What is Advanced Collection Services?
Advanced Collection Services Ltd. is a third-party collection agency that recovers unpaid accounts for businesses and institutions. The head office is in Victoria, British Columbia.
The company also does skip tracing, judgment enforcement and international recovery through the TCM Group network of agencies.
Sources: Advanced Collection Services – About Us, Advanced Collection Services – Debt Collection Agency BC
Why is Advanced Collection Services calling me?
If you have received a call, text, email or letter from Advanced Collection Services, it means a creditor has passed your unpaid account to the agency for collection.
In most cases, the debt is legitimate. Sometimes it isn't. The balance is one you've already paid, an old account you'd forgotten, a mix-up with someone whose name is similar, or a scam using the agency's name.
Request a written notice of the debt from Advanced Collection Services that includes the original creditor's name, the amount owed, the account number, and the date of last activity.
Source: Government of Canada (FCAC) – Dealing with a debt collector
Who does Advanced Collection Services collect for?
Advanced Collection Services serves major institutions, corporations, and individuals, handling both commercial and consumer accounts.
Know a company Advanced Collection Services collects for?
Advanced Collection Services enforces and collects outstanding judgments. When a creditor has already sued and won, the agency registers the judgment with the court and pursues enforcement.
Is Advanced Collection Services a legitimate collection agency?
Advanced Collection Services Ltd. is a legitimate Canadian collection agency based in Victoria, British Columbia, and has been operating since 1992.
It has been a BBB Accredited Business since 2 April 2007 and currently holds an A+ rating. The company is also a member of the Canadian Society of Collection Agencies.
Source: Better Business Bureau – Advanced Collection Services Ltd.
Scammers often pretend to be legitimate agencies. Always verify any contact using the information found on this page, rather than the phone number or email that contacted you.
Will Advanced Collection Services affect my credit score?
A collection account from Advanced Collection Services will severely damage your credit score once it's reported to Equifax or TransUnion.
It stays on your credit report for 6 years from the date of your first missed payment, known as the date of first delinquency. Paying it won't remove the mark from your credit file but updates the status to paid, which looks better to future lenders.
Source: Equifax Canada – How long does information stay on my credit report
What to do if Advanced Collection Services calls you (step by step)
What if the debt is old?
Every province has a time limit on how long a collection agency like Advanced Collection Services can sue you for an unpaid debt.
Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
Quebec
Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon
Once the limitation period expires, Advanced Collection Services can still sue you, but you can raise the expired limitation period as a complete defence. The defence isn't automatic. You have to file a defence in court and plead the expired limitation period. If you don't, the court will grant default judgment as if the limitation didn't apply.
Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing restarts the limitation period, but only if it hasn't already expired.
These limitation periods apply to most consumer debts like credit cards, lines of credit, and personal loans. Different rules may apply to government debts, court judgments, or secured debts like mortgages.
For more information, read our guide about debt statute of limitations.
How to stop calls from Advanced Collection Services
Sometimes, you can stop collection calls from a collection agency by sending a cease and desist letter. Once Advanced Collection Services receive it, they have to stop calling. The debt doesn't go away, and they can still take legal action. You can use our cease and desist letter templates.
Provincial law doesn't give you this right in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island or the Yukon.
Regardless of province, if the debt's on a loan, line of credit, or credit card, send the letter by registered mail under federal law. Federal law is the only law in Canada that also stops an original creditor's in-house collectors, not just a collection agency. You can send it to your original creditor and its collection agent, a collection agency or a law firm.
If Advanced Collection Services is making collection calls to you from its Ontario location, then you can send a cease and desist letter available under Ontario's law.
Restrictions on calls to your workplace
Many provinces and territories place restrictions on collection agencies when they attempt to call you at your workplace.
How to file a complaint about Advanced Collection Services
In Canada, debt collection is regulated province by province, not federally. The rules ban harassment, calling outside set hours, discussing your debt with your family or employer, and threatening legal action they have no intention of taking.
Source: Government of Canada (FCAC) – Debt collection: know your rights
If you think Advanced Collection Services is breaking any debt collection or privacy laws, contact the consumer protection authority in your province.
Before making a written complaint, document the dates and times of contact, the phone number used, what was said, and copies of any emails, letters or texts.
Some consumer protection agencies regulating the conduct of collection agencies will not process your complaint unless you first send a written complaint to the collection agency summarizing the conduct in question and making a request for remedial action.
For contact details and links to your provincial office, visit the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Consumer Affairs Offices directory.
