AWA Collections on Your Credit Report: Your Options Explained

If AWA Collections (Adler Wallach & Associates) has appeared on your credit report or is calling you, one important clarification upfront: AWA explicitly states on their own website that they are not a debt buyer. They collect on behalf of original creditors on a contingency basis. If their name appears as the current creditor on your credit report, that is a reporting error worth disputing.

For a company with an estimated 2 employees at headquarters, AWA has accumulated 373 CFPB complaints. This guide covers who AWA is, what their complaint record reveals, and how to respond.

Who Is AWA Collections?

Adler Wallach & Associates, Inc., operating as AWA Collections, is a third-party contingency debt collection agency founded in 1991 by Allan Adler in Orange, California. The company is not BBB-accredited and carries an F BBB rating with 59 BBB complaints in the past three years and 373 CFPB complaints total. AWA has been named in at least 3 federal civil cases.

AWA specifically states: “AWA is NOT a debt buyer. We are a contingency-based debt-recovery agency.” They collect on behalf of original creditors across healthcare, government, telecom, banking, and commercial sectors.

Why AWA Is on Your Credit Report

AWA serves clients across multiple industries. Their confirmed service areas include:

• Healthcare providers: Hospitals, clinics, and health systems.
• Government agencies: Municipalities and public offices.
• Telecommunications: Phone and cable service balances.
• Financial institutions: Credit cards and consumer loan balances.
• Utilities and commercial businesses: Service and commercial invoices.

AWA also offers second placement collection, meaning they accept accounts that another collector has already tried and failed to collect. Documentation gaps are more common on second placement accounts.

The Staffing vs. Complaint Volume Problem

With an estimated 2 employees at headquarters and $1.4 million in annual revenue, AWA’s 373 CFPB complaints represent an extraordinary complaint-to-size ratio. Most of those complaints allege attempts to collect debts not owed, inaccurate credit reporting, and misrepresentation.

A documented CFPB complaint describes AWA continuing to pursue an account the consumer had reported as identity theft, even after submitting a police report, FTC identity theft affidavit, proof of identification, and utility bills to both AWA and the credit bureaus. AWA continued to report the account and pursue collection.

If AWA is pursuing a debt you believe resulted from identity theft, submit your complete identity theft documentation package by certified mail and file a CFPB complaint immediately if collection continues.

AWA Discloses Time-Barred Debt Status

AWA’s own website and letters include an explicit time-barred debt disclosure that is more consumer-friendly than many agencies. Their standard language states: “The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt. Because of the age of your debt, we will not sue you for it, and we will not report it to any credit reporting agency.”

If you receive this disclosure in an AWA letter, the debt is past your state’s statute of limitations. Making any payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can restart the clock in some states, so do not pay time-barred debts without consulting a consumer protection attorney.

What AWA Cannot Do Under Federal and California Law

The FDCPA and California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act apply to AWA. Under these laws, they cannot:

• Continue pursuing identity theft debts after receiving police report documentation: A documented CFPB complaint pattern.
• Appear as the current creditor on your credit report: AWA is not a debt buyer and should not be listed as the creditor.
• Call at odd hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.
• Use harassing language or threats: Prohibited under both federal and California law.
• Report time-barred debts to credit bureaus: AWA’s own disclosure confirms this.
• Fail to validate debts when requested: Required within 30 days of written request.

File federal complaints at consumerfinance.gov. California residents can also file with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) and the California AG’s office.

Verify the Debt Before Paying Anything

Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Ask for the original creditor, the account number, the amount at referral, and the date of original delinquency. AWA’s own website states they provide document access through their self-service portal, and their state disclosures specifically list the documents consumers can request in several states.

For second placement accounts, also request documentation of the prior collection history.

How to Check Your Credit Report for AWA Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is AWA listed as the current creditor? If so, dispute that immediately since AWA does not own debt. Is the balance correct? Does the same debt appear under both AWA and another collector?

Any inaccuracy, including AWA appearing as a debt owner, is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can AWA Legally Pursue the Debt?

California has a 4-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. If you no longer live in California, the relevant limit is typically where you currently reside. AWA explicitly discloses when a debt is time-barred on their correspondence, which is a consumer-favorable practice.

Your Options for Resolving an AWA Account

Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:

• Go to the original creditor: Since AWA is not a debt buyer, the original creditor still owns the account. Contacting them directly may produce better terms.
• Negotiate a settlement: AWA may accept reduced amounts. Get any agreement in writing before paying.
• Request a pay-for-delete: Ask whether AWA will remove the account in exchange for payment. Get it in writing first.
• Dispute if inaccurate: If the debt is time-barred, involves identity theft, or shows AWA as the debt owner, dispute with the credit bureaus immediately.

How to Contact AWA Collections

Handle all communication in writing whenever possible. AWA also offers a self-service online payment and account portal:

• Address: Adler Wallach & Associates, Inc., 1045 W Katella Ave, Suite 230, Orange, CA 92867
• Tennessee office: 100 Church Street, Dickson, TN 37055
• Phone: (888) 771-3690

Bottom Line

AWA Collections has 373 CFPB complaints despite a tiny operation, an F BBB rating, and a documented pattern of pursuing identity theft accounts even after receiving police reports. Their own letters disclose when a debt is time-barred, which is useful consumer information.

Verify the debt, confirm AWA is not listed as the debt owner on your report, and document any identity theft incidents with a complete package before submitting to AWA and the credit bureaus.