Credit Bureau of Albert Lea
If you are a consumer, the content on this website was produced by a debt collection agency and any information obtained could be used for the collection of a debt.
The information contained on this website should not be interpreted as legal advice. If you have questions regarding any interpretation of the law, contact your attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions from Consumers
click on a question to reveal the answer
What should I do if I receive
a notice from the
Credit Bureau of Albert Lea?
Contact
us
immediately.
We
have
a
very
professional,
supportive
team
in
place
that
can
help
you
resolve
your
current
financial
situation.
We
will
help
you
come
up
with
a
plan
that
is
agreeable
to
both,
you
and
our
client,
your
creditor.
Be
honest
and
upfront
with
our
account
representative
and
you
may
find
ways
together
to
even
pay
your
bill
in
full.
The
quicker
the
situation
is
resolved
the
sooner
you
can
again
focus
on
better
things.
If
the
CBAL
attempts
to
contact
you
and
we
are
unable
to
reach
you,
we
sometimes
assume
that
it
is
your
intention
not
to
pay
the
bill.
This
will
often
times
lead
to
further
collection
activity
that
may
cause
added expense.
What can I expect when I
contact someone at CBAL?
If
you
speak
to
one
of
our
account
representatives,
you
can
expect
courtesy
and
professionalism.
Our
representatives
are
trained
to
both
answer
your
questions
and
assess
your
financial
situation
so
they
can
assist
you
in
coming
up
with
the
best
solution
to
pay
your
debt.
Questions
may
differ
depending
on
each
individual
and
their
circumstances.
Just
remember
we
are
here
to
help
you
resolve
your
current
financial
situation.
The
Credit
Bureau
of
Albert
Lea
reports
its
accounts
to
all
three
National
Credit
Reporting
Agencies
on
or
about
the
10th
of
each
month.
So
any
account
that
has
been
listed
with
us
for
at
least
35
days
will
be
reported as bad debt unless paid in full.
Contact
us
immediately
if
you
receive
a
notice
from
us
about
an
unpaid
bill.
To
keep
an
account
from
being
reported
to
your
credit
file
you
must
pay
that
debt
before
the
30
days
have
lapsed.
We
report
to
the
three
National
Credit
Bureaus
monthly.
If
paid
within
this
initial
thirty
days
it
will
not
be
reported.
Of
course
the
best
way
to
keep
an
account
off
your
credit
file
is
not
to
let
it
get
there
in
the
first
place.
Be
sure
you
have
the
resources
or
a
plan
in
place
before
purchasing
goods
or
services.
The
cost
of
preventing
an
account
from
ending
up
on
your
credit
file
is
far
less
than
the
long-term
consequences of it getting there.
Most
consumers
feel
that
when
they
owe
a
large
amount
of
money
to
a
creditor
all
is
lost
and
there
is
no
reason
to
even
attempt
to
pay.
This
is
not
true,
contact
us
immediately
and
you
will
find
our
collection
professionals
are
willing
to
talk
to
you
and
in
most
situations
set
up
a
payment
plan
that
is
affordable
and
reasonable
for
both
you
and
the
creditor.
Stick
with
your
agreed
upon
payment
plan
and
we
have
no
reason
to
contact
you
again
or
pursue
additional
collection
efforts.
It’s
easy
and
very
rewarding
to
once
again
be
on
track
and
taking care of your financial responsibilities.
Once
an
account
has
been
reported
to
the
national
Credit
Bureaus
it
remains
on
your
credit
report
for
approximately
7
years.
Your
credit
file
will
be
updated
when
you
have
paid
your
account
in
full,
have
come
to
a
settlement
offer
that
has
been
paid
or
are
making
payments.
This
will
change
your
account
status
and
your
credit
score
will
begin improving.
Yes,
when
your
creditor
provided
you
with
goods
or
services
it
was
done
under
good
faith
that
you
would
pay
in
full
once
those
services
or
goods
were
provided.
If
you
are
making
payments
to
them,
unless
you
had
a
prior
payment
arrangement
that
was
agreed
upon
by
both
parties
your
payments
may
not
meet
their
criteria.
Every
creditor
may
have
differing
payment
criteria
in
effect.
This
would
be
part
of
their
policies
and
procedures
The
CBAL
is
a
collection
agency
and
accounts
are
turned
over
to
us
to
collect
in
full.
We
will
work
with
you
to
set
up
payment
arrangements
if
needed,
which
meet
our
guidelines.
If
a
payment
plan
is
agreed
upon
that
meets
this
criteria
a
judgment
will
not
be
necessary.
Legal
action
may
become
necessary
if
payments
are
below that criteria or are sporadic.
You
as
the
patient/guarantor
are
responsible
for
payment,
the
service
was
provided
for
you.
Initially,
be
sure
the
creditor
has
the
correct
information
to
submit
to
the
insurance
company.
Follow
up
with
the
insurance
company
to
be
sure
they
received
the
correct
information
and
have
processed
the
claim
properly
and
follow
up
with
the
creditor
to
be
sure
they
have
received
payment.
The
creditor
processes
your
claims
as
a
courtesy;
ultimately
the
responsibility
lies with you for payment.
Contact
us
as
soon
as
possible.
You
have
30
days
from
the
date
of
the
first
notice
you
received
informing
you
that
you
have
a
debt
with
the
CBAL.
This
validation
period
allows
you
to
request
information
or
documentation
regarding the debt.
In
most
instances
if
the
debt
was
incurred
while
you
were
married
you
are
jointly
liable.
The
debt
will
be
reported
in
both
the
husband
and
wife’s
name.
If
you
find
yourself
in
this
situation
it
will
be
in
your
best
interest
to
get
it
paid
before
it
has
a
negative effect on your credit/credit score.
The
answer
is
yes,
but
in
most
cases
we
will
not.
As
a
data
furnisher
we
are
required
to
report
true
and
accurate
information.
The
CBAL
does
have
the
ability
to
delete
or
amend
your
credit
file
to
reflect
any
errors
due
to
a
mistake
when
the
account
was
first
placed.
