Meade & Associates on Your Credit Report: What to Know

If Meade & Associates has appeared on your credit report or is calling you, two documented complaint patterns are worth knowing before you engage.

A BBB complaint records a Meade representative telling a consumer: “I do not care if the debt is valid, my job is to collect the money.” Another documents an account being reported as unpaid the day after a payment was made and confirmed with a representative.

This guide covers who they are, their documented patterns, and how to respond.

Who Is Meade & Associates?

Meade & Associates, Inc. is a family-owned debt collection agency founded in 1979 in Lewis Center, Ohio. Their FAQ states: “Because Meade is also our family name we will not allow our collectors who represent our clients tarnish our strong reputation.” Their complaint record suggests the gap between that aspiration and execution is worth noting.

Meade is not BBB-accredited, carries a B rating, and has accumulated 78 BBB complaints in the past three years, 38 CFPB complaints since 2015, and over 60 federal court cases as a defendant. They serve clients nationally across healthcare and higher education.

Why Meade Is on Your Credit Report

Meade collects for a broad range of clients, organized into two main areas:

• Healthcare division: Hospitals, primary care providers, specialty care providers, OB/GYN offices, nursing care providers, dental practices, and chiropractic offices.
• General collection: Colleges and universities, commercial businesses, banks, utility companies, veterinary clinics, and service providers.

If you had an unpaid medical bill, veterinary bill, tuition balance, or utility account in Ohio or with a national client of Meade’s, that’s the most likely source of the account.

Three Documented Complaint Patterns

Three specific patterns from Meade’s own BBB file are worth knowing before you engage.

A consumer informed a Meade representative the debt was invalid. The representative responded: “I do not care if the debt is valid, my job is to collect the money.” When the consumer offered a reduced payment and asked for credit report correction, the representative laughed and said “this is not ‘Let’s make a deal.'”

A second consumer paid their Meade account on January 3, 2023 and spoke extensively with a representative about the credit report impact. The account was reported as unpaid the following day.

A third consumer was told three payments would fully settle the account. After making the first payment, they were told the full balance was still required.

Each of these is a potential FDCPA violation. Document any interaction where Meade changes terms, fails to update reporting after payment, or refuses to validate a debt.

Meade’s Skip Tracing Capability

Meade’s own FAQ describes their skip tracing services in specific detail: locating current and alternate addresses, phone numbers, places of employment, names and addresses of family members, friends, and ex-spouses, as well as assets including property, bank accounts, and automobiles.

If Meade is calling family members, former spouses, or employers about your debt, that contact may violate the FDCPA’s restrictions on disclosing debt information to third parties.

What Meade Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Meade & Associates. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Refuse to validate a debt: A documented Meade complaint pattern.
• Collect on debts they acknowledge may be invalid: The “I do not care if the debt is valid” statement is a specific FDCPA concern.
• Fail to update credit reporting after payment: Reporting unpaid the day after receiving payment is a documented Meade pattern.
• Change settlement terms after payment is made: A documented Meade complaint.
• Contact third parties and disclose debt information: Restricted under the FDCPA regardless of relationship.
• 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. Ohio residents can also file with the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section.

Medical Debt Reporting Rules Apply

If your Meade account is from their healthcare division, specific credit reporting protections apply. All three major credit bureaus voluntarily agreed to these changes in 2022 and 2023:

• Medical debts under $500 are not reported on credit reports at all.
• Paid medical collections are removed from credit reports entirely.
• Unpaid medical debt has a one-year waiting period before it can be reported.

If your account falls into any of these categories and is still showing on your credit report, dispute it immediately.

Verify the Debt and the Balance Before Paying Anything

Don’t pay or admit the debt is yours until you’ve verified it. Given Meade’s documented pattern of collecting on debts they’ve been informed are invalid, verification is especially important.

Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Ask for the original creditor, the amount owed with itemized breakdown, and the date of original delinquency.

If Meade tells you a settlement arrangement, get it in writing before making any payment. The documented complaint about changed settlement terms is a direct warning.

How to Check Your Credit Report for Meade Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the balance correct? Is the account date accurate? If you’ve made payments, is the account still showing as unpaid?

Given the documented pattern of reporting accounts as unpaid after payment, check your credit report immediately after any payment to Meade and dispute any inaccurate status update with each credit bureau.

How Long Can Meade Legally Pursue the Debt?

Ohio has a 6-year statute of limitations on both written contracts and open accounts. If you no longer live in Ohio, the relevant state is typically where you currently reside.

A documented consumer complaint describes Meade attempting to collect on a 2012 debt in 2020, which would be 8 years old and well past Ohio’s 6-year limit. If Meade is contacting you about an old debt, check the original delinquency date carefully.

Your Options for Resolving a Meade Account

Once you’ve verified the debt, consider these paths:

• Go to the original creditor: Especially for billing error situations, resolving directly with the hospital, clinic, or university often works faster.
• Get any settlement in writing first: Given the documented term-changing pattern, never pay without a written agreement specifying the exact terms.
• Pay and verify credit report update: After any payment, monitor your credit report and dispute immediately if the account status doesn’t update correctly.
• Dispute if inaccurate: If the debt isn’t valid, is past the statute of limitations, or falls under medical debt reporting rules, dispute with the credit bureaus.

If Meade Files a Lawsuit

Meade does pursue litigation. Their website confirms they will “seek judgment and garnishment” with their clients’ consent. Court costs are prepaid by the creditor client and added to the judgment amount.

If you are sued, do not ignore the complaint. Respond within the deadline. Consult a consumer protection attorney. Meade’s documented statement that they “do not care if the debt is valid” may be relevant evidence if violations occurred in your case.

How to Contact Meade & Associates

Handle all communication in writing whenever possible. Here’s how to reach them:

• Address: Meade & Associates, Inc., 737 Enterprise Drive, Lewis Center, OH 43035
• Phone: (800) 686-3233

Bottom Line

Meade’s own BBB file contains a representative admitting they don’t care whether the debt is valid, and another case where they reported an account unpaid the day after receiving payment. Those aren’t minor complaints.

Verify the debt before paying, get every settlement agreement in writing first, and monitor your credit report after any payment to confirm they update it correctly.