CBCS Collections: How to Settle or Fight Back (2025 Guide)

CBCS Collections contacted you, and now your phone won't stop ringing. Maybe they've already filed a lawsuit. Either way, you need a plan that doesn't involve panic or empty promises.

CBCS merged with Professional Recovery Consultants in 2020 and rebranded as Revco Solutions. The name changed, but their playbook didn't: high-volume calls, threats about court action, and pressure to pay immediately. They collect on medical bills, credit cards, and old utility accounts. If you're reading this, they probably bought your debt for pennies on the dollar and want you to pay full price.

You have three moves: settle for less, demand proof they own the debt, or fight them in court. Which path makes sense depends on whether the debt is yours, how old it is, and whether they've already sued you.

Who CBCS Collections Is and Why They're Calling

CBCS operated as a third-party debt collector for decades before merging into Revco Solutions. They buy charged-off debt from hospitals, credit card issuers, and telecom companies. When your original creditor gives up, they sell your account to agencies like CBCS at a steep discount. CBCS then tries to collect the full balance plus interest and fees.

Most complaints about CBCS involve relentless calling. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received over 200 complaints about CBCS between 2020 and 2023, citing harassment, wrong-number calls, and attempts to collect debts already paid. Some consumers reported being contacted at work despite asking CBCS to stop.

If you owe $5,000 to a hospital, CBCS might have paid $500 for your account. They profit if you pay anything above that $500. That gap is your leverage.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects you from abusive tactics. CBCS must follow these rules:

• No calls before 8 a.m. Or after 9 p.m. in your time zone.
• No contacting you at work after you tell them your employer prohibits it.
• No harassment, threats, or profanity. This includes threatening arrest (they can't do that for civil debt).
• They must send a written validation notice within five days of first contact, listing the debt amount, creditor name, and your right to dispute.
• They must verify the debt if you dispute it in writing within 30 days.

If CBCS violates these rules, you can sue them for up to $1,000 plus attorney fees. Document every call: date, time, what they said. Save voicemails. If they call you at 10 p.m. Or threaten jail, that's evidence.

Step 1: Demand Debt Validation

Don't admit the debt is yours. Send a debt validation letter within 30 days of their first contact. This forces CBCS to prove they own the debt and that you owe it.

Your letter should say:

• You dispute the debt.
• You want proof they own it (a signed contract between them and the original creditor).
• You want documentation showing the original debt amount and how they calculated the current balance.
• You want them to communicate only by mail going forward.

Mail it certified with return receipt. Once they receive it, they must stop collection activity until they send proof. Many debt buyers can't provide solid documentation. If they don't respond or send flimsy proof, they're supposed to stop collecting. If they sue you later without proper validation, that's a court defense.

Step 2: Check the Statute of Limitations

Every state has a deadline for suing over unpaid debt. If your debt is older than that deadline, it's "time-barred." CBCS can still ask you to pay, but they can't win a lawsuit.

Statutes of limitations for written contracts (like credit cards) range from three years in some states to ten in others. Medical debt and oral contracts often have shorter windows. Look up your state's statute. If your debt is past the deadline, write CBCS a letter stating the debt is time-barred and you won't pay. If they sue anyway, your defense is simple: the statute has expired.

Warning: If you make a payment or even acknowledge the debt in writing, you might restart the clock in some states. Don't do that before checking with a lawyer or researching your state's rules.

How to Settle Debt With CBCS Collections

If the debt is yours and you want to resolve it, you can often settle for 30% to 50% of the balance. CBCS bought your debt cheap. A partial payment still turns them a profit.

Here's how to negotiate:

Wait for them to offer first. If you call and offer to pay, you lose leverage. Let them chase you a bit. After a few weeks, they'll often propose a settlement.

Start low. If they say you owe $8,000, offer $2,000. They'll counter. You'll meet somewhere in the middle. Aim for 30% to 40% of the total.

Get it in writing before you pay. CBCS must send you a settlement agreement that says they'll mark the debt "settled in full" or "paid as agreed" and stop all collection. Don't send money based on a phone promise. Verbal deals mean nothing if they sell the remaining balance to another collector.

Pay with a method you can trace. Use a check or money order, never a debit card tied to your main bank account. If CBCS has your account info, some collectors will drain it before you can stop them.

Save everything. Keep the settlement letter and proof of payment forever. Debt collectors sometimes sell "settled" accounts. If another agency comes after you in five years, you'll need that paperwork.

If you're struggling to figure out whether settlement or bankruptcy is the better move, Talk About Debt's bankruptcy screener can help you weigh your options in under five minutes.

What to Do If CBCS Collections Sues You

If you've been served with a lawsuit, you have one job: file an Answer with the court before the deadline. That deadline is usually 20 to 30 days from the date you were served. Miss it, and CBCS wins by default. They'll get a judgment, and then they can garnish your wages or freeze your bank account.

Your Answer is a short document that responds to each claim in their complaint. If they say you owe $6,000, you can say "denied" if you don't recognize the amount. If they claim they own the debt, you can say "denied for lack of knowledge" and force them to prove it in court.

Most debt buyers don't have bulletproof documentation. If you file an Answer and demand they prove their case, many will offer a settlement rather than go to trial. Some will even dismiss the lawsuit if they realize they can't win.

If you don't know how to draft an Answer, you have options. Some courts have self-help forms. Legal aid organizations offer free help if you qualify. Or you can hire a consumer rights attorney. Many work on contingency or flat fees for debt cases.

Once you file your Answer, CBCS might call to negotiate. This is when you have the most leverage. They've already spent money filing the lawsuit. If you offer to settle for 40% in exchange for dismissing the case, they'll often take it.

How to Stop CBCS From Calling You

You can stop most collection calls by sending a cease-and-desist letter. This tells CBCS to only contact you in writing. They can still sue you, but they can't call or text.

Mail the letter certified. Say something like: "Under the FDCPA, I demand that you cease all phone communication regarding this debt. Contact me only by mail at [your address]." Once they get it, they must stop calling. If they don't, that's a violation you can sue them for.

Some people worry that a cease-and-desist will make CBCS more likely to sue. That's a myth. They sue based on whether they think they can collect, not on whether you sent a letter.

When Bankruptcy Makes More Sense Than Settlement

If CBCS is one of several creditors hounding you, settlement might not solve the problem. You settle with CBCS, and next month another collector sues you. If your total unsecured debt exceeds $10,000 and you're barely making minimum payments, bankruptcy might wipe the slate clean.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy erases most unsecured debt (credit cards, medical bills, old utility bills) in about four months. You'll take a hit to your credit, but if your score is already trashed from missed payments, bankruptcy can be a faster path to rebuilding.

Chapter 13 lets you repay a portion of your debts over three to five years if you have steady income. It stops lawsuits and wage garnishments immediately.

Filing bankruptcy costs about $300 in court fees plus attorney fees (often $1,000 to $3,000 for Chapter 7). If you're judgment-proof—meaning you have no assets or income creditors can touch,you might not need bankruptcy. But if you own a home, have a job, or want to stop the harassment, it's worth considering.

Talk About Debt's bankruptcy filing guide walks you through the process, including how to find affordable legal help and what to expect at your 341 meeting.

CBCS Collections vs. CBCS Collections LLC

One quick note: CBCS Collections (now Revco Solutions) is not the same as CBCS Collections LLC. The latter is a separate, smaller agency. If you're unsure which one contacted you, check the address on their letters. CBCS/Revco operates from Durham, North Carolina. If the address is different, you might be dealing with a different agency. This matters for validation letters and legal research.

Contact Information for CBCS Collections (Revco Solutions)

If you need to reach CBCS to negotiate or send a written request:

• Phone: 855-202-0113
• Address: 2700 Meridian Parkway, Suite 200, Durham, NC 27713

Use certified mail for anything important. Phone promises don't hold up in court.

What Happens If You Ignore CBCS Collections

Ignoring them won't make the debt vanish. If you don't respond to their calls or letters, they'll likely file a lawsuit within six months to a year. Once they have a judgment, they can garnish up to 25% of your paycheck in most states, freeze your bank account, or put a lien on your property.

Even if the debt is time-barred, ignoring them is risky. Some debt buyers sue anyway, hoping you won't show up to defend yourself. If you don't file an Answer, they win by default, and the statute of limitations defense is lost.

Better move: Send a validation letter or a cease-and-desist. At least then you control the communication channel and buy time to figure out your next step.

Dealing with CBCS Collections doesn't have to end in a garnishment or a trashed credit report. You can settle for less than you owe, demand proof, or fight them in court. The worst thing you can do is freeze up and hope they go away. They won't. But if you act fast and follow the steps above, you can resolve this on your terms.