collection and early-out services, …including commission added, zero-cost collection services incorporating our full range of products, experience, collection knowledge, tools, technology, …professional staff, …and… aggressive representation in legal matters.”
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
The BBB has closed 4 complaints against Credit Bureau Systems in the past three years, none of them in the previous 12 months. All Of those complaints allege problems with billing and collections. As of April 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 19 complaints against CBS. Justia lists at least 4 cases of civil litigation involving Credit Bureau Systems.
Credit Bureau Systems, Inc.
100 Fulton Court
Paducah, KY 42001
Phone: (270) 744-9000
Website: http://www.credit-bureau.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Credit Bureau Systems would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Case Filed in Federal Court:
In November 1995, in United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Owensboro Division, a judge issued a Memorandum Opinion in a case alleging Credit Bureau Systems had violated certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In this case, the plaintiff had filed bankruptcy in July 1993 and CBS sought “to recover money from 5 garnishments which were made within 90 days of filing bankruptcy.” The five garnishments in question were in the amounts of $764.85, $718.13, $565.95, $666.59, and $720.65. According to the US Bankruptcy Code, creditors may request such funds transfers within 90 days of the filing date of a bankruptcy. In addition, “the trustee may not avoid under this section a transfer . . . if, in a case filed by an individual debtor whose debts are primarily consumer debts, the aggregate value of all property that constitutes or is affected by such transfer is less than $600.” Because the transfers in question were made within 90 days of the bankruptcy, and all but one of them exceeded $600, Credit Bureau Systems was required to refund $2,870.22 to the plaintiff. The issue in this case was whether they would also have to refund the remaining $565.95. Initially, the court found in favor of CBS, interpreting the Bankruptcy Code regulation cited above to mean that any single transfer under $600 should be considered a transfer of funds that “the trustee may not avoid.” However, the plaintiff disagreed with this finding, claiming that because all five transactions occurred within 90 days of the bankruptcy, and because together they amounted to more than $600, all of the money should be refunded.
The judge in this case noted that “on appeal, a bankruptcy judge’s findings of fact will not be overruled unless the Court finds that they are clearly erroneous.” In making the determination of whether the initial finding was erroneous, the court considered whether the $600 limit should be applied to each individual transfer in a bankruptcy proceeding, or whether all proposed transfers should be considered as an aggregate. Although there is case law to support either interpretation, the judge in this case ultimately cited a previous decision in which a similar dispute prompted the finding that “the reference in the statute to ‘the aggregate value of all property’ supports” an interpretation that the sum of all transfers should be considered together rather than individually because “any other interpretation of the statute would render the ‘aggregate’ language meaningless.” As a result, the previous judgement in favor of CBS was reversed, and Credit Bureau Systems was ordered to refund the final transfer.
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Yes. If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. Federal laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“As we discussed on the phone earlier today, this settlement is perfectly okay to me. I need to thank you and all of your cohorts at Lemberg Law to get a project handled so professionally. Please allow Amy, the first person who contacted me from Lemberg, know how much I appreciate her efforts, kindness, and professionalism.”
“My mom and I want to say thanks to the team of Lemberg Law for all the hard work and effort that was taken to take care of the debt collector and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Because of this, the phones do not ring off the hook .”
“We realize that ours is only one little case among many — and a lot more serious — but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it represented us with a professionalism that belied the dollar amount.”
“I just wanted to let you know we received the check from your office on now and I wanted to take some time to inform you that we really appreciate all of your efforts in this matter.”
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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I had a terrible experience with CBS . They called me multiple times at work after myself and then my boss told them i cant receive personal calls. They called my husband’s PREVIOUS employer . And the final straw was that they sent a collection letter to me at WORK. I emailed them and notified them of all the laws they’ve broken in doing so. I gave them a Cease and Desist, a week later their collections were removed from my credit dropping it 46 points.