Bay Area Credit Service, or BACS, is the trade name of HOVG, LLC, a Nevada company with its main office in the Atlanta area. It collects for healthcare, finance, retail, utility and other clients, so its letters often concern a medical or service bill.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- HOVG, LLC; HOVG, LLC d/b/a Bay Area Credit Service; BACS; Bay Area Credit Service LLC
- Collects
- medical bills, financial accounts, retail accounts, utility bills
- Website
- bayareacredit.com
86 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about HOVG, LLC from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Bay Area Credit Service?
Bay Area Credit Service, which calls itself BACS, is a collection and customer-engagement company. Government orders identify the operating company as HOVG, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company doing business as Bay Area Credit Service. A 2023 Connecticut consent order placed its main office in Norcross, Georgia, and a 2025 California order gave its principal place of business as Forest Park, Georgia. BACS says it has been in business for more than 35 years, and that it is licensed in all required U.S. states. The copyright notice on its website names XBP Global Holdings Inc.
Two state regulators have taken action. In April 2023, Connecticut's Banking Commissioner entered a consent order resolving allegations that HOVG failed to keep the required net worth, failed to remit collections to clients on time, commingled consumer payments with its own funds, kept inadequate records and collected amounts above what clients placed. HOVG agreed to a $45,000 civil penalty and audit requirements without admitting or denying the allegations. In 2025, California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation issued a desist and refrain order and a $5,000 penalty, alleging that HOVG did not file the annual report California requires of licensed debt collectors. We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against HOVG.
Why Bay Area Credit Service May Be Contacting You
BACS says its clients span healthcare, finance, retail, utilities and legal services, and that it runs HIPAA-certified operations for healthcare accounts. Many people hear from BACS about a hospital, physician or other medical balance, but the notice should name the actual creditor. The company takes payments through an online pay page linked from its site.
How to Check a Debt Bay Area Credit Service Says You Owe
- Read the validation notice. It must name the creditor and itemize the balance from a set itemization date (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34). See what a validation notice is.
- Dispute in writing within the validation period if you do not recognize the account or the amount. BACS must stop collecting until it sends verification.
- For a medical bill, compare the balance with your insurer's explanation of benefits. Texas health care facilities must send an itemized bill before pursuing collection; see Texas's itemized medical bill law.
- Ask who owns the account now and whether any interest or fees were added after placement. The Connecticut order dealt in part with amounts collected beyond what was placed, so check the figures.
- Check the age of the debt. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Other states use different periods.
What Bay Area Credit Service Can and Can't Do
BACS collects consumer debts owed to its clients, which makes it a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6).
- It may not collect any amount the agreement or the law does not authorize (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(1)).
- Under the credit bureaus' current policies, paid medical collections and medical collections under $500 should not appear on your credit report; see medical debt reporting changes.
- It may not call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time without your consent (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(a)(1)), or more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
- It may not discuss your debt with your employer, relatives or neighbors (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(b)).
If BACS's collection seemed improper, see our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
Government Actions on the Public Record
- California DFPI desist and refrain order and $5,000 penalty (alleged failure to file the annual report required of licensed debt collectors) (2025-04)
- Connecticut Department of Banking consent order (alleged commingling of consumer funds, record-keeping failures and collecting amounts above those placed; $45,000 civil penalty) (2023-04-10)
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Bay Area Credit Service or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- Bay Area Credit Service: home page
- Bay Area Credit Service: About us
- BBB business profile: Bay Area Credit Service LLC
- Connecticut Department of Banking: consent order, In re HOVG, LLC d/b/a Bay Area Credit Service (Apr. 10, 2023)
- California DFPI: desist and refrain order, HOVG, LLC (2025)
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: HOVG, LLC, debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Bay Area Credit Service has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.