Harvard Collection Services LLC is a Chicago collection agency founded in 1982 that collects for government agencies, utilities, medical facilities, schools and commercial landlords. If it contacts you, the account likely began with one of those kinds of clients.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- Harvard Collection Services LLC; Harvard Collections, LLC
- Headquarters
- Chicago, IL
- Collects
- government and municipal debts, utility bills, medical bills, school balances, rent
- Phone numbers it lists
- (855) 945-4800
- Website
- harvardcollect.com
161 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Harvard Collections, 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 Harvard Collection Services?
Harvard Collection Services LLC is a collection agency on North Elston Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, according to its BBB profile, which dates the business to June 1982 and names Marc Chibnik as president. The company's website says that "since 1982" creditors have trusted it with receivables management, and that it serves more than 100 clients. It lists Nevada collection agency license CAD11821 and NMLS identifier 1115231. The CFPB complaint database lists the company as "Harvard Collections, LLC."
Why Harvard Collection Services May Be Contacting You
Harvard's website describes a fairly specific client mix:
- Government: state, county and municipal agencies.
- Utilities: both regulated and deregulated utility providers.
- Education: schools seeking repayment of balances.
- Medical: medical facility accounts.
- Real estate: past-due commercial and retail rent.
For an individual, the most common contacts are likely a city or county charge, a final utility bill, a school balance or a medical bill. Its rent work is described as commercial and retail, so a residential apartment balance is less likely but not ruled out.
How to Check a Debt Harvard Collection Services Says You Owe
- Identify the agency or company behind it. The validation notice must name the creditor and show an itemization (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34). A municipal account may show a department name rather than a city name.
- Confirm with the source. For a government or school balance, call the agency or school directly to confirm the amount and whether you can pay them instead.
- Look for deregulated-energy surprises. If the claim is from a retail electricity or gas supplier, check whether you actually enrolled, and compare the rate charged with your contract.
- Dispute in writing within the window. A timely written dispute makes Harvard pause until it verifies.
- Check the date of the debt. In Texas, the usual limitations period for consumer debts is four years (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Illinois and other states have their own periods, and some government debts follow different rules.
What Harvard Collection Services Can and Can't Do
As an agency that regularly collects debts owed to others, Harvard is a "debt collector" under the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6)) when it collects consumer debts such as household utility and medical bills. Among the limits:
- It may not imply that it is a government agency, even when collecting for one (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(1)).
- It may not threaten arrest or jail over an unpaid consumer bill.
- It may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt without a presumption of a violation (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
- It must stop contacting you after a written request, except for limited notices (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c)).
We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Harvard Collection Services. If you want a lawyer to review a contact from it, see our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
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 Harvard Collection Services 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
- Harvard Collection Services: home page
- Harvard Collection Services: contact and licensing
- BBB business profile: Harvard Collection Services LLC
- CFPB enforcement actions search
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Harvard Collections, LLC, debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Harvard Collection Services has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.