At a glance Advanced Collection Services Ltd. is a debt collection agency based in Victoria, British Columbia. Established in 1992, the company provides local and international account recovery, traces people who have moved, and enforces court judgments.
If Advanced Collection Services contacts you, a creditor has referred your account for collection. Get written proof of the debt before you pay anything or confirm any personal details.
If the amount looks wrong or the account isn't yours, dispute it in writing. If Advanced Collection Services calls outside allowed hours or breaks any other collection rules, complain to your provincial regulator.
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
Contact Advanced Collection Services
1-800-668-1383
Contact this debt collection agency to verify details, dispute the debt or resolve your account.
Visit agency websiteWhy 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.
Advanced Collection Services phone numbers
These numbers are commonly associated with Advanced Collection Services:
| Phone number | Type |
|---|---|
| Main | |
| Local Office |
Some numbers are submitted by users. We call to verify each one and recheck periodically, but numbers can change.
If you receive a call from a different number claiming to be Advanced Collection Services, verify the debt in writing and confirm the details before paying.
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
Check your own report to see whether Advanced Collection Services has reported the account and whether the information is correct.
What to do if Advanced Collection Services calls you (step by step)
Step 1: Ask for written verification. Get the original creditor's name, amount, account number and the date of last activity. Don't confirm anything until you've reviewed it in writing.
Step 2: Don't share personal details. No address, date of birth or banking information until you've confirmed the debt is yours.
Step 3: Check your credit report to see what Advanced Collection Services has reported about you. Get your free credit score and report with Borrowell.
Step 4: Dispute the debt in writing if it's wrong. Keep copies of everything you send.
Step 5: Check the statute of limitations in your province before you pay or acknowledge the debt in writing.
Step 6: Settle if the debt is correct. Sometimes, Advanced Collection Services might accept a one-time lump sum for less than the full balance. Get any agreement in writing before you pay.
Step 7: Pay by a traceable method like online banking, e-Transfer, or card. Get a receipt.
Step 8: Get help if you can't pay. Talk to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or non-profit credit counsellor.
Source: Government of Canada (FCAC) – Dealing with a debt collector
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.
| Province / Territory | Limitation period |
|---|---|
| Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia | 2 years |
| Quebec | 3 years |
| Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon | 6 years |
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.
Advanced Collection Services locations
Advanced Collection Services has six offices across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Two of the six are in Alberta, with the head office in Victoria, British Columbia.
Provinces served
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Legal Name
Advanced Collection Services Ltd.
FAQs
Can Advanced Collection Services call me at any time?
Advanced Collection Services can only call during specific hours that vary depending on the province in which you live.
In Ontario, a collection agency can call between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. In Alberta, it's 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. any day.
Sources: Government of Ontario – Stop collection agency calls. Government of Alberta – Collection and Debt Repayment Practices Regulation, s.12(1)(g)
Can Advanced Collection Services sue me or garnish my wages?
Advanced Collection Services might recommend legal action to its client if an account remains unresolved. The original creditor files the claim.
Nothing is deducted from your pay or bank account until that creditor sues you, wins, and applies to enforce the judgment. A collection call carries no power on its own.
What if I don't recognize the debt that Advanced Collection Services is collecting?
If you don't recognize the debt Advanced Collection Services claims you owe, get written verification first. Check old phone, utility, and credit card accounts for any missed balances, and pull your credit report to see whether the account appears there.
Don't acknowledge anything until you've confirmed it's yours. If you still don't recognize the debt after receiving written confirmation, dispute it in writing.
Can Advanced Collection Services contact my employer?
Collection agencies can contact third parties to locate you, but they cannot discuss your debt with them unless you've authorized it. Several provinces have laws restricting calls from collection agencies to a consumer's workplace.
Source: Government of Canada (FCAC) – Debt collection: know your rights
What happens if I ignore Advanced Collection Services?
If you ignore Advanced Collection Services, the debt doesn't go away.
A reported collection account stays on your credit report for six years and drags your score down. The creditor can also take you to court.
If you can't pay, speak with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or non-profit credit counselling service about your options.
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Joe launched CollectionAgencies.ca in 2025. He has worked in Canadian personal finance since 2023. He maintains the directory, researches collection agencies across Canada and manages the site's editorial content. Agency listings are sourced from provincial licensing records and legislation.