Sentry Credit: Who They Are and Your Rights

Type

Collection agency

Also known as

Sentry Credit, Inc.

Phone numbers it lists

(800) 608-2581, (855) 740-3400

Website

sentrycredit.com

224 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Sentry Credit, 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 Sentry Credit?

Sentry Credit, Inc. identifies itself on its website as a debt collector. Its About page says James Stewart and Michael Mathis founded the company in 1992, and the website identifies Everett, Washington as its location. The company describes its approach as "debt resolution" and "empathetic collections." Its website doesn't list a street address, license numbers or clients.

Sentry publishes two numbers: (800) 608-2581 for account help (Spanish-speaking staff available) and (855) 740-3400 for its compliance team, which it offers for questions or concerns about your dealings with the company. It also lists [email protected]. We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Sentry Credit.

Why Sentry Credit May Be Contacting You

Sentry's website doesn't say which creditors or industries it works for, so its first letter is the key document. That validation notice must state the name of the creditor you owe today and, if different, the creditor at the itemization date, along with an account number. Read those lines closely: if the original creditor's name is unfamiliar, it may be a bank that issued a store-branded card, or the account may have been sold to a debt buyer that then placed it with Sentry.

How to Check a Debt Sentry Credit Says You Owe

When a collector's public information is thin, put the burden on it to explain the account.

• Get the validation notice (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34) before discussing payment. If you only got a phone call, ask Sentry to mail or email it.
• Write down the creditor names and account number and match them to your old statements or credit report.
• Send a written dispute within the validation period if you don't recognize the account, the balance is wrong, or you've already paid. Ask Sentry to identify the current owner of the account and, if it was sold, the seller.
• Use the compliance line or email for complaints about how you were treated, and keep notes of every call (date, time, name and what was said).
• Look at the age of the debt. Texas generally gives four years to sue on a debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers can't sue on time-barred consumer debt in Texas (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Washington and other states have their own periods.

What Sentry Credit Can and Can't Do

Because it collects debts owed to others, Sentry is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). Practical limits:

• It must stop contacting you, apart from limited notices, if you ask in writing (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c)). You can also tell it to stop using a specific phone number, email address or text channel.
• It may not call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, and Regulation F presumes harassment after more than seven calls in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
• It may not misrepresent the debt's amount or legal status, or claim to be a law firm or government agency (15 U.S.C. § 1692e).
• It may not deposit a postdated check early or take more from your account than you authorized (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(2)–(4)).

For lawsuits, see our debt lawsuit questions. If Sentry's calls or letters seem to break these rules, our FDCPA attorneys can review them.

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 Sentry Credit 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

• Sentry Credit: Home
• Sentry Credit: About
• Sentry Credit: Contact us
• CFPB enforcement actions search
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Sentry Credit, Inc., debt collection

This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Sentry Credit has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.