At a glance Total Credit Recovery Limited is a Canadian debt collection agency that's been in business since 1980. Total Credit Recovery collects debts on behalf of creditors you owe money to, including banks, telecom companies, government agencies and commercial businesses.
If Total Credit Recovery contacts you, request written verification of the debt before sharing any personal information or making any payments.
Debt collection rules vary by province, but every province has rules against harassment, misleading statements and contact outside permitted hours.
What is Total Credit Recovery?
Total Credit Recovery Limited (TCR) is a national debt collection agency that collects debts on behalf of creditors you owe money to.
Total Credit Recovery was founded in 1980 in Toronto and claims to be the largest 100% Canadian-owned collection agency.
Total Credit Recovery has offices in Toronto (head office), Laval, Mission (BC) and Edmonton.
Source: Total Credit Recovery – About
Contact Total Credit Recovery
1-888-549-4605
Contact this debt collection agency to verify details, dispute the debt or resolve your account.
Visit agency websiteWhy is Total Credit Recovery calling me?
If you've received a call, voicemail, text, email or letter from Total Credit Recovery, the agency believes you have an outstanding account with a creditor it represents.
Sometimes the debt is legitimate. Sometimes it's an old account, a mistake, a debt you don't recognize or a scam attempt using a real company name.
Always request written verification before confirming any debt or making a payment.
Source: Government of Canada (FCAC) – Dealing with a debt collector
Who does Total Credit Recovery collect for?
Total Credit Recovery collects debts across multiple sectors, including banks, telecommunications companies, government agencies and commercial businesses.
Industry | Consumer-reported examples |
|---|---|
Financial services | Canadian Tire Bank (Mastercard), Canadian Tire Triangle Mastercard, PC Financial |
Telecommunications | Bell Mobility, Bell Smart Home (a.p.i. Alarm Inc.), FIDO |
Government | Ontario Ministry of Finance |
Utilities | Hydro, gas and water providers |
Healthcare | Hospitals and medical providers |
Education | Student loan accounts |
Commercial | Business-to-business debts |
Note: Unless otherwise stated, the companies listed above are gathered from user-submitted entries, consumer reports, online discussions and public records. They don't represent confirmed contractual relationships with Total Credit Recovery Limited. Canadian Tire's collection relationship with Total Credit Recovery was confirmed through a 2007 BC Supreme Court case.
Treat all creditor claims as unconfirmed until you receive written verification tied to your specific account.
Companies that use Total Credit Recovery for debt collection
Submitted by consumers. We try to verify these reports but cannot always confirm them.
Know another company Total Credit Recovery collects for?
Total Credit Recovery phone numbers
These numbers are commonly associated with Total Credit Recovery:
| Phone number | Type |
|---|---|
| Main | |
| Local Office | |
| Local Office | |
| Local Office | |
| Local Office |
Some numbers are submitted by users. We call to verify each one and recheck periodically, but numbers can change.
Got a call from a number not shown here?
If you receive a call from a different number claiming to be Total Credit Recovery, verify the debt in writing and confirm the details before paying.
Is Total Credit Recovery a legitimate collection agency?
Yes. Total Credit Recovery Limited is a legitimate debt collection agency that's been in business since 1980. Total Credit Recovery publicly lists its corporate address and contact details.
Total Credit Recovery is a member of ACA International and the Receivables Management Association of Canada.
Will Total Credit Recovery affect my credit score?
A collection account from Total Credit Recovery 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. Paying it won't remove the mark from your credit file but updates the status to paid, which looks better to future lenders.
Check your own report to see whether Total Credit Recovery has reported the account and whether the information is correct.
What to do if Total Credit Recovery 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 Total Credit Recovery 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, Total Credit Recovery 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
Not in Ontario, Alberta, BC, Nunavut or the NWT? Find a trustee in your province
What if the debt is old?
Every province has a time limit on how long a collection agency like Total Credit Recovery 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, Total Credit Recovery 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 Total Credit Recovery
Send Total Credit Recovery a cease and desist letter. Once they receive it, they have to stop phoning. The debt doesn't go away, and they can still take legal action.
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.
However, if the debt's on a loan, line of credit, or credit card, send the letter by registered mail under federal law. If Total Credit Recovery is physically based in Ontario, use Ontario's law instead.
Read more: How to stop collection calls in Canada.
How to file a complaint about Total Credit Recovery
If you think that Total Credit Recovery is breaking any debt collection rules, contact the consumer protection authority in your province.
Before filing, document the dates and times of contact, the phone number used, what was said, and copies of any emails, letters or texts.
For contact details and links to your provincial office, visit the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Consumer Affairs Offices directory.
Has Total Credit Recovery had regulatory actions?
Service Alberta issued a $500 administrative penalty to Total Credit Recovery (ALB) Limited in July 2024 for contravening the Collection and Debt Repayment Practices Regulation.
Source: Open Alberta – Notice of Administrative Penalty: Total Credit Recovery (ALB) Limited
Accreditations
Total Credit Recovery locations
Locations that Total Credit Recovery operate in:
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
Total Credit Recovery Limited
Common variations
People sometimes search for this agency under slightly different names or misspellings. These are the most common variations we see.
TCR Collection Agency
Total Credit Recovery Company
FAQs
Yes. Total Credit Recovery Limited is commonly referred to as TCR. If you've received a call or letter from TCR, it's the same company.
Verify the details using official contact information on their website.
Request written verification that shows the original creditor's name and the amount owed. Don't make a payment until you have confirmed it's legitimate.
If you think there's a mistake, dispute the debt in writing by registered mail and keep copies of everything you send.
Total Credit Recovery cannot garnish your wages or freeze your bank account without a court judgment. To garnish wages or freeze accounts, a collection agency needs to take you to court and win.
A phone call from Total Credit Recovery does not mean they have a judgment against you.
Collection agencies can contact third parties to locate you, but they can't discuss your debt with anyone else. If you ask Total Credit Recovery to stop calling your workplace, they must stop.
Yes. You can negotiate a settlement at any stage of the collections process. Get the settlement terms in writing before you pay, and confirm that the remaining balance will be forgiven.
Ask Total Credit Recovery how the settled account will be reported to Equifax and TransUnion.
Other collection agencies in Canada
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.