Are you getting calls from 866-991-7358? If so, you’re being contacted by Gulf Coast Collection Bureau. They’re calling because they think you owe money on a medical bill that’s been sent to them for collection.
Before you return that call, take a deep breath. You have more rights than Gulf Coast Collection Bureau is willing to tell you about, and knowing what those rights are is the best thing you can do in this moment.
Who is Gulf Coast Collection Bureau?
Gulf Coast Collection Bureau is a third-party debt collection agency that collects medical bills. Here’s what we know about this agency from publicly available records:
Business type: Third-party collection agency (not a debt buyer)
Industry: Healthcare revenue cycle management
Business address: 7560 Commerce Court, Sarasota, FL 34243
Company size: Privately held, 50-150 employees, estimated $10-$25 million annual revenue
Business founded: 1978, second-generation family-owned
Recently rebranded as Gulf Coast RCM (Revenue Cycle Management)
Number of clients: More than 300 hospitals and physician practices
Better Business Bureau rating: A- (70 complaints in the last 3 years)
Google rating: 1.6 out of 5 stars (based on 52 reviews)
Complaints about Gulf Coast Collection Bureau
If you have a bad feeling about these calls, you should trust your instincts. RoboKiller reports that over 60,000 calls have been made from this phone number, and labels it as a scam. Hundreds of people have left complaints on websites like 800notes, ShouldIAnswer, and the Better Business Bureau.
GCCB has also been named as a defendant in about 80 federal lawsuits, with many of those cases involving alleged violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
In one case, Kottler v. Gulf Coast Collection Bureau, a federal court in South Florida ruled in favor of granting summary judgment against GCCB for trying to collect a medical bill the consumer didn’t legally owe.
Why is Gulf Coast Collection Bureau calling me?
Medical bills are their business
Gulf Coast Collection Bureau collects medical bills for hospitals and physician practices. They don’t buy debt like some other agencies do — instead, they work on a contingency basis for the original healthcare provider. That matters because it affects the chain of custody for your medical bill.
Even when a third-party agency is collecting directly for the original provider, they can still receive incomplete or inaccurate information about your account. That’s especially true when it comes to medical bills that involve insurance claims, billing codes, and other complexities.
Wrong number? Incomplete records?
Many of the complaints about calls from 866-991-7358 are from people who don’t owe money at all. One person who left a complaint on 800notes said that GCCB called their 11-year-old child’s cell phone for months trying to collect a bill. When the parent called back to clarify things, the representative asked for the child’s name before they would discuss the bill further.
Another person said they received calls asking for contact information for an ex-partner they haven’t been in touch with for more than a decade.
On the ShouldIAnswer website, 39 people have left negative reviews for this phone number, with several saying they don’t owe any debts at all. “DO NOT HAVE ANY DEBTS, THIS NUMBER IS A KIND OF FRAUD,” one of them wrote.
Red flags
Gulf Coast Collection Bureau is using some tactics that should set off alarm bells for you.
Demanding private info before IDing themselves
The #1 complaint about calls from this number, across every consumer review website, is that the person on the phone asks for your date of birth, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, or your home address before they’ll tell you why they’re calling.
One consumer who left a complaint on 800notes said the man who called from Sarasota told them that “very important personal info” had just crossed his desk, and asked them to confirm their date of birth and the last 4 digits of their Social Security number. When they asked what the call was about, the man told them he couldn’t say anything else until they verified their identity, citing “personal protection.”
But that’s not true. Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is required to identify themselves and the purpose of the call. You don’t have to give sensitive personal info to someone who refuses to tell you why they’re calling.
Aggressive voicemails and workplace calls
Consumers have also reported a unique voicemail pattern from this number. Several people have said that voicemails they received from 866-991-7358 start with a full minute of classical or chamber music before a recorded message plays.
One ShouldIAnswer user wrote, “wont say who they are with or who they are in message and the first 1 min of the voicemail is chamber music.”
At least one consumer has also reported that a GCCB representative called them at work, told a coworker the call was urgent, and then told the consumer they were in danger of being arrested within days. No debt collector has the authority to have you arrested over an unpaid civil debt.
Your consumer rights cheat sheet
What you’re entitled to under the FDCPA
The FDCPA is a federal law that lays out a number of rights you’re entitled to when you’re dealing with a debt collector.
You have the right to receive a written validation notice within 5 days of the collector’s initial contact.
You have the right to dispute the debt in writing within 30 days.
You have the right to demand (in writing) that the debt collector stop contacting you.
If a debt collector violates any of those rights, they may owe you actual damages, statutory damages (up to $1,000), and the cost of your attorney’s fees.
So the next time you get a voicemail from 866-991-7358, don’t stress about calling them back. Use that callback number to request written proof that the debt is valid, and that they have the legal right to collect it.
What you can do under the FCRA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is another federal law that’s incredibly important if you’re dealing with debt collectors. Under the FCRA, every item on your credit report must be accurate, complete, and verifiable.
If you dispute a collection account on your credit report, the collector has 30 days to respond with proof that the account is legit. If they can’t provide that proof, the account has to be deleted.
Medical debt collection involves a lot of moving parts — codes, claims, insurance adjustments, and billing records. That’s a lot of places where documentation can get lost or mixed up. If you file a dispute, you’re forcing the collector to show you records they may not even have. And the specific rules for how to dispute a credit report effectively are where the pros really know how to make the system work for you.
Why paying the debt won’t help your credit report
Paid collections still hurt your credit score
A lot of consumers assume that if they pay a collection account, it’ll be removed from their credit report. But that’s not true. A paid collection account still stays on your credit report for 7 years from the date the original account went delinquent. Paying it doesn’t reset the clock or shorten the amount of time it’s on your report.
That means paying a collection account doesn’t actually do anything to help your credit score. The negative mark is still there. You’ve just written a check to get a phone to stop ringing.
Pay for delete doesn’t work
Some consumers try to negotiate a “pay for delete” agreement, where they offer to pay the debt if the collector agrees to remove the account from their credit report.
Don’t bother. Collection agencies aren’t obligated to uphold those agreements, and the original creditor can still report the delinquent account to the credit bureaus. No matter what they promise you over the phone, the account is still going to stay on your credit report for the full 7 years.
Don’t waste your time and money on something that isn’t going to get you the results you want.
What to do instead
Ignore the phone calls
This might sound crazy, but honestly, the best thing you can do when you start getting calls from 866-991-7358 is ignore them. You don’t have to answer. You don’t have to call back. You don’t have to explain or negotiate or give them any information at all.
Every single phone call you have with a debt collector is a conversation designed to benefit the collector — not you. Anything you say can be used to re-start the clock on a time-barred debt, or confirm personal details that will make their credit reporting case stronger. So just … don’t.
Silence isn’t the same as avoidance. It’s a deliberate choice that’s backed up by your legal rights.
Work with a pro who knows how to work the system
The FCRA and FDCPA both have a lot of procedural protections built into them, but they take some know-how to use effectively. A qualified credit repair expert knows how to draft dispute letters that will trigger specific legal obligations, and how to navigate the investigation process with the credit bureaus.
This isn’t about shirking your responsibilities. It’s about making sure the information on your credit report is accurate, verifiable, and fair — and making sure your federal rights are fully exercised.
Conclusion
So what do you do now?
Getting unwanted calls from 866-991-7358 can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be a crisis. Gulf Coast Collection Bureau is operating in a system that gives you very specific rights and protections. You have the right to demand validation. You have the right to dispute. And you have the right to remain silent.
Don’t let the pressure of a ringing phone force you into decisions that won’t actually improve your situation. Instead, let a professional advocate help you challenge the information that’s being reported, and explore every remedy you’re entitled to under the law.
FightCollections.com is a team of experts who help consumers like you push back on collection agencies like Gulf Coast Collection Bureau. If you keep getting calls from 866-991-7358, get in touch with us for a free consultation, and let’s talk about what we can do for you.
