Dealing With Northstar Location Services
Bills Bottom Line
Northstar Location Services is a legitimate debt collection agency based in New York. If Northstar contacts you, request written verification of the debt. You have 30 days from receiving the written notice to do this under federal law. Don't ignore the contact, because your options narrow over time.
Table of Contents
- What is Northstar Location Services?
- Who does Northstar Location Services collect for?
- Why is Northstar Location Services calling you?
- Northstar Location Services complaints and reputation
- Your FDCPA rights when dealing with Northstar Location Services
- What to do when Northstar Location Services contacts you
- Bills Action Plan
- Key Terms
You spotted the name Northstar Location Services on your caller ID or noticed a new inquiry on your credit report. You don't recognize the name, and you're not sure whether it's real.
Northstar Location Services is a real debt collection agency based near Buffalo, NY. If Northstar contacted you, a creditor placed an overdue account with it, or Northstar purchased the debt outright.
Before you pay anything, or ignore anything, learn how debt collection agencies work and what federal law gives you the right to do.
What is Northstar Location Services?
Northstar Location Services LLC is a third-party debt collection agency based in Cheektowaga, NY, with offices in the U.S. and Canada. The company has operated in the collections industry for decades.
Northstar works in two ways. As a third-party collector, it works on behalf of original creditors—the creditor still owns the debt, and Northstar collects on a contingency basis. As a debt buyer, Northstar purchases charged-off accounts outright from creditors, often for cents on the dollar, then attempts to collect the full balance.
| Debt buyer | Third-party collector | |
|---|---|---|
| How they get the debt | Purchases charged-off accounts from the creditor | Original creditor retains ownership and places the account with the collector |
| Who they work for | Northstar is now the creditor | Northstar works on the creditor's behalf |
| Negotiating position | Typically more flexibility to settle | Settlement authority may be limited by the original creditor's terms |
The name “Location Services” references skip tracing, a standard industry practice. Northstar uses public records and data to locate consumers who have moved or become unreachable.
Northstar holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Who does Northstar Location Services collect for?
Northstar collects a range of consumer debts, including overdue credit card balances, medical bills, auto loan deficiencies, utility accounts, and personal loans.
Northstar typically collects on behalf of banks, card issuers, and other large creditors, though it doesn't publish a client list. The specific original creditor should appear in the written validation letter Northstar is required to send you.
The distinction between debt buyer and third-party collector matters for your negotiating position if you want to settle the debt. When Northstar acts as a third-party collector, its ability to settle may be limited by what the original creditor authorizes. When Northstar owns the debt, it typically has more room to negotiate.
Why is Northstar Location Services calling you?
If Northstar is contacting you, a creditor placed an overdue account with it for collection, or Northstar purchased the debt. The most common trigger: missed payments that piled up until the original creditor decided to stop handling the account internally.
You may also see a Northstar inquiry on your credit report. This happens when Northstar pulls your credit to locate contact information or assess the account. A soft inquiry doesn't affect your credit score. Learn more about hard and soft credit inquiries.
Northstar could be contacting you about a debt that isn't yours. Data errors, similar names, or stale portfolio records can all lead to mistaken contact, so request written validation before engaging. Don't confirm, negotiate, pay or dispute the debt on the first phone call.
Northstar Location Services complaints and reputation
Northstar holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Consumer reviews on the BBB platform average 1.0 out of 5 stars.
Northstar has accumulated complaints in the CFPB's consumer complaint database. The most common allegation: the collector attempted to collect a debt the consumer didn't recognize or owe. You can check the current count at consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints.
Court records show Northstar has faced federal FDCPA lawsuits, including cases alleging collection letters failed to clearly disclose whether balances could increase due to interest or fees.
A complaint record doesn't make Northstar a scam. It does make written validation worth requesting before you engage.
Your FDCPA rights when dealing with Northstar Location Services
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is the federal law that governs third-party debt collectors like Northstar.
Key protections:
- Northstar cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time.
- Northstar cannot contact your workplace if it knows your employer prohibits such calls.
- Once you send a written cease-communication request, Northstar can only contact you to confirm it will stop. It may also contact you to notify you of a specific action, such as filing a lawsuit.
- If Northstar violates the FDCPA, you could recover up to $1,000 in damages plus attorney fees in a private lawsuit. Many FDCPA attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless you win.
Your FDCPA rights at a glance:
- No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time
- No calls to your workplace if your employer prohibits it
- Right to written debt validation within 5 days of first contact
- Right to dispute within 30 days of receiving notice
- Right to request that contact stop
- Right to sue for violations (up to $1,000 plus attorney fees)
What to do when Northstar Location Services contacts you
A call from a debt collector can feel urgent. It isn't. Here's the right order.
Step 1: Before paying anything or confirming the debt, request written debt validation from Northstar.
Step 2: Northstar must send a validation notice within five days of first contact. It identifies who you owe, how much, and the original creditor. You have 30 days from receipt to dispute the debt in writing, during which Northstar must stop collection.
Step 3: Review the validation letter. Confirm the creditor name, account number, and amount match your records. If anything looks wrong, dispute it in writing within that 30-day window.
Step 4: Check your state's statute of limitations on this debt (generally three to six years, but it varies). After it expires, Northstar cannot successfully sue you, though it can still contact you and report the debt to credit bureaus.
Step 5: If the debt is valid, consider your debt relief options: pay in full, settle, or set up a payment plan. Collectors often settle for less than the full balance. If you settle, you could request Northstar report the account as “paid in full,” but get that in writing before sending money. Collectors aren't required to agree.
Ignoring Northstar makes things worse. Northstar could escalate to a lawsuit. An unanswered lawsuit can result in a default judgment allowing wage garnishment or bank account seizure.
Bills Action Plan
Step 1: Before paying anything or confirming the debt, request written debt validation from Northstar by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Step 2: Review the validation letter. Confirm that the creditor name, account number, and amount match your records. If anything is off, dispute it in writing within 30 days of receiving the notice.
Step 3: Check your state's statute of limitations on this debt type. This determines whether Northstar could still successfully sue you.
Step 4: If the debt is valid, choose your path: payment in full, a negotiated settlement, or a payment plan. Get any agreement in writing before sending money.
Key Terms
Debt validation: A written notice from a debt collector stating who you owe, how much, and who the original creditor is. Federal law requires collectors to send this within five days of first contact.
FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act): The federal law that governs third-party debt collectors, covering when they can call, what they can say, and your right to dispute a debt.
Statute of limitations: How long a creditor has to successfully sue you in court to collect a debt. The window varies by state and debt type, but is generally three to six years. After it expires, Northstar could still attempt to sue, but the suit should be dismissed if you raise the statute of limitations as a defense. Northstar can still contact you and report the debt during this time.
Debt buyer: A company that purchases charged-off debt from original creditors, typically for a fraction of face value, then collects the full balance. Northstar operates as both a debt buyer and a third-party collector.
Skip tracing: Locating a person who has become hard to reach, using public records and data. The FDCPA governs how debt collectors may acquire this information.
This content is for general educational purposes. It is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.
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Is Northstar Location Services a scam?
Northstar Location Services is a registered, legitimate debt collection agency, not a scam. That said, scammers sometimes impersonate real agencies. A real debt collector already has your account details and won't ask for your Social Security number or bank account information over the phone. If something feels off, ask for the account number and original creditor's name, then verify before taking any action.
Who does Northstar Location Services collect for?
Northstar collects a range of consumer debts, including overdue credit card balances, medical bills, auto loan deficiencies, utility accounts, and personal loans. Northstar typically collects on behalf of banks, card issuers, and other large creditors, though it doesn't publish a client list. Northstar operates as both a direct debt buyer and a third-party collector acting on behalf of original creditors.
Can Northstar Location Services sue me?
Like other debt collectors, Northstar could sue to collect a valid debt. If you receive a summons, respond before the deadline. An unanswered lawsuit typically results in a default judgment that can give Northstar the right to garnish wages or seize bank funds.
10 Comments
I just got a random voicemail from them today. I have absolutely nothing that could even be in collections. Should I return their call?
Josh, the first thing I would do would be to pull a credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com, to see if anything shows up as a collection account. One could be there in error. I don't think there is great risk in calling them, especially if you are certain that you don't owe a debt.
I got a letter in the in regards to a personal loan that hasn't been paid. The loan was turned over to an attorney's office for collection. I have no income to pay. What do I do? Call the attorney's office to let them know my situation? I live in Oregon.
Amy, I am not a lawyer, so I can't give legal advice. I will share some information with the understanding that you don't consider it legal advice.
Now may be a good time to call, given that so many people are in hardship. At this point the attorney has no authority to do anything that you don't agree to do. They can't come after your assets or bank account. If you were working they couldn't come after your wages. You would have to be sued and a judgment issues against you for those kinds of collection efforts to ensue.
It seems reasonable that if you called and are forthright that it would show good faith and earn you something. However, there is no guarantee.
How much do you owe and who is the original creditor?
I work for northstar. If you have an attorney, just call us or when we call tell us. We will add the attorney info and contact them directly and only them.
My information is that social security as the only income is not subject to credit card collection. Is that correct?
Marilyn, that is not wholly correct. A person whose income is solely from Social Security can be sued for the debt and a judgment issued against her. While the income cannot be garnished and the account in which the SSI is directly deposited has some protection from a bank levy, the creditor can still attempt to collect.
Twice your monthly award is protected in your bank account, but anything over that is subject to seizure, if state collection laws allow it. Any other bank account on which your name is listed could be levied.
A lien could be field that would encumber property you own. Some property could be seized.
So, while your income is not going to be garnished at the source, it is important to understand the risks I listed so you can best protect yourself and anyone with whom you may share a bank account.
I’m so grateful to have found your article because they’re making my mother and I crazy. We literally get anxiety every time the phone rings. My question is, what are our options if we do know that one of our outstanding/defaulted debts have been sold to them? Is there any other option or do we have to pay them now that they own the debt? Thank you so much, in advance, for your help. Rob
Rob, if they legally own the debt, then you have to work out a solution with them (such as a payment plan or a reduced-balance settlement), find an independent solution (such as bankruptcy) or you can ignore them and see if they sue you. The right decision depends on who is responsible for the debt and his or her income and assets, how long it has been since the debt went into default, and the size of the debt and whether it is big enough for Northstar to pursue a lawsuit against you.