If you see that 502-267-7522 is calling your number, that’s GLA Collections. They want to collect a debt from you, and they’re eager to make as many phone calls as they have to in order to do so.
But every interaction you have with a debt collector can be a lost opportunity, a voluntary concession, a weakening of your position.
Before you respond to their calls or reach out to them, understand this: You have more power in this situation than GLA Collections wants you to know. This article will discuss who GLA Collections is, why you should be skeptical of the calls they’re making to you, and how you can defend your credit report without having to make or return a phone call.
Who is GLA Collections Company?
Business Name: G.L.A. Collection Company, Incorporated Type of Business: Third-party debt collection agency (medical and healthcare) Founded: 1974 Business Address: 2630 Gleeson Lane, Louisville, KY 40299 Management: Michael Lynch, President; Patrick Lynch, Vice President Service Area: Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee Clients: UL Health Jewish Hospital, Community Hospital (IN), Park DuValle Community Health Center Subsidiary: KAMP Medical Billing, LLC (early-out patient billing services) Revenue: Estimated $15.9 million/year; estimated 50-150 employees
Why You Should Be Concerned
GLA Collections isn’t some fly-by-night organization that operates in the shadows. RoboKiller has identified 295,656 calls from this number alone, with 1,388 reports from individual users. Nomorobo first identified 502-267-7522 as a robocall in December 2014. That means this phone number has been on the radar as a source of nuisance robocalls for over eleven years.
At least ten federal lawsuits have been filed against GLA for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Consumer law firms have reported individual settlements between $3,750-$5,100. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received over 361 complaints about the company. If you’re getting these calls, you’re not alone.
Why is GLA Collections Calling Me?
The Medical Debt Pipeline
GLA Collections specializes in medical debt. If a hospital or clinic can’t collect from a patient on an outstanding balance, they’ll assign that account to a third-party collection agency like GLA. The original debt could be the result of a hospital visit, an emergency room bill, lab work, an ambulance ride…you name it.
This is where your first red flag should pop up. Medical billing is notoriously prone to error. Insurance companies deny claims. Coding mistakes and overcharges pad balances. Payments get lost in transit between providers and billing departments. Just because GLA says you owe them money doesn’t mean the bill is accurate or that you’re even the right person.
The Wrong-Person Problem
Perhaps the most disturbing trend with GLA is their pattern of contacting the wrong people. One CFPB complainant alleged that “a collection account is on my credit report for a hospital I’ve never been to, in a city I’ve never lived in,” and that as a result their credit score had been reduced by over seventy points.
One 800notes caller reported that they’d just been assigned a brand-new phone number, and were immediately getting calls from GLA. “I am 100 percent current on all my bills and just got this phone number yesterday, and haven’t given it out to anyone. There is no way this was a legitimate call.”
Another 800notes caller reported that the GLA representative asked for someone named Davida. When they said it was the wrong number, instead of apologizing and hanging up the representative asked who was calling instead. That’s a classic data-fishing technique designed to get as much information as possible from whoever answers the phone, regardless of whether they have any connection to the alleged debt.
Red Flag Radar: When to Suspect a Bad Collection
Dates That Don’t Add Up
Go get your credit report and examine any accounts attributed to GLA like a hawk. When was the account opened? What was the original service date? If those dates occurred at a time when you had insurance, or at a time when you were not residing in a state where GLA’s clients operate, that’s a red flag you should note.
One 800notes caller reported a message from a GLA representative claiming they owed $956 from 2009 and promising that if they paid in full it would “wipe it off your record like it never happened” and “double your credit score.” No debt collector can make either of those promises, and both of them should put you on your guard.
Missing or Vague Information
A legitimate collection account should include the name of the original creditor, an account number, an original balance, and a date of first delinquency. If any of those fields are blank or can’t be accounted for, that’s another red flag. The original creditor should be the name of an actual medical provider you’ve done business with.
Check the balance, too. Medical bills often include charges that should have been covered by your insurance provider, duplicate charges, or padded fees that may already have been negotiated down. An incorrect balance isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a disputable error.
Your Rights Are More Powerful than Their Redial Button
Blocking is Not Ignoring
Debt collectors rely on social obligation to get consumers to engage with them. There’s a feeling that if you’re ignoring their phone calls, you’re avoiding your obligations. But blocking a debt collector from contacting you isn’t rude. It’s a legal protection against harassment.
ShouldIAnswer has 119 reviews of this number, with 113 of them negative. One BBB complainant alleged that GLA “contacts me by telephone multiple times each day and has called me outside the lawful hour of 9:00 PM.” Under the FDCPA you have the right to demand—in writing—that a debt collector cease contact. Once they receive that letter, they must comply.
And if you do find yourself on the phone with a representative, remember that everything a debt collector asks is an attempt to gain leverage. If you confirm your identity, your address, or acknowledge that you owe a debt, they can use that information against you. One RoboKiller caller reported that GLA’s voicemail message asks you to press 1 to confirm your identity before the message even states that the call is from a debt collector. Every response you make should be considered for the information it provides before you provide it.
Demand Debt Validation Before You Validate Their Call
Most consumers who get a collection call assume that their first move should be to discuss payment options. That’s exactly what the collector is hoping for. But before any payment discussion can take place, the law provides you with a powerful weapon: the right to demand debt validation.
Under the FDCPA, you can demand that the collector verify that the debt is yours, that the amount is accurate, and that they have the legal right to collect it. This isn’t a courtesy. This is a challenge. And many debt collectors who are working on large portfolios of aged medical debt can’t provide adequate verification when challenged. If GLA can’t validate the debt, they have to stop trying to collect it. They have to remove it from your credit report.
Why You Need a Professional in Your Corner
Removing the Emotional Manipulation
Debt collection is an industry built on applying emotional pressure. Repeated phone calls. Urgent messaging. Veiled threats about involving attorneys or ruining your credit score. One BBB reviewer named Signe D. called her experience with GLA “the most unpleasant and rude phone call I have ever had,” and characterized the representative as “aggressive, condescending and extremely disrespectful,” who “talked over me the whole time.”
When you work with a credit repair expert, you put a professional buffer between you and that manipulation. When an experienced advocate is handling your disputes, there’s no opportunity for a GLA representative to badger you, interrupt you, or pressure you into a decision you’re not prepared to make.
Filing a Dispute Through the Credit Report
In fact, the best way to approach this situation isn’t on the phone at all. It’s through the credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) you have the right to dispute any item on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. Once a dispute is filed, the credit bureaus have to investigate. And the debt collector has to provide verification.
As noted above, consumer complaints suggest that GLA may have a problem providing verification. One BBB reviewer named Chris W. reported that he was told making timely payments on a payment plan would keep a debt from appearing on his credit report. Two months later the account appeared, and his credit score dropped. In its response, GLA acknowledged that the policy of their company is to not hold accounts from being reported during a payment plan. Every contradiction like this is a point of leverage you can use in a formal dispute.
Taking Control of the Situation
What to Do Now
Don’t call them back. Don’t confirm your identity. Don’t make a payment because you feel like you have to. Instead, pull your credit report. Engage your Red Flag radar. And start looking for the discrepancies that make the collection account disputable. Never volunteer information. Every word you say to a debt collector is information you didn’t have to provide.
Let FightCollections.com Take On GLA For You
At FightCollections.com we specialize in helping consumers dispute questionable collection accounts and defend their credit reports. We know all the games that companies like GLA Collections play, and we know how to challenge them through the proper legal channels under the FCRA and FDCPA.
If you’re getting calls from 502-267-7522, or if you’ve spotted GLA Collections on your credit report, contact us today to start the dispute process. Let a professional advocate handle the paperwork, the phone calls, and the pressure…so you don’t have to.