The Stark Collection Agency, Inc., known as The Stark Agency, is a Madison, Wisconsin accounts receivable management company founded in 1948. It collects for financial institutions such as credit unions, telecommunications companies, health care providers, government and property managers.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- The Stark Collection Agency, Inc.; Stark Collection Agency; Stark Outsourced Services
- Headquarters
- Madison, WI
- Collects
- credit union and bank accounts, telecommunications accounts, medical bills, government accounts, property management balances
- Website
- starkagency.org
143 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about The Stark Collection Agency, 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 The Stark Agency?
The Stark Collection Agency, Inc. does business as The Stark Agency and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Its About page says it was founded in 1948 and calls it a full-service accounts receivable management agency. The Better Business Bureau shows January 1948 as the start and incorporation date, lists Stark Outsourced Services as another name, and names Pauline Kussart as president. The company's mailing address is P.O. Box 45710, Madison, WI 53744-5710. We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against The Stark Agency.
Why The Stark Agency May Be Contacting You
Stark says it has served financial service, telecommunications, health care, government and property management organizations. The client testimonials on its home page come from several Midwestern credit unions, and the BBB describes its work as consumer and commercial collections for financial institutions, telecom companies and small medical practices. It also offers early-stage delinquency services, so a credit union or bank may use Stark to contact members whose loans or cards are only recently past due.
Stark's site directs consumers who were contacted about a debt to a contact link, and takes payments at paystarkagency.com. Use the phone number printed on your letter.
How to Check a Debt The Stark Agency Says You Owe
With an early-stage account, you may still be dealing with the lender's own loan, not a charged-off debt. Find out which stage you are in.
- Check who sent the notice. If Stark is collecting in its own name, it must send a validation notice naming the creditor and itemizing the balance (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing within the validation period. Ask for the loan or card agreement, the payment history and the charge-off date, if any. Stark must stop collecting until it verifies.
- Talk to your credit union too. If the account has not been charged off, the lender may still offer a hardship plan, a loan modification or a skip-a-payment option.
- Confirm the creditor and ask whether the account has been sold.
- Know the deadline. In Texas, most suits on a debt must be brought within four years (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Wisconsin and other states set their own periods.
What The Stark Agency Can and Can't Do
When Stark collects consumer debts owed to its clients in its own name, it is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6).
- It may not threaten to repossess collateral or sue unless the client actually intends to and the action is lawful (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(5)).
- It may not contact you at inconvenient times, generally before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(a)(1)).
- It may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)); see Regulation F call, text and email limits.
- It may not share information about the debt with your employer, family or neighbors (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(b)).
If its collection seemed improper, 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 The Stark Agency 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
- The Stark Agency: home page
- The Stark Agency: About Us
- The Stark Agency: Contact Us
- BBB business profile: The Stark Agency (alternate name The Stark Collection Agency, Inc.)
- CFPB enforcement actions search: Stark
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: The Stark Collection Agency, Inc., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that The Stark Agency has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.