The Bureaus, Inc.: Who They Are and Your Rights

Type

Debt servicer

Also known as

The Bureaus

Headquarters

Wood Dale, IL

Collects

charged-off consumer accounts

Phone numbers it lists

(877) 887-4824, (847) 328-4300

Website

thebureaus.com

904 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about The Bureaus, 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 Bureaus, Inc.?

The Bureaus, Inc. describes itself as a "master servicer" for performing and non-performing receivables portfolios. Its About page says the company was founded in 1928 and has been owned by the same family since 1978. It lists its headquarters at 711 N Edgewood Ave., Suite 200, Wood Dale, Illinois 60191, and its leadership as CEO Michael Slotky and President and Chief Compliance Officer Aristotle Sangalang. The site displays NMLS #1008847 and identifies the company as a debt collector.

Before calling a number from a letter, check it against what the company publishes on its own site: (877) 887-4824 toll-free or (847) 328-4300, weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central.

Why The Bureaus May Be Contacting You

A master servicer sits between the creditor and the people who actually collect. The Bureaus says it manages accounts "on behalf of regional and national creditors of all kinds," handles payment processing and dispute and fraud resolution, and selects and oversees a network of collection agencies and collection law firms. Its FAQ says it "reserve[s] the right to manage lawsuits on outstanding accounts" for clients.

So you might hear from The Bureaus directly about a charged-off account, or you might hear from a different agency or law firm working under its oversight. The creditor is not necessarily the original lender: the owner could be a bank or a company that bought the portfolio. The Bureaus says it will verify your identity before discussing an account.

How to Check a Debt The Bureaus Says You Owe

When a servicer is involved, the main task is untangling who owns the debt and who is allowed to collect it.

• Find the creditor on the validation notice. The notice required by 15 U.S.C. § 1692g and 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34 must name the current creditor and itemize the balance since a reference date such as charge-off.
• Dispute in writing within the validation period. That requires collection to stop until verification is mailed. Ask for the original creditor's name and account number and the last statement it issued.
• Ask who owns it and who else is involved. If an agency or law firm contacts you about the same account, ask whether The Bureaus placed it, so you are not paying the wrong party or paying twice.
• Reconcile the numbers. Compare the claimed balance with your own records of the account before charge-off.
• Check limitations. Texas generally allows four years to sue (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on a time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Other states differ.

What The Bureaus Can and Can't Do

A servicer that collects debts owed to its clients, and that took the accounts after default, is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). The agencies and law firms it hires are usually debt collectors too. Key limits:

• Neither The Bureaus nor a firm it hires may threaten a lawsuit that no one intends to file, or sue on a debt that is time-barred (15 U.S.C. § 1692e; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)).
• After you dispute in writing, each collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt (15 U.S.C. § 1692g(b)).
• The seven-calls-in-seven-days presumption applies to each collector (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
• If a case leads to a Texas judgment, wages still cannot be garnished for an ordinary consumer debt.

See why a company you've never heard of may be suing you, or our 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 Bureaus, Inc. 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 Bureaus: home page
• The Bureaus: About Us
• The Bureaus: FAQ
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: The Bureaus, Inc., debt collection

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