If you get a call or letter from a company that claims to be debt collectors, it is normal for you to wonder about their legitimacy. The name of the debt collection agency that you may be wondering about is Harris & Harris, Ltd. For those who have just been contacted by them, you may want to know about their authenticity and what to do. Find out about Harris & Harris and their legitimacy below.
What is Harris & Harris?
Harris & Harris is the name of a debt collection agency. This one was founded in 1968 by the late Samuel J. Harris, the Collection Manager for an apparel chain. It is located at 111 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois. This company is open every day except Sunday. The complete working hours are as follows:
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- Monday: 8 AM – 8 PM
- Tuesday: 8 AM – 8 PM
- Wednesday: 8 AM – 8 PM
- Thursday: 8 AM – 8 PM
- Friday: 8 AM – 7 PM
- Saturday: 8 AM – 12 PM
- Sunday: Closed
Samuel aimed to create a company that could treat customers the way he would want to be treated, which is with a greater level of respect, while collecting more money from them. Even though he is no longer around, his legacy is still continued by his children, including Arnie and Dave Harris. Together, these two teams up to build on the strong existing values and work along with their more than 500 employees to uphold the values of the companies, including:
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- Excellence: The excellence of the company has become something that pushed the employees to achieve the highest standards in performance and to always improve for the better.
- Diversity: The company is diverse, meaning it is unique. Its uniqueness is a strong point that can unite everyone to work together. Besides, it can also promote a culture where every opinion is respected and matters.
- Respect: With respect to the value that the company has, everyone at the company is strived to create a place where everyone feels heard, appreciated, and supported.
- Accountability: Accountability means the company is responsible for their actions and outcomes.
In addition, the company is also committed to share with others who are in need. They had worked with a number of organizations, such as:
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- American Cancer Society
- Feeding America
- Operation Stars & Stripes Inc.
- Habitat for Humanity
- The Boulevard
- Detroit Public School Community District
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago
- One Warm Coat
- Thaw
- Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Chicago
- Detroit Rescue Missions Ministries
- Matthew House
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Autism Speaks
- Children’s Hospital of Michigan DMC (Detroit Medical Center)
- Ronald McDonald House Charities
- Greater Chicago Foods Depository
- A Just Harvest
- NBCDI (National Black Child Development Institute)
- BRIA Health Services
- Chicago Public Schools
- Youthworks
- Gilda’s Club Chicago
- Providence Soup Kitchen
- Pacific Garden Mission
- American Heart Association
- Open Books
Is Harris & Harris a Legitimate Debt Collector?
For anyone who is wondering whether or not Harris & Harris is a legitimate debt collector, the short answer to the question is yes. Harris & Harris is a legit debt collector. The company has been in the industry for 56 years. It has been accredited by BBB since July 16, 2018. Its current rating on the official website of BBB is now B+. However, it only has a 1.11 star rating out of 5.
How to Verify the Legitimacy of Harris & Harris?
In case you are unsure about the legitimacy of Harris & Harris, you are suggested to do the followings:
1. Check the debt
Make sure to always verify the debt that the company is trying to collect. To do it, you can review your financial records. Find and open these things to find out whether or not the debt is real and is yours. Just like other debt collection agencies, Harris & Harris usually has the information about the original creditor and will inform such a thing to the consumers like you. With it, you will be able to trace back the debt.
2. Contact them directly
If you want to ensure if the debt collector that claims from Harris & Harris is really from the company, the best thing that you can do to prove it is to contact the company directly. Feel free to submit a form found on the official website of Harris & Harris at https://www.harriscollect.com or to call them at 844-840-8062.
3. Request a debt validation letter
According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or FDCPA, every consumer has the right to request a debt validation letter. In the letter, they will be able to find the detailed information about the debt, such as the amount owed, the original creditor, and the rights of the consumers. If the consumers ask for this kind of letter, Harris & Harris as a debt collection company is required to provide it to them.
Customer Reviews and Complaints
Finding out how legit a debt collector is can also be done by checking out its reviews and complaints given by the customers. One of the websites where you will be able to find the reviews and complaints for Harris & Harris is Better Business Bureau or BBB. Here are some reviews and complaints for this debt collection agency posted on the website:
Reviews:
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- “I understand that they are a debt collector but maybe let a person speak. I received a bill which I know that I owe but with the high deductible plans these days and a hospital expecting you to pay within 6 months or go to collection. Guess I am going to collection. They sent me a letter that said to pay 14 months at a certain dollar amount to take care of the balance. I have already made 2 payments on this payment plan and they continue to call me EVERY day asking how I am going to take care of the balance WHEN I AM ON THEIR PAYMENT Plan. Harassment. When you call to talk to them about it they are RUDE and don’t let you get a word in edge wise. Well guess I will block their number since they don’t let you talk anyways and just keep submitting my payment as instructed by THEIR letter.” – Kim R
- “I recieved a text saying I owed $56 to the **************************** I got it straightened up with *** and had absolutely no balances on my account. Definitely running a scam.” – Adrian L
- “They have been calling almost daily for several months. Our number was either fraudulently given or a number transposed in error – either way, they are calling the wrong number – this is NOT OUR DEBT. They have told us at least 10 times that they are going to remove our number from their system, yet, the daily calls continue. We’ve tried being very polite about removing the number and we get nothing but bad attitude from the employees in return. They need to stop telling us why they keep calling and instead work at finding the right person. This has legitimately turned into harassment.” – Katie J
- “I spent years trying to deal with this 2021 til now 2024. The people who sold our “medical debt”, never billed our insurance. I let H&H know. They had no issue calling me and sending mail relentlessly. It’s been a year or so since I last heard since it should have been sorted. Now I am getting calls again but they said they won’t contact me again as I don’t have my family here to ask permission but if you look at the files. I’m already there. If you’re going to harass people please have the right information.” – Maritza C
- “When you call these people they never answer a phone and all they want to do is send information through text with personal info and its the wrong person. They dont mind threating you over text or email. They should be punished for giving out personal info without knowing who is getting.” – Chris F
Complaints:
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- “I have continuously received calls from Harris and Harris for the past several months. I have NO business with them at all. I have told them to stop calling me and they continue to call. Calls are made from multiple numbers so it becomes difficult to block calls.”
- “Constantly getting harassed with calls from this business under multiple phone numbers. My credit report indicates no outstanding debt and their voicemails leave no information other than an invalid claim number and a number to call them back on. I am requesting my number to be removed from their service.”
- “This company has been calling me since the beginning of the year looking for ***********************, the estate holder for ***************************. I don’t know these people. I informed the company and they keep calling.”
- “This business uses harassment techniques to intimidate victims. These include; torturous automated phone system that uses extremely obnoxious noise, a contrived stay on the line monitor and intentionally deceptive wait time estimates. Automated phone systems are horrid. *********************************************** takes it to criminal levels. They send text messages demanding payment with NO WAY to verify what the charges are for. If you call them and suffer through their automated system the information flow is only 1 -way. They will not tell you what they are attempting to collect or give any information concerning the original alleged debt
- “I have received multiple text messages from Harris&Harris stating they are a debt collector for City of LA informing me that view my account and pay under ticket **********. Upon review, under LAdotparking.org, there are two citations associated with the address ******************** with dates 11/22/23 and 03/21/24. I was never associated with this address or traveled to ** on these dates nor do I understand how these tickets are associated with my name and phone number. This is not my citation.”
What To Do If Contacted by Harris & Harris?
If you are getting contacted by Harris & Harris, do not panic. Instead, you should do the followings:
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- First of all, you should calm yourself. If you feel panic, you will not be able to think properly. Instead, it will worsen the situation.
- Upon getting contacted by the company, it is important for you to verify your debt by double checking your records and requesting a debt validation letter. These things should be done to ensure the legitimacy of the debt.
- If you admit that the debt is yours and you think that you are capable of repaying it, talk to them to negotiate a payment plan. There is a chance that they are willing to agree with flexible repayment options.
- If you think that the debt is not yours or you admit it but you think that the amount is not accurate, just dispute it. Do not ever hesitate because you have the right to do it. In order to dispute it, you can send a written dispute to the company. After getting the writing from you, they will investigate and also provide proof of the debt.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, Harris & Harris is indeed a legit debt collector or debt collection agency. It has a long-standing history. There is no need for you to doubt its legitimacy since it has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau or BBB. However, it is possible for someone to claim to be the representative of the company when in fact they are not. In this case, it is always a must for you to verify everything when getting contacted by someone who says to be from Harris & Harris.
