Bay Area Receivables, Inc. is a locally owned collection agency in Salisbury, Maryland that has served businesses on the Delmarva Peninsula since 1990. It reports to credit bureaus and offers litigation services to its clients.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- Bay Area Receivables, Inc.; BAR
- Headquarters
- Salisbury, MD
- Phone numbers it lists
- (410) 860-1600
- Website
- bayareareceivables.com
36 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Bay Area Receivables, Inc 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 Receivables?
Despite its name, Bay Area Receivables, Inc. is not a California company. It says it has provided debt collection services since 1990 from its headquarters in Salisbury, Maryland, and that it is locally owned and operated on Maryland's Eastern Shore, serving the Delmarva Peninsula and surrounding areas. Its About page says it plans to expand to clients throughout Maryland. Its office is at 714 Eastern Shore Drive, Salisbury, MD 21804, and its phone number is (410) 860-1600.
We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Bay Area Receivables.
Why Bay Area Receivables May Be Contacting You
Bay Area Receivables works for local businesses and organizations that need help recovering unpaid accounts. Its site advertises accounts receivable management, activity reporting for clients, credit bureau reporting, and litigation services handled with outside lawyers when ordinary collection doesn't work. It does not name its clients. If you live on or have lived on the Delmarva Peninsula, a letter from BAR most likely concerns a bill from a local provider, merchant or service company that was turned over for collection.
Because the company reports to credit bureaus, you may first notice it as a collection entry on your credit report rather than through a letter.
How to Check a Debt Bay Area Receivables Says You Owe
With a regional agency, the original business is usually nearby and easy to contact, which can help you sort out a dispute fast.
- Get the validation notice and confirm it names the original business and itemizes the balance (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing within the validation period if the bill is unfamiliar, already paid, or too high. BAR must then pause collection until it verifies the debt. See how to dispute.
- Compare the credit report entry with the letter: the creditor name, balance and dates should match. Dispute errors with the credit bureau as well.
- Ask about litigation. If the agency mentions court, ask whether a case has been filed and where.
- Mind the clock. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Maryland, Delaware and Virginia set their own deadlines.
What Bay Area Receivables Can and Can't Do
A collection agency recovering accounts for other businesses is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). For BAR's accounts:
- Before it first reports a debt to a credit bureau, it must either speak with you about the debt in person or by phone, or send you a letter or electronic message and wait a reasonable time to see whether it comes back undeliverable (12 C.F.R. § 1006.30(a)).
- If you dispute a reported debt, it must report it as disputed (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(8)).
- 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)).
- It cannot use threats or false statements about what will happen if you don't pay (15 U.S.C. § 1692e).
See our Texas FDCPA attorneys page if you think the agency went too far.
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 Receivables 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 Receivables: home page
- Bay Area Receivables: About
- Bay Area Receivables: Contact
- BBB business profile: Bay Area Receivables
- CFPB enforcement actions list (checked pages 1-17)
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Bay Area Receivables, Inc, debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Bay Area Receivables has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.