Current Alerts For This Business
Pattern of Complaint:
BBB files indicate a pattern of consumer complaints filed against this business. On January 8th, 2024, BBB submitted a written request to the company encouraging them to address the pattern of complaints. As of 2/28/2024, BBB has received a sufficient response from the business who is actively working on the patterns below with the actions included.
-Consumer’s report having difficulty disputing charges.
- We understand the concern listed. Harvard offers several different ways for a consumer to dispute a debt, many of which are mentioned in our initial notice. A consumer may dispute a debt via phone, via mail, via email, and via our website.
-Consumer’s report incorrect or fraudulent accounts on their credit report
- All accounts assigned to Harvard are assigned by a client. Harvard works diligently within the reporting guidelines to report accounts when permissible and to make the appropriate updates or removals when accounts are disputed, closed, or the status of an account requires a change.
-Consumer’s report disputing charges that were removed then later added again
- Harvard has procedures to ensure accounts that are disputed remain as disputed on the credit report or are removed completely when appropriate. Additionally, we have procedures in place to review accounts for re-assignment after receipt of a placement by a client.
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Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
08/09/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Harvard Collection is requesting a debt that I have no knowledge about. I have written Harvard and asked them to remove my name from their collection and ask them to stop reporting I owe them a debt when I do not.
Business response
08/16/2024
Thank you for bringing the concerns of the consumer to our attention regarding the account assigned to ******************** (HCS). We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry.
The account at issue was assigned by our client, IL DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, on June ******, in the name of KEY,******. On June 4, 2024, a notice was mailed to the last known address of the consumer.
Upon receipt of BBB complaint, we have placed the account on hold and have submitted the account for credit deletion. Additionally, an itemized statement has been requested from our client which will be mailed to the consumers mailing address once received from our client.
If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection Services (HCS)Initial Complaint
07/28/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I am not liable for this debt with ***************** Home Furnishings, I do not have a contract with Harvard Collection Services, they did not provide me with the original contract as I requested.Business response
08/02/2024
Thank you for bringing the concerns of the consumer to our attention regarding the account assigned to ******************** (HCS). We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry.
The account at issue was assigned by our client, IL DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, on May 1,2023, in the name of *********************************, On May 2, 2023 a notice was mailed at the last known address of the consumer.
Following the BBB complaint, we documented the dispute on the account and placed the account on hold. We requested an itemized statement from our client, which will be sent to the consumers postal address as soon as received from our client.
Additionally,we submitted the account for credit deletion.
If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection Services (HCS)Initial Complaint
06/19/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Harvard Collection Services never contacted me about this debt--it just appeared on my credit report. I had an issue with a utility company stating that I owed more than my estimated payments, and I settled the amount of money with another collection agency. 4 months later, the debt reappears on my credit report with no attempt to call or contact me. I called them, and they said to email my proof to an email address. The email keeps getting blocked by their system. Now I've been trying to call them for a week with only a busy signal--no way to get through! I submitted a dispute through their website, but there's no way to upload my proof. No one has responded to my online request. Meanwhile, my credit is suffering!Business response
06/26/2024
Thank you for bringing the concerns of the consumer to our attention regarding the account assigned to ******************** (HCS). We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry.
The account at issue was assigned by our client, CONSOLIDATED ****** COMPANY, on March 19,2024, in the name of ************************. Notices were mailed to the last known address on March 28, 2024, and May 14, 2024.
On June 11,2024, the consumer contacted our office and disputed the matter as she had paid a different agency. We stopped activity and reviewed with our client. Our client advised us to close and return the account, which was done on June 12,2024. At that time, we also submitted a request to have the item removed from the credit report of the consumer.
If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection Services (HCS)Initial Complaint
04/24/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Im not liable for this debt with IL **** of ***** Services. I do not have a contract with Harvard Collections, they have not provided the original contract as requested.Business response
04/30/2024
Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns of the consumer regarding the activity of Harvard Collection Services.
We have noted the dispute in our records and initiated the process for the item to be removed from the credit report of the consumer. The account is on hold pending receipt of validation documents from our client which will be mailed to the consumer upon receipt.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection ServicesInitial Complaint
04/24/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I reviewed my credit report and tried to dispute this on all credit reporting agencies and they said it was verified as a legit debt. I have never been contacted by the original creditor or this or any other collection agency. I do not know this debt or have ever been notified of it. I have lived in **********, ******* for over 20 plus years at the same address and have no knowledge of this. They will not listen and will not remove this from my credit report. I even told the credit reporting agency that I am invoking my rights under the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and it did not matter. This collection agency just says it is valid when they do not even contact you and it destroys your credit. They should not be able to do this. How can they put a collection on your credit report that they have never contacted you over or that they have not proven is not yours?Business response
04/30/2024
Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns of the consumer regarding the activity of Harvard Collection Services.
We have noted the dispute in our records and initiated the process for the item to be removed from the credit report of the consumer. The account is on hold pending receipt of validation documents from our client which will be mailed to the consumer upon receipt.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection ServicesCustomer response
05/02/2024
Complaint: 21619491
I am rejecting this response because: I am grateful that it has been removed from my credit report. I would like to keep this complaint open until they beyond a reasonable doubt show proof that the debt is mine. Not just some letter saying it was valid like they did to the credit reporting agency. I do not want this happening again. I do not want to have to go through this again.
Sincerely,
*******************************Initial Complaint
04/22/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I am not liable for this debt with ******************* of human services i DO NOT HA.VE A CONTRACT WITH Harvard collection services they did not provide me with original contract as requestedBusiness response
04/30/2024
Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns of the consumer regarding the activity of Harvard Collection Services.
We have noted the dispute in our records and initiated the process for the item to be removed from the credit report of the consumer. The account is on hold pending receipt of validation documents from our client which will be mailed to the consumer upon receipt.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection ServicesCustomer response
05/02/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*****************************Initial Complaint
04/18/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I am not liable for this debt with ******************* of ***** Services, I do not have a contract with Harvard collection services LLC, they did not provide me with the original contract as requested.Business response
04/26/2024
Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns of the consumer regarding the activity of Harvard Collection Services.
We have noted the dispute in our records and initiated the process for the item to be removed from the credit report of the consumer. The account is on hold pending receipt of validation documents from our client which will be mailed to the consumer upon receipt.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection ServicesInitial Complaint
04/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Look at their ****** page. I was never told as many others were not they I owed a thing. They have to give you a notice legally so you can fight it or pay it etc before it reports. I could had and would have gave them proof this was all already taken care of with the orginal debtor back in 2021 but I didn't even get a chance. I looked and Boom my score plummeted with **** being the only negeitve item.EVER. and when I called to see what was going on I was talked to and yelled at for asking the most simply questions. Pull the call!! You will see.Business response
04/16/2024
Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns of the consumer regarding the activity of Harvard Collection Services.
We regret the experience reported by the consumer regarding the first representative she spoke with regarding the account. We train our representatives to conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner at all times.
The account at issue was assigned to our office in February 2024 and on February 2, 2024, our initial notice was mailed to the last known address of the consumer. Since receipt of the complaint, we have requested the item be removed from the credit report of the consumer and that appears to have been conveyed to the consumer via phone. Additionally,the matter will be closed in our office and returned to our client.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at ************ with any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection ServicesInitial Complaint
03/29/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I had a collection account that was paid off through an offset to my federal taxes. The account was not removed from my credit report, so on 3/20, I called Harvard Collections and they requested that I send an email to them with an attachment showing that the debt was paid. I did this on 3/20 as well. I also filed a dispute with all 3 credit bureaus. Harvard responded to my email saying the account was submitted for deletion on 3/25. The account did come off of both Experian and Equifax initially, but now it is back on there. As for Transunion, the debt never deleted and is now listed as being verified on 3/25. This is the same date they claim they submitted the request for deletion, and well after the debt was paid. As they are the company reporting the negative information, they have a duty to verify the accuracy of the information they report, which they are apparently failing to do.Business response
04/10/2024
Thank you for bringing the concerns of the consumer to our attention. We appreciate the opportunity to address the inquiry.
The account at issue was assigned to our office on August 01, 2023, by our client, ******** ********** of ***** Services. The account was updated on our system to paid in full on April 1, 2024, and the credit report was updated to reflect the same. After receipt of the complaint, we have submitted the item to be removed from the credit report of the consumer, this was submitted on April 2, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Should you require any further assistance or have additional inquiries, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection Services (HCS)Customer response
04/12/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*****************************Initial Complaint
03/26/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Im not liable for this debt with 04 ** ********** of ************** I do not have a contract with Harvard Collection Serv. They did not provide me with original contract as requested. I demand this be removed from my credit report.Business response
04/02/2024
Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns of the consumer regarding the activity of Harvard Collection Services.
We have noted the dispute in our records and initiated the process for the item to be removed from the credit report of the consumer. The account is on hold pending receipt of validation documents from our client which will be mailed to the consumer upon receipt.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at ************.
Sincerely,
Harvard Collection ServicesCustomer response
04/04/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*****************************
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Customer Complaints Summary
151 total complaints in the last 3 years.
45 complaints closed in the last 12 months.