Universal Recovery Corporation: Who They Are and Your Rights

Type

Collection agency

Also known as

URC

Headquarters

Rancho Cordova, CA

Collects

medical and dental bills, retail charge accounts, consumer loans, casino debts, returned checks, commercial accounts

Phone numbers it lists

(800) 817-4377, (916) 631-8191

Website

universalrecovery.com

27 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Universal Recovery Corporation 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 Recovery Corporation?

Universal Recovery Corporation is a California collection agency at 2880 Sunrise Boulevard in Rancho Cordova, a city just east of Sacramento. Its Better Business Bureau profile lists a business start date of May 12, 1993 and incorporation on October 9, 1996. The company's medical page also says it has served healthcare clients "since 1993."

The company's website says it works through referral relationships with other collection firms so it can handle accounts across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and that it has an attorney who specializes in collections. Its casino page says it began collecting casino debt, including unpaid checks and markers, in 1993.

Why Universal Recovery Corporation May Be Contacting You

Universal Recovery's site lists its markets as medical, casinos, commercial, retail and checks. A contact from it could therefore concern:

• a bill from a medical or dental practice;
• a retail charge account or a direct loan from a financial institution;
• a casino marker or other gaming-related balance;
• a check returned unpaid; or
• a business-to-business account.

The company lists (800) 817-4377 toll free and (916) 631-8191 as its phone numbers.

How to Check a Debt Universal Recovery Corporation Says You Owe

With such a wide mix of account types, the first job is identifying what the debt actually is.

• Read the validation notice. It must name the creditor and itemize the amount (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34). For a casino marker or check, compare the amount with your own bank records.
• Dispute in writing within the validation period. Ask for the signed marker, credit application, check copy or itemized medical bill, depending on the account.
• Ask who owns the debt. Find out whether the casino, provider or retailer still owns the account or has sold it.
• Verify any fees. Make sure interest and returned-check fees are allowed by the agreement and the law of the state involved.
• Check the date of default. Texas generally gives four years to sue on a debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). California, Nevada and other states use their own periods.

What Universal Recovery Corporation Can and Can't Do

When it collects consumer debts for clients, Universal Recovery Corporation is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). Important limits:

• It may not threaten criminal prosecution or arrest to collect a marker or a bad check as a pressure tactic (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(4), (5)).
• It may not misstate the amount owed or add unauthorized charges (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(2), § 1692f(1)).
• Paid medical collections, and those under $500, should not appear on national credit reports. See our medical debt reporting article.
• Texas generally does not allow wage garnishment for consumer debts, even after a judgment.

We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Universal Recovery Corporation. If its collection efforts raise questions, 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 Universal Recovery Corporation 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 Recovery Corporation: home page
• Universal Recovery Corporation: About us
• Universal Recovery Corporation: Contact us
• Universal Recovery Corporation: Medical
• Universal Recovery Corporation: Retail
• Universal Recovery Corporation: Casinos
• BBB business profile: Universal Recovery Corporation (facts only)
• CFPB enforcement actions list
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Universal Recovery Corporation, debt collection

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