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Respond to National Service Bureau Collections

Sarah Edwards | April 23, 2024

Sarah Edwards
Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Edwards is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: To resolve debt with National Service Bureau, first verify if the debt is valid. For may contact you about auto accident-related debts, they may collect on behalf of insurance companies. If valid, you can negotiate a lower settlement or set up a payment plan. It's important to respond appropriately to avoid legal issues and potential license suspension. Seek assistance from services like SoloSettle to streamline the settlement process.

After a car accident, the last thing you want to deal with is getting phone calls about paying a debt. If you’re receiving phone calls from the National Service Bureau after a car crash, you may be wondering how you’re going to handle dealing with debt and recovering from your accident at the same time.

So what is the National Service Bureau exactly, and how can you stop the company from contacting you?

Why is the National Service Bureau contacting me?

National Service Bureau is a debt collection agency based out of Bothell, Washington. The company collects various forms of consumer debt but also focuses on subrogation services for insurance providers.

You may be getting phone calls from numbers like 206-533-0877. If the National Service Bureau has contacted you, it’s likely either because you owe a past debt, or you are responsible for damages following an automobile accident.

What is insurance subrogation?

Subrogation is a bit different from debt collection. In subrogation, an insurance company will pay for the damages for the insured party. But the insurance provider will then use a third-party company to recover the funds from the party who was actually at fault.

For instance, suppose that you rear-ended another motorist. That person’s insurance provider may pay for the insurance claim, but then use a subrogation service to recover money from you, the one who caused the accident.

Many insurance companies maintain a business relationship with companies like the National Service Bureau. State Farm Insurance exclusively relies on the National Service Bureau to recover debts.

National Service Bureau reviews aren’t great

National Service Bureau is not a scam, but rather a legitimate debt collection and subrogation company. However, the company does not have great reviews online. According to Google Reviews, National Service Bureau has an average rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars.

These reviews allege that the company has contacted individuals about illegitimate debt, which is why it’s important to verify your debt before interacting further with any debt collector.

Worse than its reviews are the collection agency’s consumer complaints. The Better Business Bureau and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have collected dozens of complaints against the National Bureau Reviews.

While a complaint hardly renders the company guilty, these complaints still point to the need to validate that the debt is yours and respond appropriately.

Use SoloSettle to validate your debt today.

Can the National Service Bureau suspend your license?

The National Service Bureau cannot directly suspend your license. However, the company may report unpaid debts related to an automobile accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or the Secretary of State. These entities can suspend your license in some cases.

The exact threshold varies by state. In California, for instance, your driver’s license can be suspended for 90 days if your judgment is $1,000 or less and has remained unpaid for 90 days. However, for debts over $1,000, the state can suspend the license for both the driver and the car’s owner for up to six years.

Contact the National Service Bureau

You can contact the National Service Bureau through the online contact form, or by calling the company directly at 800-798-1674. Their mailing address is 18912 N Creek Pkwy, Ste 205, Bothell, WA 98011.

I’ve been contacted by the National Service Bureau. Now what?

If you’ve been contacted by the National Service Bureau, your next steps depend partly on why the company has contacted you. Here are some tips for responding to the National Service Bureau.

Determine whether the FDCPA applies

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects consumers from aggressive debt collection practices. For example, debt collectors can’t contact you more than once per day, nor can they contact your friends or family about your debt.

If the company violates your rights, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through the FTC website or by calling 877-382-4357.

However, these protections do not apply to subrogation companies. If the debt collector is contacting you about an auto accident, you will not have the same level of consumer protection. So make sure to learn as much as you can about the reason for the phone call.

Verify that the debt is yours

Under no circumstances should you pay anything until the company is able to prove that the debt is actually yours. Insist that the National Service Bureau provide you with information such as:

  • The original creditor or the nature of the auto incident.
  • The date the debt was incurred.
  • Any payment history.
  • The remaining balance of the debt.
  • Any evidence that proves that you owe the debt.

In the case of automobile claims, the company may need to provide police reports and other documents that demonstrate your responsibility. If the National Service Bureau can’t connect you to the debt, you have a better chance of avoiding further litigation.

Have more questions about validating your debt? Check out this helpful video.

Settle your debt for less than what you owe

What if the debt truly belongs to you? Typically, the best thing to do is to settle for a lower amount. You might agree to pay 60% of the original amount. Your offer may be rejected, but at least you can negotiate your way to a mutually agreeable solution.

SoloSuit can help with this through SoloSettle, a convenient platform that lets you negotiate with debt collectors without dealing with them directly. Negotiate your way to an affordable settlement, and only pay when you reach a solution.

Let’s see how this works in the following example.

Example: Kevin was in an auto accident, and his insurance provider didn’t cover the damage to the other driver. So Kevin wasn’t terribly surprised when later, he got a phone call from the National Service Bureau to pay for the debt. After confirming that the debt was his, he used SoloSettle to pay the debt. Kevin managed to pay less than what he owed and avoid further consequences.


Settle with SoloSettle

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Move beyond debt collection phone calls

Debt collection is never easy to deal with, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. SoloSuit can help you resolve your debt quickly, and move beyond repeated phone calls. Let SoloSuit help you resolve your debt for good with SoloSettle!

Negotiate your way to a lower settlement with SoloSettle today.

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