You pull your credit report and see a collection account you don’t recognize, filed under a name like “CBY,” “HY Systems,” or “Factual Data York.” Or your phone rings from a York, Pennsylvania number about a daycare bill, an old apartment lease, or a medical charge, and the caller identifies a company you’ve never heard of. Both scenarios usually trace back to the same business: C B Y Systems, Inc., now doing business as CBY Professional Services.
If C B Y Systems is calling you repeatedly, reporting a debt to the credit bureaus without validating it first, or ignoring your written dispute, you may have more leverage than it feels like in the moment. Federal law limits exactly how a collector can pursue you and how a credit reporting agency can furnish information about you, and CBY plays both roles. This guide walks through who the company is, what its complaint record shows, and what to do if it has crossed a legal line.
Is C B Y Systems Calling You Legal?
Yes, in general. A company that holds a valid debt or furnishes accurate credit information is allowed to contact you. What’s not automatically legal is calling you about a debt it can’t validate, reporting an account without adequate proof, or continuing contact after you’ve disputed the account in writing.
Because CBY operates as both a third-party debt collector and a consumer reporting agency, two different federal laws apply to it at once. The FDCPA governs how it can call and what it can say while trying to collect. The FCRA governs what it’s allowed to report to Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, and requires it to investigate a dispute rather than simply re-report the same information.
In our practice, a company that both collects debts and reports to the credit bureaus gives consumers two separate paths to relief, not one. We look at both angles before deciding how to proceed.
Who Is C B Y Systems, Inc.?
- Legal name: C B Y Systems, Inc., doing business as CBY Professional Services
- Former name: The Credit Bureau of York, Inc. (founded 1927; renamed CBY Systems before its 2022 rebrand)
- Address: 33 South Duke Street, York, PA 17401-1401
- Phone: (717) 843-8685; toll-free (800) 717-4229
- Fax: (717) 854-7862
- Years in business: 99 (BBB file opened June 1983)
- BBB rating: A+ (not BBB-accredited)
- Complaint contact: Ms. Shawna Kane, Complaint Manager
- Also does business as: CBY Collection Services, CBY Real Estate Services, CBY Landlord Services, CBY Marketing Services, Credit Bureau of York & Adams County, Emfacts of York, Emfacts Employment Screening Services, Factual Data York, HY Systems, Inc.
That list of alternate names is not a red flag by itself. It reflects one company operating several service lines under one roof: consumer collections, tenant and employment screening, and credit reporting. When clients come to us confused about a name on their credit report, it’s often one of these CBY affiliates rather than a separate scam operation. That said, operating under nearly a dozen names does make it harder for a consumer to piece together their own history with the company, which is exactly why a written validation request matters.
Is CBY a Debt Collector or a Credit Reporting Agency?
Both, and that combination is unusual. Most companies in this space either collect debts or furnish credit data, not both. CBY collects on daycare, rental, utility, and medical accounts as a third-party collector, while its Emfacts and Factual Data York lines perform tenant and employment background screening, and it furnishes account information directly to the credit bureaus.
Our attorneys evaluate CBY cases differently for exactly this reason. A consumer might have an FDCPA claim over how the company called them, an FCRA claim over what it reported, or both arising from the same underlying account.
Can a CBY Background Check Cost You a Job or an Apartment?
Yes, and this is where CBY differs from a typical collector. Through its Emfacts and Factual Data York lines, CBY runs employment and tenant background checks that pull the same credit and collection data it also collects on. If an employer or landlord denies you based on a CBY-generated report, federal law requires that you receive an adverse action notice telling you which company supplied the report and that you have the right to see it and dispute anything inaccurate. We frequently see consumers who were denied an apartment or a job and never realized CBY, in its screening capacity, was the source of the information that hurt them, which means the dispute has to happen at the credit-reporting level, not just with the landlord or employer.
Industries C B Y Systems Pursues
CBY’s collection work concentrates on a handful of account types, each carrying its own documentation trail.
- Daycare and education accounts show up frequently in CBY’s portfolio, often for small balances that a parent may not realize went to collections until it appears on a credit report.
- Rental and property accounts connect to CBY’s landlord and tenant-screening services. A lease dispute, a move-out charge, or a rejected rental application can all originate from the same underlying file.
- Utility and medical accounts round out CBY’s core business, frequently involving insurance payment timing disputes similar to those seen across the collections industry generally. If you’re unsure which type of debt CBY is pursuing, that distinction affects both your rights and how quickly the account could otherwise be time-barred.
Why Do Different Names Show Up on Your Credit Report?
If you’ve seen “CBY Systems,” “Credit Bureau of York,” or “HY Systems” on the same report, or on different reports, they likely point to the same underlying company. CBY’s rebrand to CBY Professional Services in 2022 consolidated decades of name changes, but its BBB file still lists nine alternate names tied to the same entity.
One thing consumers often misunderstand is that a name change doesn’t reset the clock on a debt or wipe out prior reporting history. If an account moved from “Credit Bureau of York” to “CBY Systems” and now sits under “CBY Professional Services,” it’s still worth demanding a full accounting of when the account was opened, reported, and by which entity.
Is This Harassment? What CBY’s Complaint Record Shows
CBY’s BBB file, while smaller than some collectors, reveals a consistent pattern: consumers sending detailed written validation demands and CBY responding that the account was “already validated,” without directly answering the consumer’s specific questions.
The credit reporting side of the business generates its own version of this problem. Multiple consumers have cited the FCRA directly in their complaints, arguing that CBY furnished information to the credit bureaus without adequate proof that the debt belonged to them, which raises different legal issues than a straightforward phone-harassment complaint.
How Many Times Can CBY Legally Call You?
The FDCPA doesn’t set an exact number, but the CFPB’s Regulation F creates a presumption that more than seven calls about one debt within seven days, or a call within seven days of the last one, counts as harassment. We frequently see consumers assume a handful of calls couldn’t possibly be illegal, when in fact frequency is only one factor; ignoring a validation request or continuing to report disputed information can be just as actionable on its own.
BBB Complaints Against C B Y Systems
Source: BBB complaint
CBY’s BBB complaint file shows 5 complaints in the past three years, all but one classified as billing disputes. Three examples show the pattern.
- In a February 2024 complaint, a consumer cited the FCRA directly, arguing that CBY furnished account information to the credit bureaus in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1681 and that it could not do so without her written authorization. CBY’s response noted that the consumer had separately filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and that validation documents were provided around the same time, without directly addressing the authorization argument the consumer raised.
- In a January 2024 complaint, a consumer sent a detailed written demand under FDCPA § 809(b), asking CBY to identify the original creditor, show a signed agreement, and prove the account wasn’t time-barred. CBY responded that it had mailed validation documents twice, tied to a signed lease agreement, and that the consumer’s dispute had already been addressed through TransUnion and Equifax. The consumer rejected that response, saying she still had not received documentation showing she personally agreed to pay the debt.
- In a July 2023 complaint, a consumer said she had no contract with the Credit Bureau of York and was not liable for the debt it was attempting to collect. CBY responded that the consumer had disputed the debt, that it had validated the debt, and that the balance remained owed, without elaborating on what documentation supported that conclusion in the public response.
A pattern worth naming here: in each of these complaints, CBY asserts that validation was sent, but the consumer’s follow-up suggests the documentation didn’t answer the specific question asked. That gap, between “we validated it” and actually proving the consumer agreed to the debt, is where a lot of FDCPA and FCRA claims come from.
Your Legal Rights Against C B Y Systems
Because CBY operates as both a collector and a data furnisher, you likely have rights under more than one statute at once.
In many of the cases we review, the FCRA claim ends up being just as valuable as the FDCPA claim, particularly when a consumer can show CBY kept reporting a disputed account without adequately investigating it first.
CBY’s screening services may also fall under 15 U.S.C. § 1681m, which requires employers or landlords taking adverse action based on a background report to disclose that the report influenced the decision and identify the reporting agency. If CBY provided inaccurate information that affected hiring or housing decisions, it may create a separate claim against CBY.
| Violation | Real Example | Statute | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnishing account data without adequate authorization or proof | February 2024 BBB complaint: consumer cited 15 U.S.C. § 1681, § 602(a), and § 1681s-2(a)(5), arguing CBY furnished data without her written instructions | FCRA § 1681s-2 | Actual damages, statutory damages for willful violations, attorney’s fees |
| Failing to substantively answer a written validation request | January 2024 BBB complaint: consumer’s detailed §809(b) demand was met with a general reference to prior validation rather than the specific items requested | FDCPA §809 | Up to $1,000 statutory damages, actual damages, attorney’s fees |
| Continuing to report a disputed account without investigation | July 2023 BBB complaint: consumer disputed owing any debt to Credit Bureau of York; CBY maintained the account was valid without detailing its investigation | FCRA § 1681i | Actual damages, statutory damages for willful violations, attorney’s fees |
| Calling more than seven times in seven days about one debt | Federal Regulation F presumption; not specifically documented in CBY’s public complaint file but illegal regardless | FDCPA §805(a) | Up to $1,000 statutory damages, actual damages, attorney’s fees |
| Continuing contact after a written cease-and-desist | Applies once a consumer sends written notice; CBY’s file shows consumers frequently submit detailed written disputes | FDCPA §805(c) | Up to $1,000 statutory damages, actual damages, attorney’s fees |
If C B Y Systems violated the FDCPA or FCRA, they pay our attorney’s fees, not you. That fee-shifting rule exists precisely so a $36 daycare bill or a $65 utility charge doesn’t have to feel too small to fight over.
Can I Sue C B Y Systems?
Yes, if CBY violated the FDCPA, FCRA, TCPA, or Pennsylvania’s FCEUA. You can recover statutory damages without proving a specific dollar loss under the FDCPA, and under the FCRA you can recover actual damages plus statutory damages if CBY’s furnishing conduct was willful. You do not need to have already paid the debt, or even owe it, to have a claim; the FDCPA and FCRA protect you regardless of whether the underlying balance turns out to be accurate. Read more here: How to sue debt collectors.
How to Stop C B Y Systems and Fix Your Credit Report
- Request written debt validation. Send CBY a debt validation letter asking for the original creditor, the signed agreement, and an accounting of the balance, by name, not just a general reference to a prior mailing.
- Dispute the account with all three bureaus. If CBY has reported an account you don’t recognize or believe is inaccurate, dispute the entry directly with Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, and keep copies of what you send.
- Send a written cease-and-desist letter. A cease-and-desist letter sent by certified mail obligates CBY to stop calling about the debt, with narrow exceptions.
- Document every call and letter. Note dates, phone numbers, and which of CBY’s business names appears on any letter or caller ID; this matters more with CBY than with a single-name collector.
- Talk to a consumer rights attorney before paying anything. An attorney can tell you whether the debt is time-barred under Pennsylvania’s four-year statute for written contracts, and whether CBY’s furnishing conduct gives you a separate FCRA claim worth pursuing.
Consumer Rights Law Firm, PLLC
Consumer Rights Law Firm, PLLC is a law firm that specializes in helping clients who are facing harassment from debt collectors in any form, including telephone communication. Rather than suffer alone, contact our office to begin the process to stop the C B Y Systems, Inc. harassment. Our office has been assisting consumers since 2010. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Consumer Rights Law Firm Better Business Bureau
If you are interested in learning more about how to safeguard yourself and prevent harassment from C B Y Systems, Inc, call us at 877-700-5790.
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