United Collection Bureau or UCB is a third-party collection agency that also provides Accounts Receivables Management (ARM) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services. UCB has received many consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) such as making false statements and threatening or taking illegal actions. If you have been contacted by UCB, understanding your rights can help you prevail.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), United Collection Bureau, Inc. was founded and incorporated in Ohio in May 1959. The BBB opened its file in September 1967. UCB is listed as a collection agency. The Additional Information section indicates that “EAP is a division of UCB, which originated in the 1950s and has been a member of the BBB since 1972.EAP helps patients determine if they are eligible for any Medicaid programs, as well as any hospital-based programs.” Buzzfile estimates United Collection Bureau’s annual revenue at $73.2 million and the size of its staff at 165 people at its headquarters.
According to its website, United Collection Bureau was “founded on the premise of providing industry-specific solutions while simultaneously ensuring superior service.”
United Collection Bureau’s commercial services include ARM, BPO, and collection services for government agencies; healthcare providers; utility companies; financial service companies; telecommunications and media companies; and student loan providers.
UCB’s consumer page contains only a link to the payment portal, and an email contact link to request payment arrangements or ask questions. On their Resource page, under the Consumer Resources heading, there are links to Ask Doctor Debt; the Better Business Bureau; the Association of Credit and Collections Professionals (ACA International); and UCB’s licensing information. Under the Sales Sheets heading, there are links to marketing brochures for various business services such as bad debt recovery, extended business office, and insurance verification. There is also a link to a United Collection Bureau Healthcare Service Video.
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 59 complaints against United Collection Bureau in the past three years, with 13 closed in the past twelve months. The majority of these complaints allege problems with billing and collection issues; several more complaints allege problems with customer service and advertising or sales. Since March 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 46 complaints against UCB. Justia lists at least 22 cases of civil litigation naming United Collection Bureau Healthcare as a defendant.
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely UCB 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 April 2017, in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, a judge issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order in a case alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The plaintiff originally filed this class action lawsuit in May 2016, “alleging that Defendant United Collection Bureau violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).” The plaintiff’s complaint was based on TCPA provisions that make it unlawful “‘to make any call (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party) using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice … to any telephone number assigned to a … cellular telephone service.’” The plaintiff alleged that United Collection Bureau Healthcare made several such calls to her cellular telephone in an attempt to collect a debt; that she was unable to answer the calls but received recorded voice messages that “were prerecorded and made using equipment that automatically and sequentially called a list of telephone numbers, obtained from a ‘skip-trace’ or similar third-party source.”
The complaint states that United Collection Bureau Healthcare knew or should have known that they did not have consent to make the calls according to the TCPA, and that UCB “has a policy, practice, or procedure of placing calls to cell phones regarding the collection of an alleged debt without the prior consent of the called parties,” which is the justification for the class action. In the hearing on April 2017, the plaintiff sought to compel UCB to produce class information for “‘wrong number’ call recipients.” UCB objected to producing the evidence because it would require either manually reviewing 278,000 accounts or writing a computer program to conduct an automated search. The court was not persuaded by UCB’s arguments, citing legal precedents that have established “that defendants may be required under the Federal Rules to create computer programs to search an existing database for relevant information.” They also found that the plaintiff had met her burden “of showing that the discovery she seeks is relevant and necessary to her claim”; thus, the plaintiff’s motion to compel was granted and United Collection Bureau Healthcare’s motion of protective order was denied.
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…
“We realize that ours is just one small case among many – and many more serious – but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it and represented us with a professionalism that belied the small dollar amount.”
“If you are unsure about this company…DONT BE!!! They are for real when they say they are here to help you. It only takes a few short minutes of your time to talk to a rep. I was a skeptic, but you did everything you said you would! I can’t say thank you enough!”
”Lemberg Law has saved me from the endless calls, and harassing voicemails. They really do go to bat for you. I didn’t know that debt collection agencies can end up paying your legal bill. What a surprise, to receive free legal help. I’m very grateful for all the hard work they did to finally give me my life back.”
Chances are good that we can help. Call us today and we’ll explain.
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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 have this UCB calling friends and I have no idea how they even know we are friends let alone how they got their phone number.
United Collection Bureau is suppose to take $75.00 a month from my checking account to pay on a credit card bill I owe money on , this is set to be dine on the 4th of every month starting this month . T hey have not taken the payment out as of 4/8/19.