Equinox Collection Services: What to Do If They Contact You

If Equinox Collection Services has appeared on your credit report or is calling you, a 2019 federal class action directly affects how you should verify the debt. A federal judge certified a class of 17,756 Oklahoma residents against Equinox Collection Services for failing to provide consumers with the written validation notice required by the FDCPA.

Equinox also operates under the name NorthStar Technologies. If you search their BBB profile and click the website link, it redirects to NorthStar Technologies’ site. Both names belong to the same Tulsa company.

This guide covers who Equinox is, what the class action found, and how to respond.

Who Is Equinox Collection Services?

Equinox Collection Services, Inc. is a third-party debt collection agency founded in 2004 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a mailing address in Broken Arrow. The company also operates under the name NorthStar Technologies. Equinox has an A+ BBB rating without BBB accreditation and accumulates complaints under both operating names.

Equinox focuses primarily on healthcare collections, according to consumer protection attorneys who have handled cases against them. Their client base includes hospitals, healthcare systems, and physician practices in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

The 2019 FDCPA Class Action

On October 3, 2019, United States District Court Judge Dowell in the Northern District of Oklahoma certified a class of 17,756 Oklahoma residents in a lawsuit against Equinox Collection Services. The named plaintiff alleged that Equinox failed to provide consumers with the written validation notice required by the FDCPA.

Under the FDCPA, debt collectors must send a written validation notice to consumers within five days of first contact. That notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor, a statement that the consumer has 30 days to dispute the debt, and language explaining how to exercise that right. Failing to provide this notice is a per se FDCPA violation.

Class certification for 17,756 Oklahoma residents means the court found enough evidence that Equinox systematically failed to provide this notice to a substantial number of consumers. If you are an Oklahoma resident who received collection contact from Equinox between approximately 2017 and 2019, and you did not receive a written validation notice within five days of first contact, you may have been among the class members.

The NorthStar Technologies Name Confusion

Equinox Collection Services and NorthStar Technologies are the same company operating under different names. The CFPB complaint database shows zero complaints under the Equinox Collection Services name but 24 complaints under NorthStar Technologies since 2011.

Consumer complaints under the NorthStar name include filing lawsuits without properly notifying consumers, failing to notify consumers of their right to dispute, collecting debts already paid or never owed, and continuing to contact consumers after cease requests.

If you are searching for Equinox Collection Services and finding limited complaint data, also search NorthStar Technologies and NorthStar Location Services to locate their full complaint history.

Equinox Does File Lawsuits

Unlike many smaller regional agencies we have covered, Equinox does pursue legal action against consumers. The class action itself was triggered by their collection practices in the lead-up to lawsuits. SoloSuit specifically notes that if a consumer does not respond to Equinox’s collection contact, the company will likely file a lawsuit.

If you receive a summons from Equinox Collection Services or NorthStar Technologies, do not ignore it. Oklahoma requires a timely response. A default judgment gives Equinox the ability to garnish wages and levy bank accounts without further hearing.

What Equinox Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Equinox Collection Services. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Fail to provide a written validation notice within five days of first contact: The subject of the 2019 class action affecting 17,756 Oklahoma residents.
• File lawsuits without properly notifying the consumer: A documented NorthStar complaint pattern.
• Continue contact after a written cease request: A documented complaint pattern.
• Collect on debts already paid or never owed: A documented complaint pattern.
• Use robocalls without prior consent: Documented in consumer complaints.
• Call outside permitted hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.

File complaints at consumerfinance.gov. Oklahoma residents can also file with the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit.

Medical Debt Reporting Rules Apply

Because Equinox focuses on healthcare collections, specific credit reporting protections apply. Medical debts under $500 are not reported, paid medical collections are removed, and unpaid medical debt has a one-year waiting period before reporting. If your Equinox account falls under any of these categories, dispute it immediately with each credit bureau.

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 dates of service, an itemized bill, and the date of original delinquency. If you never received a written validation notice from Equinox within five days of their first contact, note that explicitly in your validation request as a potential FDCPA violation.

How to Check Your Credit Report for Equinox Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Search under both Equinox Collection Services and NorthStar Technologies. Is the balance correct? Is the original healthcare provider accurately identified? Any inaccuracy, including a balance below $500 that should not be reported, is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can Equinox Legally Pursue the Debt?

Oklahoma has a 5-year statute of limitations on written contracts and 3 years on oral contracts. Most healthcare debts involve written service agreements, making the 5-year limit the most applicable. Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can reset the clock.

Your Options for Resolving an Equinox Account

Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:

• Go to the original healthcare provider: Contact the hospital or physician practice directly. Many offer financial assistance programs that Equinox cannot offer.
• Negotiate a settlement: Equinox may accept reduced amounts. Get any agreement in writing before paying.
• Respond to any lawsuit promptly: Equinox files lawsuits and pursues default judgments.
• Dispute if inaccurate: If the balance is wrong, the debt was already paid, or the medical debt reporting rules apply, dispute with the credit bureaus.

How to Contact Equinox Collection Services

Handle all communication in writing whenever possible:

• Address: Equinox Collection Services, Inc., 10159 E 11th St, Suite 500, Tulsa, OK 74128
• Mailing address: PO Box 3280, Broken Arrow, OK 74013
• Phone: (866) 337-9736

Bottom Line

Equinox Collection Services certified a class action of 17,756 Oklahoma residents for failing to provide required FDCPA validation notices. If you are an Oklahoma resident who received Equinox contact without a written validation notice, that failure may be an actionable FDCPA violation.

Search their complaint history under NorthStar Technologies as well as Equinox. If you receive a summons, respond immediately. Equinox does litigate and pursue default judgments.