If Collection Bureau of America (CBA) has appeared on your credit report or is calling you, confirm you are dealing with the right company first. According to consumer law sources, there are at least 44 different companies operating under the name “Collection Bureau of America” across the country.
The Hayward, California company, founded in 1959, holds a registered trademark on the name. If correspondence comes from a different state or a different address, it may be a different entity entirely.
CBA is a third-party collector only. Their own BBB responses confirm they do not purchase debt. This guide covers who they are, their notable complaint patterns, and how to respond.
Who Is Collection Bureau of America?
Collection Bureau of America, Ltd. (CBA) is a minority-owned third-party debt collection agency founded in 1959 and headquartered in Hayward, California. The company does not purchase debt and collects exclusively on behalf of original creditors.
CBA has accumulated 51+ CFPB complaints in a single year and has been named in federal civil cases including a TCPA case in 2014. The company is not currently BBB-accredited based on available data.
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The Name Confusion Warning
There are at least 44 companies using the name “Collection Bureau of America” across the United States. Only the Hayward, California entity holds a registered trademark on the name. If you receive contact from a company called Collection Bureau of America from a non-California address or phone number, verify independently before engaging.
To confirm you are dealing with the Hayward company, check the address (25954 Eden Landing Road, Hayward, CA 94545) and phone number against any correspondence you receive.
Why CBA Is on Your Credit Report
CBA serves a diverse set of clients, with a notable concentration in California utilities and municipal services. Confirmed client types include:
- Municipal electric providers: San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE) is a documented CBA client. SJCE is a Community Choice Aggregation program that works alongside PG&E to provide electricity in San Jose. Consumers who receive CBA letters about energy bills are sometimes confused because they don’t recognize SJCE as their energy provider.
- Bottled water services: A distinctive and unusual client category.
- Cable and telecommunications providers: Unpaid service balances.
- Medical institutions: Healthcare provider accounts.
- Municipal services: City and county fees and fines.
- Commercial businesses: Business and service invoices.
If you don’t recognize the original creditor CBA is collecting for, ask them to specifically identify the company and confirm you had a service relationship with that entity.
The TCPA Robocall Case
In Hernandez v. Collection Bureau of America (C.D. California, 2014), a federal judge refused CBA’s motion for summary judgment in a TCPA case. The plaintiff alleged CBA used a predictive dialer to call her cell phone without consent to collect a debt she did not owe.
CBA argued their equipment was not an automatic telephone dialing system under the FCC’s definition. The court rejected that argument and found the equipment qualified as an ATDS.
Under the TCPA, each unauthorized automated call to a cell phone can result in $500 to $1,500 in statutory damages. If CBA is calling your cell phone using an autodialer and you did not consent to those calls, document every call with date, time, and whether it was automated.
Collecting on Settled Accounts
A documented BBB complaint describes a consumer who had already settled a debt through another collection company. CBA was subsequently assigned the same account and pursued the consumer for a balance they had already resolved. CBA’s response confirmed they had assigned the account from their client and were unaware of the prior settlement.
If CBA is pursuing a debt you have already settled, gather your settlement documentation including the settlement letter and payment confirmation. Send copies to CBA by certified mail and dispute any ongoing credit report entry with each credit bureau.
What CBA Cannot Do Under Federal and California Law
The FDCPA and California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act apply to CBA. Under these laws, they cannot:
- Call cell phones with automated dialers without consent: Subject of the 2014 Hernandez case.
- Pursue debts already settled through another collector: A documented BBB complaint.
- Misrepresent who they are acting for: Documented in a BBB complaint about lender vs. buyer representation.
- Threaten arrest or jail: Consumer debt is not a criminal matter.
- Call at odd hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.
- Contact you at work after you say stop: Written cease-contact requests must be honored.
File complaints at consumerfinance.gov. California residents can also file with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) and the California Association of Collectors.
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’s full name and contact information, the account number, the amount at the time of referral, and the date of original delinquency.
Given CBA’s documented pursuit of settled accounts, specifically ask whether this account has been previously referred to another collection agency and what that agency’s status was.
How to Check Your Credit Report for CBA Errors
Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the balance correct? Is the original creditor accurately identified? Has the same underlying debt appeared under a prior collector and now under CBA as separate entries? Any inaccuracy is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.
How Long Can CBA 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 state is typically where you currently reside. Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can reset the clock.
Your Options for Resolving a CBA Account
Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:
- Go to the original creditor: Since CBA does not purchase debt, the original creditor still owns the account and may resolve billing disputes directly.
- Negotiate a settlement: CBA may accept reduced amounts. Get any agreement in writing before paying.
- Dispute if inaccurate: If the debt was already settled, the creditor is unrecognized, or the account contains errors, dispute with the credit bureaus.
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How to Contact Collection Bureau of America
Handle all communication in writing whenever possible:
- Address: Collection Bureau of America, Ltd., 25954 Eden Landing Road, Hayward, CA 94545
- Phone: (888) 306-2045
Bottom Line
CBA is a 65-year-old California collector with at least 44 similarly named companies nationwide creating real confusion. Confirm you are dealing with the Hayward, California entity before engaging, and verify whether the debt has already been settled through a prior collector before paying anything.
Document any automated calls to your cell phone. The 2014 Hernandez TCPA case established that CBA’s predictive dialer qualifies as an automatic telephone dialing system, meaning each unauthorized call to your cell phone is a potential statutory damages claim worth $500 to $1,500.
Brooke Banks is a personal finance writer specializing in credit, debt, and smart money management. She helps readers understand their rights, build better credit, and make confident financial decisions with clear, practical advice.