United Check Recovery Bureau, Inc. (UCRB) is a third-party collection agency in the Buffalo, New York area. Its services include letter and phone campaigns, skip tracing and debt portfolio management for its clients.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- United Check Recovery Bureau, Inc.; UCRB; UCRB Inc
- Headquarters
- West Seneca, NY
- Phone numbers it lists
- (855) 578-0593
- Website
- unitedcheckrecoverybureauinc.com
40 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about United Check Recovery Bureau, 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 United Check Recovery Bureau?
United Check Recovery Bureau, Inc., or UCRB, lists its address as 914 Union Road, West Seneca, New York 14224, a suburb of Buffalo. Its phone is (855) 578-0593 and its email is [email protected]. The company's website carries the disclosure that "this communication is from a debt collector," says it is licensed and bonded, and says it is a member of ACA International. The BBB lists the business as UCRB Inc, an S corporation that started in September 2011, describes it as "Third Party Debt Collection," and names Michael W. Hope as president.
The BBB also lists a different business, United Check Recovery, LLC, in Tempe, Arizona. This profile covers the New York company named United Check Recovery Bureau, Inc.
Why United Check Recovery Bureau May Be Contacting You
UCRB's services page describes letter campaigns, phone contact campaigns, skip tracing and "debt portfolio management." Despite "check recovery" in its name, its website does not say it limits itself to bounced checks, and it doesn't name clients or the types of debts it handles. Your letter should name the original creditor and, if the account was sold, the current owner. Pay close attention to who the notice lists as the "creditor to whom the debt is owed," since that may differ from the company you originally dealt with.
How to Check a Debt United Check Recovery Bureau Says You Owe
- Read the validation notice. It must give the current creditor, an itemization of the balance and your dispute deadline (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing within the deadline and ask for the original creditor's records and proof of the chain of ownership.
- If it's a returned check, ask for a copy of the check and the return notice, and check whether any returned-check fee exceeds what state law allows.
- If you don't recognize the debt, say so in writing. Unfamiliar accounts can come from identity theft; Texas law gives you tools to stop collection on those (HB 4238).
- Check the limitations period. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers can't sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). New York and other states have different periods.
What United Check Recovery Bureau Can and Can't Do
UCRB collects debts for others, which makes it a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). Among the rules it must follow:
- It may not threaten criminal prosecution over a bounced check or unpaid debt to pressure you (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(4), (7)).
- It may not add fees beyond what your agreement or the law permits (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(1)).
- It may not deposit a postdated check early or threaten to (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(4)).
- It may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against United Check Recovery Bureau.
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 United Check Recovery Bureau 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
- United Check Recovery Bureau: Services
- BBB business profile: UCRB Inc (business facts only)
- CFPB enforcement actions (full list reviewed)
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: United Check Recovery Bureau, Inc., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that United Check Recovery Bureau has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.