United Collection Bureau (UCB) is one of the largest and oldest debt collection companies in the United States. If you have a UCB collection on your credit report, here is what you need to know about the company.
The company is headquartered at 5620 Southwyck Blvd #206, Toledo, OH 43614 and can be reached by calling (866) 209-0622. United Collection Bureau was founded 66 years ago (1959), and its website can be found at ucbinc.com.
UCB employs around 1,000 people and has annual revenues of between $25 and $100 million. Besides its headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, the company has two other offices. One is located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and the other in Davie, Florida.
The company’s client list reportedly includes some of the biggest names in telecommunications and finance. Their list of clients includes Verizon, AT&T, and Capital One. In addition to these private sector clients, United Collection Bureau says that it also provides collection services for several government clients. This list of government clients includes several federal, state, and local government agencies.
United Collection Bureau is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau, but it has also been the subject of over 800 federal lawsuits, mostly for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Over the last year alone, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received nearly 400 complaints about UCB.
United Collection Bureau has also had 225 complaints filed against it with the Better Business Bureau over the last three years. Fifty-three of these complaints were filed in the last year alone. The company has an average customer review of 1.06/5 stars, according to its Better Business Bureau profile.
What does this information about United Collection Bureau mean for you? It means that the company has a history of failing to validate debts and properly communicate with consumers. When a debt collection agency has this many complaints about its business practices, it may be easier to get a collection removed from your credit report.
How a UCB Collection is Hurting Your Credit
A UCB collection on your credit report can significantly lower your credit score. It can also affect your ability to get approved for a mortgage, car loan, credit card, and other types of credit. In addition to this, many employers conduct background checks that include a review of your credit report. A collection account on your credit report could hurt your chances of getting hired.
This is why it’s so important to work on removing a UCB collection from your credit report. Many people assume that simply paying a collection will remove it from their credit report, but that isn’t how it works. Paying a collection will not remove it from your credit report. Instead, it will simply be marked as paid.
Before paying a collection, you should also be aware of the statute of limitations. This is the amount of time that you can legally be sued for a debt. When you make a payment on a collection, you may be restarting the clock on the statute of limitations. This means that the debt collection agency can legally sue you for the debt.
Why Paying a Collection Never Works
Many people think that paying a collection is the best way to deal with it, but this simply isn’t true. When you pay a collection, you may feel like you are taking care of the problem, but in reality, you may have just made the problem worse.
When you pay a collection, you are admitting that the debt is yours. This can be a problem if you don’t actually owe the debt or if the amount that the debt collection agency says you owe is incorrect. You may also be restarting the statute of limitations on the debt, as we mentioned above.
Before paying a collection, make sure you understand your rights under the FDCPA. This law was enacted to protect consumers from abusive debt collection practices. It says that a debt collection agency must stop contacting you if you request it in writing. It also says that a debt collection agency must validate a debt upon request.
Many people make the mistake of talking directly with a debt collection agency. This is never a good idea. A debt collection agency is looking out for its own best interests, not yours. When you talk directly with a debt collection agency, you may be giving it information that it can use against you.
Instead of talking directly with a debt collection agency, you should be working on removing the collection from your credit report. You can do this by disputing the collection with the three major credit bureaus. If the credit bureaus can’t verify that the collection is valid, it must be removed from your credit report.
United Collection Bureau’s Tactics
United Collection Bureau is known to use a variety of tactics to try and collect debts. Many consumers have reported that the company’s representatives called them repeatedly, sometimes more than 10 times in just a few days. Others have said that the company’s representatives called them at odd hours of the day and night.
The company has also been known to call consumers’ places of employment in an effort to collect debts. In some cases, this has resulted in consumers losing their jobs because their employer learned about their debt.
UCB’s representatives have also been accused of being rude and dismissive when talking with consumers. Some consumers have reported that when they asked the representatives questions about the debts they supposedly owed, the representatives hung up on them.
In addition to these tactics, United Collection Bureau has been accused of failing to properly validate debts. When consumers requested validation of debts from the company, it sometimes failed to provide it. In some cases, the company even told consumers that it had sent them validation letters when in fact it had not.
The company has faced several class action lawsuits as a result of its business practices. In one lawsuit, Gravina v. United Collection Bureau, the company was sued for leaving voicemails for consumers that failed to properly identify the company and state that the call was from a debt collector.
The lawsuit also said that United Collection Bureau sent collection letters to consumers with conflicting information about the amounts they owed. In this case alone, over two million consumers were affected by United Collection Bureau’s practices.
How to Remove a UCB Collection from Your Credit Report
The easiest way to remove a UCB collection from your credit report is to dispute it. You can do this by contacting the three major credit bureaus directly and requesting that they remove the collection.
When you dispute a collection, you should explain in writing why you are disputing it. Simply saying that you don’t owe the debt may not be enough. Instead, you should say why you are disputing it. For example, you may be disputing it because the credit bureau can’t verify that it is valid.
To dispute a collection, you will need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus individually. You can find each bureau’s contact information on its website.
In addition to writing a letter explaining why you are disputing the collection, you should also include any supporting documentation that you have. This may include canceled checks or other proof that you paid the debt. It may also include a copy of a police report if you believe that you are a victim of identity theft.
Once you have written your letter and gathered your supporting documentation, you can submit your dispute to the credit bureau. The credit bureau will then have 30 days to respond to your dispute.
The credit bureau will look at the information that you provided and determine whether or not the collection is valid. If it can’t verify that the collection is valid, it must be removed from your credit report. If the credit bureau determines that the collection is valid, it will remain on your credit report.
Why You Shouldn’t Contact UCB Directly
When you have a collection on your credit report, you may be tempted to contact the debt collection agency directly. This is never a good idea.
When you contact a debt collection agency directly, you may be giving it information that it can use against you. You may also be acknowledging that you owe the debt, which can be a problem if you don’t actually owe it.
In addition to this, debt collection agencies are known to use high pressure tactics to try and get consumers to pay debts. When you contact a debt collection agency directly, you may be subjected to these tactics.
Instead of contacting a debt collection agency directly, you should be working on removing the collection from your credit report. You can do this by disputing the collection with the credit bureaus or by working with a credit repair agency.
A credit repair agency can help you remove collections and other negative marks from your credit report. It will work with you to determine why you are disputing the collection and will help you gather any supporting documentation that you need.
It will then contact the credit bureaus on your behalf and dispute the collection. The credit repair agency will continue to work with the credit bureaus until the collection has been removed from your credit report.
Why You Need Help Now
The longer you have a collection on your credit report, the longer it will hurt your credit score. This is why it’s so important to work on removing it as soon as possible.
When you work with a credit repair agency, you can get help removing the collection right away. The agency will work with you to determine why you are disputing the collection and will help you gather any supporting documentation that you need. It will then contact the credit bureaus on your behalf and dispute the collection. The credit repair agency will continue to work with the credit bureaus until the collection has been removed from your credit report.
In addition to helping you remove the collection, a credit repair agency can also provide you with other services. It can help you monitor your credit report for other errors and can provide you with tips and advice for improving your credit score.
By working with a credit repair agency, you can get the help you need to remove a UCB collection from your credit report. You can improve your credit score and enjoy better financial health.
Don’t wait any longer to remove a UCB collection from your credit report. Instead, contact a credit repair agency today for help.
At FightCollections.com, we can help you deal with UCB and other debt collection agencies. We understand how to remove collections from your credit report and can provide you with the help and support you need.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help you deal with UCB and improve your credit score.