State Collection Service on Your Credit Report? Fight Back and Win

State Collection Service is a company that does debt collection. If they’re calling you, or your family members, or otherwise harassing you or being aggressive in their practices, you have options. There are ways to end the disruptive phone calls and potentially remove the associated debt from your credit report.

Below are key things to know if you’re dealing with State Collection Service and the steps you can take to remedy the issue.

What Is State Collection Service?

State Collection Service was founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1949. The company focuses on what they describe as bad debt collection. According to the company’s website and our research, State Collection Service will take steps to help patients resolve accounts before they’re written off as bad debt. 

The debt collector is a third party, meaning they collect on behalf of other companies. For example, if you had a medical debt from a provider, that provider might turn it over to State Collection Service, which would try to collect it from you.

State Collection Service has three locations in the Midwest—Madison, Wisconsin; Beloit, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. Their contact information includes the following:

• Website: statecollectionservice.com
• Phone number: 877-677-4862
•  Address: 2509 South Stoughton Rd., Madison, WI 53716

Is State Collection Service Legitimate?

State Collection Service is a legitimate company. The company is not a scam. 

This company has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2007 and has an A+ rating. They have fewer complaints from consumers against them than many other collection companies.

Among the current complaints and reviews, some say the company keeps contacting them about debt they’ve already dealt with, which shouldn’t be in collections at all. There are also situations where people say they received financial assistance for the medical bills they’re being called about and shouldn’t owe them. 

We also found reports from consumers who said they worked out payment plans with their healthcare providers directly, only to start receiving calls from State Collection Service.

Why Is State Collection Service Calling Me?

If you’re receiving repeated unwanted phone calls from State Collection Service, they are trying to collect a debt from you. The debt may be legitimate, in which case, there are steps you can take. There are also many situations where collection companies like this contact people erroneously. For example, common errors on credit reports that can lead to harassing phone calls from collections companies include:

• You’ve already paid the debt you’re being called about or settled it with another company.
• The debt isn’t yours because you’re a victim of identity theft.
• Maybe your credit file got mixed with someone else’s, especially if they have the same or a similar name to yours.
• You might be getting calls about an account you paid in full or that isn’t late.

If you believe you’re receiving calls about a debt you don’t owe, consider working with an attorney specializing in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. These specialists help people fix errors on their credit reports and eliminate inaccuracies.

Who Does State Collection Service Collect For?

State Collection Service collects for medical companies. This can include hospitals, clinics, urgent care facilities, individual practices, and specialists.

What If I Feel Like State Collection Service Is Harassing Me?

Collections companies do have the ability to contact people who owe a debt. They aren’t allowed to harass, threaten, or intimidate anyone in the process of doing so. There are protections federally against certain behaviors by companies like State Collection Service.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act limits what a debt collector can do when collecting consumer debts. There’s also the Fair Credit Reporting Act or the FCRA, which is coverage related to the reporting of debt collection in credit files. State laws may extend beyond these two federal laws.

Under the FDCPA, which covers most types of consumer debts, the collector can’t do the following:

• Contact you at times that are unusual or inconvenient. For example, if a debt collector calls you before 8 a.m., they violated the FDCPA.
• Debt collectors can’t harass you, a member of your family, or anyone else by phone or any other means of contact.
• If you’re working with an attorney representing you regarding your debt, the collector has to stop contacting you in most cases and instead go through your legal counsel.

If you are being harassed, you can send a letter to the company asking them to stop. Request they make no further contact with you. This doesn’t stop them from being able to pursue other routes of legally collecting a legitimately owed debt, but it can give you some peace of mind. If you need help, contact an FDCPA attorney. You can also submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission or Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

If you work with an FCRA attorney, they can request a debt validation on your behalf to determine which elements need to be disputed. Your attorney can also manage the dispute process, ensuring everything is done properly. 

Getting State Collection Service Off Your Credit Report

Having a debt listed on your credit report has far-reaching effects on your financial and daily life. If you find yourself in this situation, start by getting your credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the three main credit bureaus. 

Before speaking to a debt collector, it’s best to talk to an FCRA attorney first. Otherwise, you could say something that jeopardizes your ability to dispute your debt, or it could lead to a restart on the statute of limitations. 

You have the right to dispute incorrect information related to your credit or have your attorney do it. If there’s a dispute submitted on your behalf to State Collection Service, the company has the legal requirement to investigate it and correct information found to be wrong during that investigation. 

Reach Out For a Free Review of Your Case

If you’re tired of dealing with repeated calls from State Collection Service and want it to end, our Fair Credit attorneys can help. You can regain control of your financial life and end the harassment. Contact us today for a complimentary review of your case and to dispute inaccurate information.