Stellar Recovery, Inc. is a closed debt collection agency. The company stopped operating after 2016, but old collection accounts can stay on credit reports for up to seven years from the original date of first delinquency. A 2015 or 2016 Stellar account may still be reporting today.
The closed status creates a specific challenge. Stellar can no longer respond to disputes or validation requests, but the account can still be challenged through the credit bureaus directly.
This guide covers what Stellar collected, the documented FDCPA case history, and how to remove an old Stellar account from your credit file.
Who Was Stellar Recovery, Inc.?
Stellar Recovery, Inc. was a Jacksonville, Florida-based debt buyer and third-party collector originally incorporated in 1999 as ARS Recovery Service, LLC. The company renamed itself Stellar Recovery in January 2009 and moved headquarters from Kalispell, Montana to Jacksonville in 2012.
Stellar operated as a debt buyer, purchasing charged-off receivables from telecom companies, banks, and financial institutions at a discount and then collecting the full balance. The company is no longer operating.
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What Did Stellar Recovery Collect?
Stellar purchased and collected charged-off accounts across several consumer categories. Documented client relationships include:
- Comcast: Howard v. Stellar Recovery specifically involved a Comcast account Stellar purchased after Comcast charged it off.
- DirecTV and Dish Network: Satellite television account balances appear in consumer complaint records.
- Telecom carriers: Wireless and broadband service accounts were Stellar’s primary collection category.
- Auto lenders and banks: Auto loans and financial institution accounts are confirmed in Stellar’s published service descriptions.
- Medical and education accounts: Stellar’s service areas included medical bills and education loans alongside telecom debt.
The Howard v. Stellar Recovery FDCPA Case
Howard v. Stellar Recovery, Inc. is the primary documented federal FDCPA case against the company. A Colorado consumer had a Comcast account that defaulted before 2011. Comcast sold the debt to Stellar for collection.
The consumer disputed the account and explicitly requested no further contact. Stellar continued collecting anyway. The consumer retained an attorney and filed an FDCPA complaint alleging Stellar failed to advise credit agencies the debt was in dispute under Section 1692e(8), used deceptive means to collect under Section 1692e(10), and used unfair means to collect under Section 1692f. The matter settled.
Stellar also faced a TCPA lawsuit, Pozo v. Stellar Recovery (M.D. Florida 2016), but won. The court ruled Stellar’s LiveVox Human Call Initiator system did not constitute an automatic telephone dialing system under the TCPA.
Common Stellar Complaint Patterns
CFPB records from 2015 and 2016 show consistent issues across more than 100 consumer complaints filed before the company closed.
- Ignoring certified validation letters: CFPB complaints describe consumers sending certified validation requests that Stellar received but never answered, while credit reporting continued.
- Reporting already-paid accounts: Multiple complaints describe Stellar reporting telecom balances consumers had paid directly to the original carrier before the debt ever reached Stellar.
- Continuing collection after dispute and cease request: The Howard case established this as a documented pattern. Stellar continued contact after a consumer disputed and formally requested no further communication.
- Identity theft accounts: Multiple CFPB complaints describe Stellar pursuing and reporting accounts opened fraudulently in the consumer’s name.
How to Challenge a Stellar Recovery Account Today
Because Stellar is closed, you cannot send a validation letter directly. The credit bureaus become your primary dispute channel.
File formal disputes with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion simultaneously. State that Stellar Recovery is a closed company that can no longer verify the account, that you are requesting deletion of the unverifiable entry, and that the furnisher cannot respond to any bureau investigation request. When a furnisher cannot respond to a bureau investigation, the bureau must delete the entry.
If the original debt was purchased by another collector after Stellar closed, identify that collector through your credit report and engage with that entity instead.
How to Check Your Credit Report
Pull all three reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and look for Stellar Recovery, Inc. as the furnisher. Note the date of first delinquency on the account.
Any Stellar account with an original delinquency date before May 2019 should already be approaching or past the seven-year reporting window. If the date of first delinquency is older than seven years from today, file disputes immediately citing the FCRA maximum reporting period.
How Long Can a Stellar Account Stay on Your Report?
A collection account can remain on your credit report for seven years from the original date of first delinquency, regardless of when Stellar purchased the account or when the company closed.
A Comcast account that defaulted in 2016 and was sold to Stellar could remain until 2023. If you are still seeing a Stellar account, the original delinquency date is the key number to check.
Your Options for Removing the Account
- Dispute as unverifiable through the bureaus: Stellar is closed and cannot respond to bureau investigation requests. File disputes with all three bureaus citing the company’s closed status and request deletion.
- Check the reporting window: If the original delinquency date is more than seven years ago, the account should not appear. File disputes citing FCRA Section 605 if it does.
- Identify the current debt owner: Pull your reports to determine whether a different collector now holds the debt. If so, send validation requests and negotiate with that entity.
- Dispute identity theft accounts immediately: If the Stellar account traces to fraudulent activity, file disputes with all three bureaus and include an FTC identity theft report number in each dispute.
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How to Contact Stellar Recovery
Stellar Recovery, Inc. is no longer operating. Dispute the account through the credit bureaus directly.
Historical address: Stellar Recovery, Inc., 4500 Salisbury Rd, Suite 105, Jacksonville, FL 32216
Bottom Line
Stellar Recovery closed after 2016 but left behind collection accounts that can continue to damage credit scores through 2023 or later depending on the original delinquency date. The Howard FDCPA case and the widespread pattern of ignoring certified validation letters give consumers multiple grounds to challenge any remaining Stellar entries.
File disputes with all three bureaus simultaneously and cite Stellar’s closed status as grounds for deletion. A closed furnisher that cannot respond to bureau investigations cannot verify the debt, which legally requires its removal.
If a Stellar account is still on your file, check the original delinquency date first. That date determines whether you have a straightforward reporting-period dispute or need to engage with whoever currently owns the underlying debt.
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.