United Collection Bureau is a family-owned collection agency founded in 1959, with its mailing address in Toledo, Ohio. It collects for government agencies, healthcare providers, utilities, phone companies, financial institutions and student loan holders.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- United Collection Bureau, Inc.; UCB
- Collects
- government accounts, medical bills, utility bills, communications bills, financial services accounts, student loans
- Phone numbers it lists
- (866) 209-0622
- Website
- ucbinc.com
894 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about United Collection 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 Collection Bureau?
United Collection Bureau, Inc. (UCB) describes itself as an accounts receivable services company that helps businesses and government entities. Its About page says UCB was founded in 1959 and is a family-owned company with a national presence, and it names Harold S. Rickard III as owner and chairman and Sanju Sharma as owner and chief executive officer. UCB's contact page directs all documentation to 5620 Southwyck Blvd., Toledo, OH 43614. The home page lists a New York City Department of Consumer Affairs license number (1004887).
Why United Collection Bureau May Be Contacting You
UCB divides its client work into six groups: government (federal, state, city and county), healthcare, utilities, financial services, communications, and student loans. A letter from UCB could therefore be about a municipal fine or fee, a state or local government balance, a hospital or physician bill, a utility or phone account, a bank or credit union account, or a student loan.
The company's contact page gives one main number for account holders, (866) 209-0622, and says TRS users can dial 711. Consumers can also pay or set up a plan through UCB's online consumer portal.
How to Check a Debt United Collection Bureau Says You Owe
The kind of creditor behind a UCB account matters, because government debts and student loans can follow different rules than a hospital or phone bill.
- Identify the creditor and debt type from the validation notice. For consumer debts, the FDCPA and Regulation F require a notice that names the creditor and itemizes the balance (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing within the validation period if the account is not yours, the amount looks wrong, or you already paid. UCB must stop collecting until it mails verification.
- For a government balance, ask the agency named on the notice whether it can confirm the amount directly and whether any appeal or hardship process exists.
- For a medical bill, get the itemized bill and compare it with your insurer's explanation of benefits. In Texas, licensed health care facilities must send an itemized bill before pursuing collection; see our update on Texas SB 490.
- Check the age of a consumer debt. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on a time-barred one (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Other states differ, and some government and federal student loan debts are not subject to the same limits.
What United Collection Bureau Can and Can't Do
When UCB collects consumer debts owed to its clients, it is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). That means it:
- may not use language suggesting it is itself a government agency or court, even when collecting for one (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(1), (9));
- may not threaten arrest or jail for an unpaid consumer debt (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(4)); see can a collector threaten arrest?;
- may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)); and
- may not imply wage garnishment over an ordinary consumer debt in Texas, which does not permit it. (Federal student loans are an exception handled by the U.S. Department of Education, not by a private agency's say-so.)
To report a problem with how UCB collected, 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 United Collection 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
- UCB: home page
- UCB: About Us
- UCB: Contact
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: United Collection 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 Collection Bureau has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.