What is Phillips & Cohen Associates?
Phillips & Cohen Associates (PCA), also written as Phillips and Cohen, is a specialty collection agency that recovers debts from the estates of deceased account holders.
The name sounds like a law firm, but Phillips & Cohen Associates is not one. It's a collection agency that employs in-house attorneys for estate work.
The Canadian entity is Phillips & Cohen Associates (Canada) Ltd., based at 16766 Transcanada Highway, Suite 402, Kirkland, Quebec. The parent company was founded in 1997 and pioneered the deceased account recovery niche.
Why is Phillips & Cohen Associates calling me?
If Phillips & Cohen Associates is calling, it's most likely about a debt owed by someone who has died. Phillips & Cohen Associates specializes in deceased account recovery.
Contact from them is usually linked to an estate, not your own personal debt. The call could also be a scam or a mistake.
If they are calling, you might be the executor of the estate. You could also be a surviving spouse, an adult child, or another family member listed as a contact.
Don't confirm any personal details or agree to pay until you have written proof of the debt.
Phillips & Cohen Associates phone numbers
These numbers are commonly associated with Phillips & Cohen Associates:
| Phone number | Type |
|---|---|
| Main | |
| User Reported | |
| User Reported | |
| User Reported |
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 Phillips & Cohen Associates, verify the debt in writing and confirm the details before paying.
Who does Phillips & Cohen Associates collect for?
Phillips & Cohen Associates collects for over major creditors worldwide. Their clients include banks, credit card companies, utility providers, telecom companies and government agencies.
In Canada, Phillips & Cohen Associates focuses mainly on deceased account recovery. The Kirkland, Quebec office handles estate debts referred by Canadian creditors and by other collection agencies that don't specialize in deceased accounts.
The company's main services are deceased account recovery and probate. Phillips & Cohen Associates also handles credit card collections, consumer retail debt, and cease-and-desist cases.
If you don't recognize the creditor name on a letter or call, pull your credit report from Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada. It shows which creditor placed the account in collections.
Know a company Phillips & Cohen Associates collects for?
Is Phillips & Cohen Associates legitimate?
Phillips & Cohen Associates (Canada) Ltd. is a legitimate collection agency. The parent company was founded in 1997 and has offices in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany.
If someone claims to be from Phillips & Cohen Associates, verify the debt in writing before paying anything or sharing information about the estate.
Will Phillips & Cohen Associates affect my credit score?
A collection account from Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates calls you (step by step)
What if the debt is old?
Every province has a time limit on how long a collection agency like Phillips & Cohen Associates 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, Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates
Sometimes, you can stop collection calls from a collection agency by sending a cease and desist letter. Once Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates
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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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.
Accreditations
Legal Name
Phillips & Cohen Associates (Canada) Ltd.
Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd
