HP Sears on Your Credit Report: Your Options Explained

If HP Sears has appeared on your credit report, the company’s full name is Herbert P. Sears Co., Inc., a Bakersfield, California collection agency founded in 1928. HP Sears has operated for nearly a century and has a documented history of collecting for county hospitals and government entities in California, a client relationship that dates to at least 1947 when a California court case specifically involved HP Sears collecting for county hospitals.

Multiple consumer attorney sources confirm HP Sears is not known for filing lawsuits against consumers. A documented BBB outcome shows HP Sears closing disputed accounts and requesting deletion from all three credit bureaus when disputes persist. This guide covers who they are, their documented patterns, and how to respond.

Who Is HP Sears?

Herbert P. Sears Co., Inc. (HP Sears) is a privately owned debt collection agency founded in 1928 in Bakersfield, California. The company is BBB-accredited since 2013 and employs approximately 30 people. HP Sears collects for healthcare providers, government entities, financial institutions, and retail businesses.

HP Sears has accumulated 25 CFPB complaints since 2015 and 17 BBB complaints in the past three years, with only 2 federal civil cases on record.

The County Hospital and Government Collection History

Herbert P. Sears Co.’s relationship with California county hospitals dates to at least 1947, when a California court case specifically addressed whether private collection agencies could legally accept debt assignments from county hospitals and county collection agencies. HP Sears was named in that case. The court ruled in favor of allowing the arrangement.

This historical context is relevant today: if you live in California’s Central Valley and have an HP Sears account, it may trace to a county hospital or government agency balance. Verify with the county hospital or government entity directly before engaging HP Sears.

Why HP Sears Is on Your Credit Report

HP Sears serves a specific client base centered in California:

• County hospitals and healthcare providers: Their longest-documented client type, with roots in California county hospital collections.
• Government entities: Municipal and county government fees and fines.
• Financial institutions: Consumer loan and credit account balances.
• Retail businesses: Store credit and consumer purchase balances.
• Commercial and B2B accounts: Business invoice and service balances.

If you have no connection to California or the Central Valley and HP Sears appears on your credit report, investigate immediately for identity or skip-tracing errors.

Closing Accounts and Requesting Deletion When Disputes Persist

Two documented BBB cases show a consumer-favorable outcome pattern with HP Sears. In the first, a consumer disputed an account they claimed was fraud, stating they had never lived at the address HP Sears referenced.

HP Sears initially countered that the consumer had provided that address to two regulators under penalty of perjury. The dispute continued, and HP Sears ultimately closed the account back to their client and instructed all three credit bureaus to delete the entry.

In the second case, after a consumer’s persistent dispute and failure to receive validation, HP Sears confirmed they would close the account and request deletion from all three bureaus.

This documented pattern suggests that persistent written disputes backed by specific factual claims produce account closure and deletion outcomes with HP Sears more reliably than with many other agencies.

Reporting Without Identifying the Original Creditor

A documented BBB complaint describes a consumer who received calls and mail from HP Sears but still did not know who HP Sears was or which original creditor they were collecting for. The consumer had flagged the account as fraud in 2021 but HP Sears continued pursuing and reporting it.

If HP Sears appears on your credit report and you cannot identify the original creditor, send a written validation request specifically asking for the original creditor’s complete name, the account number, and the service or transaction the debt relates to. California law, through the Rosenthal Act, provides state-level reinforcement of these validation rights.

The Mortgage Deletion Problem

A documented BBB review describes a consumer who was 2 credit score points short of qualifying for a home purchase. The consumer needed HP Sears to provide a letter confirming deletion of the collection entry. HP Sears was described as unwilling to provide the letter. This is consistent with their confirmed no-goodwill-letter policy.

If you are in a time-sensitive mortgage situation with an HP Sears account, the most reliable documented path is a persistent written dispute that produces account closure and deletion, as shown in the two documented BBB outcomes above. A pay-for-delete arrangement in writing before payment is the second option if the debt is valid.

What HP Sears Cannot Do Under Federal and California Law

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

• Continue reporting fraud accounts when the consumer has provided documentation: A documented BBB complaint pattern.
• Contact consumers without identifying the original creditor: A documented BBB complaint.
• Use illegal or harassing communication tactics to coerce payment: Referenced in a documented federal court case.
• Call outside permitted hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.
• Threaten lawsuits or garnishment they don’t intend to pursue: Multiple attorney sources confirm HP Sears does not sue consumers.

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

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 complete name and contact information, the account number, the nature of the underlying debt, and the date of original delinquency.

For county hospital or government accounts, verify with the county billing department directly. The historical HP Sears relationship with California county hospitals means some accounts may be resolvable at the county level.

How to Check Your Credit Report for HP Sears Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the original creditor identified? Is the balance correct? Any inaccuracy is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau. Given the documented pattern of HP Sears requesting deletion when disputes persist, credit bureau disputes and CFPB complaints together are the most effective documented strategy.

How Long Can HP Sears Legally Pursue the Debt?

California has a 4-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can reset the clock.

Your Options for Resolving an HP Sears Account

Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:

• Pursue a persistent written dispute: The documented BBB outcomes show deletion as a realistic result of continued dispute.
• Go to the original creditor: For county hospital and government accounts, the county billing department is the starting point.
• Negotiate a settlement with written deletion agreement: HP Sears does not accept goodwill letters, so any deletion arrangement must be explicit and documented before payment.
• Dispute if inaccurate: If the original creditor is unidentified or the account traces to identity theft, dispute with the credit bureaus and file a CFPB complaint simultaneously.

How to Contact HP Sears

Handle all communication in writing:

• Address: Herbert P. Sears Co., Inc., 2000 18th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
• Phone: (888) 766-5981

Bottom Line

HP Sears is a nearly 100-year-old California collector with documented roots in county hospital collections. They do not sue consumers and do not accept goodwill letters. Persistent written disputes have produced documented account closures and credit bureau deletion requests.

File disputes with specificity, verify the original creditor by name, and use simultaneous CFPB complaints to accelerate HP Sears’s response timeline.