Is California Business Bureau calling about a medical bill you do not recognize, refusing to explain what it is for, and hanging up when you ask for proof in writing? Those calls have hard legal limits, and California gives you some of the strongest protections in the country. If CBB is calling too often, refusing to validate a debt you dispute, or reporting a medical account that was never yours, you may have a claim against them, not just a bill to pay.
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 pay nothing. If California Business Bureau broke the law, they pay our fees, not you.
Who Is California Business Bureau?
California Business Bureau, Inc. (CBB) is a third-party medical debt collection agency, not the hospital or doctor you originally owed. Because it is a third-party collector, the full Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies to how it can contact you.
- Business name: California Business Bureau, Inc. (CBB)
- Headquarters: 4542 Ruffner St #160, San Diego, CA 92111 (originally Monrovia, CA)
- Phone: (800) 905-2515, also (858) 492-1515 and (800) 755-1515
- Website: cbbinc.com
- Founded: May 6, 1976 (roots dating to 1973)
- Owner: Michael Sigal, President
- Alternate names: Medical Billing Services (MBS), Michael J. Sigal Company
- BBB rating: F (Not BBB Accredited)
- Industries served: Hospitals, physician practices, and other healthcare providers
What Kind of Debt Does California Business Bureau Collect?
California Business Bureau collects almost exclusively medical debt. Its clients are hospitals, physician groups, and other healthcare providers, and its own materials describe it as a full-service healthcare receivables company handling pre-collection, billing, and collection.
Its Medical Billing Services (MBS) division handles the billing side, which means CBB can touch a medical account at nearly every stage, from the first statement through collections.
This early involvement matters for one specific reason: CBB is described by consumer advocates as collecting aggressively at an early stage, sometimes reaching out on accounts that are only recently past due rather than long-abandoned. If you are being contacted about a fairly recent hospital or clinic visit, that may be why, and it also means there is a stronger chance the bill can still be corrected with the provider or the insurer before it hardens into a collection tradeline.
We frequently see medical debt end up in collections for reasons that have nothing to do with a consumer refusing to pay: an insurer that was never billed, a Medicaid or Medicare claim that was skipped, a bill sent to an old address, or a charge that should have been reduced under the hospital’s financial-assistance policy. Any of those can make a “past-due” balance wrong from the start, and medical billing errors are common enough that no medical collection should be paid before it is verified.
Why Is California Business Bureau Calling You?
California Business Bureau is calling because a hospital, physician practice, or other healthcare provider placed your account with them to collect a balance they say is unpaid. CBB generally collects on the provider’s behalf and earns a fee tied to what it recovers.
There are a few common reasons the calls start:
- A medical bill went unpaid or was never received. In one verified January 2025 BBB complaint, a consumer said CBB pursued a 2020 debt with a collection letter that gave no detail about what it was for, and that they never received the original bill from the hospital.
- Insurance should have covered it. Medical billing errors are common, and a claim that an insurer, Medicaid, or Medicare should have paid is not a debt you simply owe on demand.
- The account may not be yours. CBB has a documented history of credit-reporting mix-ups, including at least one case where a debt was tied to a consumer whose name, address, and Social Security number did not match. Medical accounts are especially prone to this, because they often move from a provider to a billing service to a collector, and identity details can be entered or transferred incorrectly at any step.
When clients come to us about California Business Bureau, the first question we ask is whether insurance should have covered the charge and whether CBB ever produced written proof the debt is yours. A collection letter is not proof, and in medical cases the gap between what a hospital billed, what insurance was supposed to pay, and what a collector now claims can be substantial.
California Business Bureau Complaints: What Consumers Report
California Business Bureau is not BBB accredited and currently carries an F rating. The recurring themes in complaints tied to its collection activity are disputed medical bills, refusal to explain or validate the debt, and difficulty reaching anyone who will help. Here is one detailed, dated, verified complaint in the consumer’s own words, drawn from the live BBB complaints page.
Source: CBB’s BBB complaints page
Medical debt dispute with repeated hang-ups (January 2025)
A consumer received a collection letter for an alleged 2020 debt with no detail about what it was for. They disputed it in writing through CBB’s website on January 27, 2025, then called to follow up. According to the complaint, the consumer was hung up on twice, and when they asked for the information to be mailed, the representative said “it wont be” sent. The consumer wrote:
“This company appears to be scamming individuals and has no reason to reach out”
CBB responded that it had flagged the account as disputed and was requesting validation. In a follow-up, the consumer noted CBB’s own online dispute tool produced no response, forcing the phone calls that ended in hang-ups.
In many of the cases we review, this is the exact pattern that supports a claim: a consumer disputes a debt, requests written validation, and the collector continues pursuing the account without ever mailing the proof the law requires. That gap is where an FDCPA §809 validation claim lives.
Read the complaints yourself on CBB’s BBB complaints page.
Has California Business Bureau Been Sued?
Yes. California Business Bureau has been the subject of federal consumer-protection litigation, and public records document consumers prevailing against it. Reviewing full federal court files may require a PACER account.
Verdun v. California Business Bureau
Who filed:
Jessie Verdun filed a lawsuit against California Business Bureau (CBB) alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) related to debt collection practices.
What happened:
The case was originally filed in the Southern District of California and later transferred to the Central District of California. CBB responded to the complaint and the parties proceeded through early litigation, including scheduling and settlement discussions. On August 14, 2015, the court granted a joint motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, terminating the lawsuit.
Our firm insight:
This case shows that consumers have used the FDCPA to challenge CBBâs collection practices, but because the matter ended in a dismissal with prejudice and no public ruling on the merits, it should not be presented as a finding that CBB violated the law.
Read more here: Verdun v. California Business Bureau
Caruso v. California Business Bureau
Who filed:
Richard Caruso filed a lawsuit against California Business Bureau, along with the major credit bureaus, alleging violations related to debt reporting and collection practices under consumer protection laws.
What happened:
CBB was served in the case, but the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed CBB with prejudice in June 2016. The case continued against the credit reporting defendants, including Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, before those parties were also dismissed following settlement-related proceedings. The case was closed on September 22, 2016.
Our firm insight:
This case involved allegations concerning credit reporting and collection practices, but the dismissal of CBB means there was no court judgment finding liability against the company. It is best viewed as an example of a consumer dispute involving CBB rather than proof of unlawful conduct.
Read more here: Caruso v. California Business Bureau
How Does California Business Bureau Contact People?
Based on consumer complaints and consumer-law reporting, California Business Bureau contacts people by mail, phone, and credit reporting, and it is described as collecting aggressively at an early stage. Consumers report calls that ask for a birthdate before any explanation of the debt, representatives who hang up when pressed for written proof, and collection letters that omit basic detail about what the debt is for.
Consumers also report CBB using multiple local-sounding phone numbers, which is common for collection call centers and makes call logging important.
The birthdate request is worth flagging on its own. Consumers describe CBB asking for a date of birth before it will discuss anything, then, when the consumer asks what the debt is actually for, refusing to answer or hanging up. That sequence, demanding your personal identifying information while refusing to provide the basic debt details the law requires, is exactly backward from how a lawful collection contact is supposed to work. You are entitled to know who the original creditor is and what the debt is for before you confirm anything about yourself.
Our attorneys evaluate these patterns against both federal and California law. A collector generally may not call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in your time zone, may not call repeatedly to annoy or harass, and must send written validation when you dispute a debt. Hanging up rather than mailing that validation, as described in the complaint above, is the kind of conduct that can support a claim under the FDCPA and the Rosenthal Act at the same time.
What Are Your Legal Rights Against California Business Bureau?
Several laws protect you, and California layers some of the strongest state protections in the country on top of the federal rules.
| Violation | Real Example From the CBB 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 | Discussing your medical debt with someone other than you or your spouse | FDCPA §805(b) | Statutory and actual damages |
| Ignoring a cease-and-desist | Continuing to call after a written request to stop | FDCPA §805(c) | Statutory and actual damages |
| False or misleading statements | Pursuing a debt with a letter that omits what it is for | FDCPA §807 | Statutory and actual damages |
| Harassment or abuse | Hanging up repeatedly instead of providing information | FDCPA §806 | Statutory and actual damages |
| Failure to validate the debt | Refusing to mail written proof after a dispute | FDCPA §809 | Collection must pause until validated; damages available |
| Inaccurate credit reporting | A collection tied to a mismatched name, address, and SSN | FCRA §623; Rosenthal Act | Actual and statutory damages; correction |
Fee-shifting matters here. If California Business Bureau 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 California Business Bureau From Calling Me?
Step 1: Do not confirm the debt or pay on the first call. Do not verify your Social Security number, birthdate, or bank details, and do not acknowledge the account is yours until you have seen documentation. CBB’s credit-reporting mismatch history shows how often the wrong person gets pursued.
Step 2: Check whether insurance should have paid. Before anything else, confirm whether Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance was active on the date of service. If a payer should have covered the bill, that is often the fastest path to making the balance disappear.
Step 3: Send a written debt validation letter by certified mail. Within 30 days of first contact, demand the provider’s name, the date of service, and an itemized statement. Use our debt validation letter guide. Collection must generally pause until they respond, and CBB’s own complaint record shows consumers repeatedly unable to get this by phone.
Step 4: Pull your credit reports and dispute inaccurate tradelines. Check all three bureaus for how CBB is reporting the account. If it is a paid medical collection, an amount under $500, an unverified debt, or tied to information that does not match you, dispute your credit report with each bureau in writing.
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 reportfraud.ftc.gov, the FCC for robocalls at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov, and the California Attorney General. Then contact Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC at (877) 700-5790 or through our free case review page. If CBB 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. Our firm helps clients become aware of their rights and stresses the importance of communicating in writing with debt collectors, such as sending formal requests or disputes, to protect themselves. Rather than suffer alone, contact our office to begin the process to stop the CBB 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 even more harassment from CBB, call us at (877)700-5790 for immediate assistance or visit our website.
Success Stories
- “The moment I contacted Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. The collectors were calling me at work and even contacting my familyâcompletely illegal behavior. The firm took immediate action, and within days, the harassment stopped. I canât thank them enough!”
- “Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC truly advocates for people like me who felt helpless. They were professional, quick to respond, and very knowledgeable. The debt collector that was harassing me violated the law repeatedly, and the firm made sure they were held accountable. 10/10 service!”
- “I was being wrongfully contacted over a debt that wasnât even mine. Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC not only cleared my name but also made the agency cease contact entirely. Their attorneys made the process smooth and stress-free. They really care about their clients.”
- “If you’re receiving harassing phone calls from debt collectors, don’t hesitate to call Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC. They handled my case with professionalism and empathy, and I received a fair settlement. I finally feel protected and empowered, thanks to their incredible team.”
Other Phone Numbers California Business Bureau May Use
| 800-755-1515 | 800-755-1533 | 800-247-4047 |
| 626-357-8767 | 602-283-1862 | 800-639-6116 |
| 858-492-1515 | 626-303-1515 | 800-905-2515 |
