Merchants Association Collection Division Phone Harassment?

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Is Merchants Association Collection Division calling you about an old hospital bill or past-due utility account and hanging up when you answer? Repeated calls, refusing to identify the company, contacting you outside legal hours, discussing your debt with others, or failing to verify a disputed debt may violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). If those violations occurred, you may have the right to seek compensation.

Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC has been stopping debt collector harassment since 2010. We are A+ rated by the BBB. Call (877) 700-5790 or visit our free case review page. You never pay us out of pocket. If Merchants Association Collection Division violated the FDCPA, they pay our fees, not you.

Who Is Merchants Association Collection Division?

Merchants Association Collection Division, Inc. is a Tampa-based debt collection agency that now operates under the brand name Sherloq. If you have been contacted by Sherloq Financial, Sherloq Revenue Solutions, or Sherloq Solutions, you are dealing with the same company.

Legal name: Merchants Association Collection Division, Inc.
Operating brand / alternate name: Sherloq Financial (also Sherloq Solutions, Sherloq Revenue Solutions)
Address: 134 S Tampa St, Tampa, FL 33602-5354
Second location: 424 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686 (call center)
Phone: (800) 749-7710, also (813) 273-7606
Website: paysherloq.com
Founded: 1916 (collection division incorporated 1958)
BBB rating: A+ (not BBB accredited)
Florida license: CCA0900476, Florida Office of Financial Regulation
Industries served: Hospitals, healthcare systems, physician practices, and utilities

Because MACD is a third-party collection agency, and not the original hospital or utility you owed, the full FDCPA applies to how it can contact you. That distinction matters, because original creditors collecting their own current accounts are largely exempt from the FDCPA. A third-party collector like Merchants Association Collection Division is not exempt.

What Kind of Debt Does Merchants Association Collection Division Collect?

Merchants Association Collection Division collects two main categories of debt: medical bills and utility bills. According to the company’s own materials, it serves hospitals, healthcare systems, physician practices, and utilities nationwide, and it operates both an early-out billing division and a back-end collections division.

In verified BBB complaints, consumers describe being contacted about defaulted Ameren Illinois utility accounts, among others. Medical debt from hospital systems makes up a large share of the rest, and the company publicly names large clients including major regional hospital systems it has collected for over many years.

The company also runs what it calls an early-out or extended business office division, which means it sometimes contacts patients on a hospital’s behalf before an account is technically in default. If MACD is calling about a recent hospital visit rather than a years-old charge-off, this may be why, and the tone of that early contact can still be governed by state medical-billing rules.

One thing consumers often misunderstand is that a medical or utility debt in collections is not automatically valid just because it appears on a credit report. Billing errors, insurance-adjustment disputes, duplicate charges, and accounts placed under the wrong name are common in exactly these two industries, which is why verifying the debt in writing matters before you pay a cent. Medical debt in particular is frequently miscoded or sent to collections while an insurance appeal is still pending.

Why Is Merchants Association Collection Division Calling You?

Merchants Association Collection Division is calling because a hospital, physician group, or utility company placed your account with them to collect a balance they say is past due. MACD generally does not buy debt outright the way a debt buyer does. It collects on behalf of the original creditor and typically earns a percentage of what it recovers.

There are a few common reasons the calls start:

A hospital or physician bill went unpaid. After a provider bills you directly and the balance ages, many send the account to a collector like MACD rather than pursuing it in-house.
A utility account was closed with a balance. Ameren and similar utilities refer final unpaid balances to MACD for collection, sometimes long after you have moved.
The account may not even be yours. Multiple 2024 and 2025 BBB complaints describe consumers who say they have no contract with the company and never received the underlying bill, an issue explored in the complaints section below. In at least two of those complaints, MACD itself responded that it could not locate an account matching the information the consumer provided, which points to how easily wrong-person contact happens with referred medical and utility debt.
The debt may already be paid or time-barred. The BBB’s pattern-of-complaints alert specifically flags delay in closing accounts consumers have paid. If you already resolved a bill with the original hospital or utility, the referral to MACD may simply reflect outdated information the creditor passed along.

Our attorneys evaluate every MACD file for one issue first: whether the company actually produced validation when the consumer asked for it. In the complaints we reviewed, the recurring dispute is not the size of the debt, it is whether the debt was ever properly documented at all.

Merchants Association Collection Division BBB Complaints

Source: Better Business Bureau

Merchants Association Collection Division has 9 complaints filed with the BBB over the last three years, with 1 closed in the last 12 months, and the BBB has issued a formal pattern-of-complaints alert on the company. According to the BBB, its files indicate a pattern concerning failure to send consumers validation of debt after they request it, and delay in closing accounts consumers have paid.

Here are three specific, dated complaints from the live BBB complaints page, in consumers’ own words.

Complaint 1: $870 account reported with no signed agreement (April 2025). A consumer wrote that they did not understand why the company was reporting a debt of $870 under their name, stating: “I never signed anything with them, and when I asked for a copy of the original application, they didnt even bother to provide it.” The company responded that it could not locate an account with the information provided.

Complaint 2: Ameren Illinois utility debt with no original contract (May 2024). A consumer disputed a balance placed by MACD, writing: “I am not liable for this debt with AMEREN ILLINOIS, I do not have a contract with MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION CO. They did not provide me with the original contract as I requested.” The company said it requested an itemized statement from its client and mailed a copy.

Complaint 3: Repeated calls with hang-ups (November 2023). A consumer reported: “They have called everyday for 5 days and have done the same thing hung up.” The consumer, registered with the Do Not Call list, demanded the calls stop. MACD responded that its records showed 5 calls over roughly 51 days, each reaching an answering machine where it left no message.

A pattern worth naming: MACD’s typical response to a validation dispute is to state it requested an itemized statement from its client, while consumers repeatedly report that the underlying signed contract or application they asked for never arrived. In many of the cases we review, that gap, between mailing an itemized statement and producing actual proof the debt is yours, is exactly where an FDCPA §809 validation claim lives.

Review the records yourself on MACD’s BBB profile and BBB complaints page.

Has Merchants Association Collection Division Been Sued?

Yes, Merchants Association Collection Division has faced FDCPA litigation, Below are two cases.

Source: Harris v. Merchants Association Collection Division

Harris v. Merchants Association Collection Division, Inc. (S.D. Illinois 2016)
- Filed by: Plaintiff Shawn Harris against Merchants Association Collection Division, Inc. as a proposed class action under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
- What happened: The case alleged violations of the FDCPA arising from the company’s debt collection practices. After litigation began, the parties notified the court they had reached a settlement. The court later dismissed the case with prejudice after the settlement was finalized.
- What this means for consumers: Although the case ended in a settlement rather than a judicial ruling on the merits, it shows that Merchants Association Collection Division has faced class-action allegations over its collection practices and chose to resolve the dispute instead of continuing to trial.

Source: Rochd v. Merchants Association Collection Division

Rochd v. Merchants Association Collection Division, Inc. (M.D. Florida 2021)
- Filed by: Plaintiff Christina Rochd against Merchants Association Collection Division, Inc. under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
- What happened: The lawsuit was stayed while the Eleventh Circuit considered the standing issues in Hunstein v. Preferred Collection & Management Services. After the appellate decision, the case resumed, the parties reported a settlement, and the court dismissed the action with prejudice.
- What this means for consumers: This case demonstrates that consumers continue to challenge Merchants Association Collection Division’s collection practices under the FDCPA. While the settlement was not an admission of liability, it reflects that consumers can successfully pursue legal claims when they believe a collector has violated their rights.

How Does Merchants Association Collection Division Contact People?

The documented pattern from BBB complaints includes repeated calls followed by hang-ups when the phone is answered, calls where the representative declines to identify the company until the consumer verifies their identity, and collection letters and credit-report tradelines that sometimes appear before the consumer receives a clear validation notice. The company has stated in complaint responses that it uses recorded calls and does not leave messages when it reaches an answering machine.

MACD is known to call from 800-749-7710, but consumers report contact from other numbers as well, so the specific number on your caller ID is not the only way to know it is them.

What our clients tell us about MACD’s calls is that the frustration often starts with not being told who is calling or why. Under the FDCPA, a collector generally cannot leave a message that discloses the debt to third parties, which partly explains the vague or silent calls, but it cannot call repeatedly with the intent to annoy or harass, and it cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in your time zone.

There is an important nuance in the hang-up complaints. In one BBB response, MACD explained that it does not leave messages when it reaches an answering machine, which is why the consumer heard only silence followed by a hang-up. On its own, choosing not to leave a message is not a violation. But the total volume and timing of calls can be, and a string of repeated silent calls that a consumer reasonably experiences as harassment is worth documenting regardless of whether a message was left.

Regulation F, the CFPB rule that implements the FDCPA, generally caps a collector at seven calls within a seven-day period about a single debt, and bars another call within seven days after actually speaking with you about that debt. If your call log shows more than that, you may have a documented violation before anyone even examines what was said.

What Are Your Legal Rights Against Merchants Association Collection Division?

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): Requires MACD, as a third-party debt collector, to send a written validation notice within five days of first contact, prohibit harassment or misleading statements, and respect dispute and verification requests; it can be violated if MACD fails to properly validate debts, uses deceptive language, or engages in excessive or improper calling practices.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): Restricts autodialed or prerecorded calls to consumers’ cell phones without prior consent and imposes statutory damages per unlawful call; MACD can violate this law if it uses robocalls, automated dialing systems, or prerecorded messages without valid consent.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Governs how MACD reports debts to credit bureaus, requires accurate reporting, and obligates a reinvestigation (generally within 30 days) when a consumer disputes an entry; violations can occur if MACD reports inaccurate, unverified, or outdated debts or fails to properly investigate disputes.
Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA): Prohibits unfair or deceptive collection practices and extends liability to both original creditors and collectors, including threats of legal action without intent or contacting employers improperly; MACD can violate it by making false legal threats, misrepresenting rights, or engaging in prohibited third-party communications.
Florida Statute of Limitations (Debt Collection Limits): Sets time limits (generally five years for written contracts and four years for open accounts) after which legal action is barred; MACD can run afoul of this by attempting to sue or pressure payment on time-barred debts, especially if they misrepresent that old debts are still legally enforceable.

Violation	Real Example From the MACD Record	Statute	Remedy
Calls before 8am or after 9pm	Calls outside allowed hours in your time zone	FDCPA §805	Up to $1,000 statutory damages plus actual damages
Third-party disclosure	Disclosing your debt to family, neighbors, or coworkers	FDCPA §805(b)	Statutory and actual damages
Ignoring a cease-and-desist	Continuing to call after written notice to stop	FDCPA §805(c)	Statutory and actual damages
False or misleading statements	Letter implying disputes must be made only in writing	FDCPA §807	Statutory and actual damages; basis of the class action above
Harassment by repeated calls	Complaint describes calls “everyday for 5 days” with hang-ups	FDCPA §806	Statutory and actual damages
Failure to validate the debt	Complaints describe refusal to provide the original signed contract	FDCPA §809	Collection must pause until validated; damages available
Robocalls to cell without consent	Prerecorded or silent automated calls	TCPA, 47 U.S.C. §227	$500 to $1,500 per call

Fee-shifting matters here. If Merchants Association Collection Division violated the FDCPA, they pay our attorney fees, not you. That is written into the statute, which is why our firm takes these cases on contingency with no upfront cost.

How Do I Stop Merchants Association Collection Division From Calling Me?

Step 1: Do not confirm the debt or share personal details on the phone. Do not verify your Social Security number, birthdate, or bank information, and do not acknowledge the account is yours until you have seen documentation. In several BBB complaints, MACD itself could not match a disputed account to the consumer.

Step 2: Send a written debt validation letter by certified mail. Within 30 days of first contact, demand the original creditor’s name, an itemized statement, and a copy of the signed agreement or application proving the debt is yours. Use our debt validation letter guide. Collection must generally pause until they respond, and complaint records show consumers repeatedly catching MACD unable to produce the underlying contract.

Step 3: Check your credit reports for the tradeline. Pull all three bureaus and look for how MACD or Sherloq is reporting the account. If it appeared without any prior notice, or the dates look wrong, you can dispute your credit report with each bureau in writing.

Step 4: Log every call. Record the date, time, number, and what was said, and save any voicemails, including silent or cut-off ones. A documented pattern of repeated calls or hang-ups is strong evidence of an FDCPA or TCPA violation.

Step 5: Send a cease-and-desist and get a free case review. A written cease-and-desist letter legally limits further contact. File complaints with the FTC at Report Fraud, the CFPB, and, for robocalls, the FCC at Consumer Complaints. Then contact Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC at (877) 700-5790 or through our free case review page. If MACD broke the law, they pay our fees, not you.

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 Merchants Association Collection Division harassment. Our office has been assisting consumers since 2010. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

If you are interested in learning more about how to safeguard yourself and prevent harassment from Merchants Association Collection Division. call us at 877-700-5790 for immediate assistance or visit our website.

Success Stories

“I felt powerless dealing with aggressive collectors until I found Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC. They took my case seriously and guided me through the entire process. The harassing calls stopped, and I finally felt heard. They truly advocate for people like me who just want peace.”
“Debt collectors were calling my home at all hours and even speaking rudely to my spouse. I contacted Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, and they quickly stepped in. Not only did the calls stop, but the firm also helped us understand our legal rights. I’m grateful for their dedication and professionalism.”
“From the very first call, the staff at Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC was helpful and compassionate. They handled everything from start to finish and kept me updated every step of the way. I couldn’t believe how fast the harassment ended. They truly deliver results.”
“I had no idea that debt collectors weren’t allowed to threaten or harass people. Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC educated me, built a strong case, and held the collectors accountable. They didn’t just stop the calls—they helped me regain control over my life.”

FAQs

Q: Why is Merchants Association Collection Division calling me about a medical bill that should be covered by the VA or workers’ comp?

A: MACD heavily targets Florida regional healthcare portfolios; their automated intake systems frequently fail to flag protected billing exclusions, leading them to aggressively pursue disabled veterans and workers’ compensation patients for balances they do not legally owe.

Q: A collection letter from MACD told me to “send all correspondence and payments” to their Tampa, Florida address. Does this mean I can’t dispute the debt over the phone?

A: No; MACD has faced class-action litigation for utilizing deceptive mail language that implies disputes must be written, which violates the FDCPA because federal law explicitly grants you the right to dispute a debt verbally over the phone.

Q: I received an automated voicemail from MACD that disclosed my debt to a family member who listened to the recording. Is that legal?

A: No; federal courts (Berg v. Merchants Association Collection Division) penalized them for leaving pre-recorded messages that fail to warn unintended listeners to disconnect, creating severe third-party disclosure violations under the FDCPA.

Q: Who is “Sherloq Revenue Solutions,” and why is that name appearing alongside Merchants Association Collection Division on my credit report?

A: Sherloq Revenue Solutions is the parent corporation of MACD; they frequently intermix these corporate names on collection notices and credit report trade lines, which can cause actionable consumer confusion if the exact original creditor isn’t clearly identified.

Q: MACD is calling me regarding an old local municipal or utility balance. Can they shut off my current utility services?

A: No; while MACD contracts heavily with regional utility providers to collect delinquent final bills, they are a third-party collection agency and possess absolutely no legal authority to disconnect your active water, electric, or gas services.

Q: How do I stop MACD agents from calling my phone without losing my right to dispute their billing errors?

A: Send a written, certified mail dispute stating that phone calls are inconvenient; under FDCPA Regulation F, this legally forces them to cease all automated outbound dialing while you audit their validation paperwork.

Attorney Derek DePetrillo

Attorney Derek DePetrillo graduated from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2007 and was admitted to practice law in the State of Massachusetts in 2007. Mr. DePetrillo is also licensed in many federal jurisdictions across the United States.

Mr. DePetrillo has been assisting consumers with consumer protection since 2010. Mr. DePetrillo’s main area of practice is under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Mr. DePetrillo has filed countless lawsuits and arbitration claims against debt collectors and banks. Mr. DePetrillo fights for the little people who have had their rights violated and need a helping hand to guide them through the stressful times of debt collection.

Disclaimer: The information contained in these articles is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Reading or relying on this content does not create an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Because every legal matter is unique, you should consult a qualified attorney regarding your specific circumstances before making any legal decisions.