Consumer Adjustment Company: What to Do If They Contact You

Consumer Adjustment Company, Inc. operates under the trade name CACi and has been collecting debts since 1967. The company is headquartered in Saint Ann, Missouri, not to be confused with St. Louis proper, though the two areas border each other.

CACi is one of the few mid-sized agencies in this region that handles first-party collections, third-party collections, debt purchasing, and litigation services under one roof. That combination matters when deciding how to respond to them.

This guide covers who CACi is, their documented legal history, and the specific steps to take before paying anything they claim you owe.

Who Is Consumer Adjustment Company?

Consumer Adjustment Company, Inc. (CACi) is a debt collection agency founded in 1967 and headquartered at 500 Northwest Plaza Drive, Suite 300, in Saint Ann, Missouri. The BBB has listed CACi as an accredited business since 2018 and identifies their specialty as government loan collection, in addition to medical, utility, and bank card accounts.

CACi operates across first-party and third-party collection models and also purchases debt portfolios outright. They have litigation capabilities in-house, meaning they can and do pursue legal action in appropriate cases.

The 2008 Federal Case: Impersonating a Family Member to Get a Callback

The most documented CACi lawsuit on record is Thomas v. Consumer Adjustment Company, Inc., decided by a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Missouri in September 2008. The case centered on a call a CACi employee made to the plaintiff’s home while he was away.

The CACi representative told the plaintiff’s girlfriend that he was the plaintiff’s brother and that there was a family emergency. The girlfriend called the plaintiff, who then contacted CACi. At that point, CACi informed him the call was about a $300 medical debt.

The court found that CACi’s call created a “false sense of urgency” and constituted a false, misleading representation under FDCPA Section 1692e. The court also found the call was an improper third-party contact under Section 1692c(b). Both plaintiffs were awarded statutory damages.

If a CACi representative has contacted a family member, neighbor, or coworker about your account, document the details of every call. That pattern is exactly what led to liability in Thomas.

The 2020 Payment Portal Case: Collecting on Time-Barred Debt

In Alexander v. Consumer Adjustment Company, a consumer discovered a CACi entry on her credit report and visited CACi’s online payment portal for information. The portal solicited payment on the account without disclosing that the debt was past the statute of limitations or that making a partial payment could restart the clock.

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois denied CACi’s motion to dismiss, finding that the payment portal constituted an FDCPA communication. The court held that reporting a stale debt to credit bureaus while maintaining a payment portal that does not disclose the debt’s legal unenforceability was enough to state a valid claim.

If CACi has reported an older account and you accessed their payment portal, do not make a payment or enter any payment information without first confirming the debt’s age relative to your state’s statute of limitations.

The 2017 Bailey Case: Demanding Immediate Payment and Overriding Dispute Rights

In January 2017, Edward Bailey filed suit against CACi in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (Case No. 17-cv-00204). Bailey alleged that after receiving a CACi demand letter, he called the company and was ordered to pay immediately. The CACi representative allegedly disregarded Bailey’s right to dispute the debt within the 30-day validation window.

The complaint sought $1,000 in statutory damages, actual damages, and attorney fees. Demanding immediate payment in a way that overrides the consumer’s right to dispute is a documented CACi complaint pattern, not a one-time incident.

What CACi Cannot Do Under Federal Law

Based on their documented case history, CACi is prohibited from:

• Using false statements to get a consumer to call back: The Thomas case established that impersonating a family member and claiming an emergency to generate a callback violates FDCPA Section 1692e.
• Soliciting payment on time-barred debt without disclosure: The Alexander case confirmed that a payment portal must disclose when a debt is past the statute of limitations.
• Overriding the 30-day dispute window: The Bailey case alleged CACi demanded immediate payment by phone while ignoring the consumer’s federal right to request validation within 30 days.
• Contacting third parties improperly: The Thomas case confirmed that disclosing debt-related context to people other than the consumer violates Section 1692c(b).
• Reporting debts not owed: The BBB has documented complaints that CACi posted collection accounts consumers did not recognize and then resisted making corrections.

Verify the Debt Before Paying Anything

Send a written validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Ask CACi to confirm the original creditor, the account number, the balance at the time of referral or purchase, and a full breakdown of any fees added since.

For government loan accounts specifically, request confirmation of which federal program or agency originated the debt. For medical accounts, compare the claimed balance against your explanation of benefits from your insurer.

If CACi purchased the debt, request documentation of the chain of assignment from the original creditor to CACi. Each transfer should have corresponding paperwork.

How to Check Your Credit Report for CACi Entries

Pull all three credit reports. Search for “Consumer Adjustment,” “CACi,” and “Consumer Adj Co,” as the name appears differently across bureaus. Confirm the original creditor is identified, that the balance matches what the original creditor reported at charge-off, and that the account open date has not been manipulated to make an older debt appear more recent.

Re-aging is a documented complaint pattern with CACi. If the date of first delinquency on the CACi entry does not match your records, dispute it with each bureau individually.

How Long Can CACi Legally Pursue the Debt?

Missouri, where CACi is headquartered, has a 5-year statute of limitations on written contracts. However, the relevant statute is typically the state where you currently reside. Confirm your state’s limit before contacting CACi or accessing their payment portal on any older account.

Your Options for Resolving a CACi Account

• Request full validation in writing first: CACi collects for government loans, medical accounts, utilities, and bank card portfolios. The validation documents needed differ by account type. Get the specifics before engaging further.
• Check the debt’s age before using their portal: The Alexander case shows that simply accessing CACi’s payment portal on a stale debt can trigger collection activity. Confirm the statute of limitations before logging in.
• Document any third-party contacts immediately: The Thomas case resulted in statutory damages for exactly this type of contact. Names, dates, and what was said to the third party all matter.
• Dispute inaccurate credit report entries directly with the bureaus: BBB complaints show CACi has resisted correcting errors voluntarily. A formal bureau dispute creates a legal obligation to investigate.

How to Contact Consumer Adjustment Company

• Mailing address: Consumer Adjustment Company, Inc., 500 Northwest Plaza Drive, Suite 300, Saint Ann, MO 63074
• Phone: (877) 449-4411

Bottom Line

CACi has three federal cases tied to specific, documented conduct: impersonating a family member to generate a callback, soliciting payment on time-barred debt through an online portal, and overriding a consumer’s right to dispute during a phone call. These are not general complaint patterns. They are adjudicated or filed legal claims.

Before paying anything, send a written validation request and confirm the debt’s age against your state’s statute of limitations. If CACi has contacted anyone in your household while you were unavailable, document every detail of what was said.