Universal Collection Systems: Who They Are and Your Rights

Type

Collection agency

Also known as

Universal Collection Systems, Inc.; UCS

Headquarters

Memphis, TN

Collects

medical bills, dental bills, surgery center bills, retail accounts, property management balances, bank accounts, court costs and fines

Phone numbers it lists

(901) 452-8900

Website

universalcollectionsystems.com

21 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about UNIVERSAL COLLECTION SYSTEMS, 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 Universal Collection Systems?

Universal Collection Systems, Inc. (UCS) is a collection agency headquartered at 5240 Mendenhall Park Place in Memphis, Tennessee. According to its About page, it was started in 1983 by its president, Jim Moton, and the late Larry Pritchett. The company describes itself as a veteran-owned small business with about 45 employees and says it is a member of the Tennessee Collectors Association and ACA International.

UCS also has an affiliated company, Professional Process Servers. We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Universal Collection Systems.

Why Universal Collection Systems May Be Contacting You

UCS's website lists these collection lines:

• medical and specialized surgery centers, dental practices and medical billing companies;
• banks, retail, property management and direct marketing businesses;
• government collections for court costs and fines.

A contact from UCS is therefore most likely about a doctor, dentist or surgery-center balance, an apartment or retail account, or unpaid court costs or fines. The company says it uses live agents, letters and an automated chat agent, works nights and weekends, and "takes legal action when necessary."

How to Check a Debt Universal Collection Systems Says You Owe

• Get the validation notice and read the creditor name, the itemization and the dispute deadline (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
• Dispute in writing within the validation period if you do not recognize the provider or the amount. UCS must stop collecting until it sends verification.
• For a medical or dental bill, ask the provider for an itemized statement and compare it with your insurer's explanation of benefits. A Texas licensed health care facility must send an itemized bill before it pursues collection (S.B. 490).
• For court costs or fines, confirm the case number with the court clerk before paying a third party.
• Check the age of the debt. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Tennessee and other states have different periods.

What Universal Collection Systems Can and Can't Do

UCS collects debts owed to others, so it is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). Whether the FDCPA covers a particular government fine depends on whether it is a consumer "debt," but the rules apply fully to its medical and retail collections:

• Its automated chat agent and texts count as communications and must follow Regulation F's rules for electronic messages, including an easy way to opt out (12 C.F.R. § 1006.6(e)).
• It may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
• It may not falsely threaten a lawsuit (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(5)), and in Texas a consumer judgment generally cannot lead to wage garnishment.
• It may not collect amounts beyond what the provider's agreement or the law allows (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(1)).

See whether collectors can text or email you and 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 Universal Collection Systems 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

• Universal Collection Systems: home page
• Universal Collection Systems: About
• Universal Collection Systems: Contact
• CFPB enforcement actions list
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: UNIVERSAL COLLECTION SYSTEMS, INC, debt collection

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