Key Takeaways
- Commercial Acceptance Company is a real debt collection agency, not a scam. They say so themselves in their own website terms: “COMMERCIAL ACCEPTANCE COMPANY (‘CAC’), A DEBT COLLECTOR. CAC IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT.”
- They are in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, not Shiremanstown. Their current address is 2300 Gettysburg Road, Suite 102, Camp Hill, PA 17011, confirmed on their own contact page and their Better Business Bureau profile.
- They are not a debt buyer. They collect on behalf of more than 600 creditor clients, so the account behind the call is one you had with a hospital, a landlord, an ambulance service, a credit union or a similar business.
- Complaints against them have more than doubled. Consumers filed 294 complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau between 1 January 2021 and 25 August 2026, rising from 35 in 2021 to 80 in 2025.
- Not one of those 294 complaints ended in relief. Every single one closed with an explanation only. Across all debt collectors nationally, 22.4% of complaints close with money or other relief for the consumer.
- Their own consumer FAQ never mentions your right to demand validation. The 30-day window under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g is the strongest tool you have, and it starts running from their first written notice whether you know about it or not.
If Commercial Acceptance Company is calling you, they are a legitimate Pennsylvania debt collection agency contacting you about an unpaid account that a creditor placed with them, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act gives you enforceable rights the moment they make contact. Legitimate is not the same thing as compliant, though, and their public record is worth reading before you pick up the phone or send them money.
This page explains who Commercial Acceptance Company actually is, where they are really located, what their federal complaint record shows, which of their phone numbers are verified, and the specific steps that make the calls, letters and credit-report entries stop. Agruss Law Firm has helped thousands of consumers stop debt collection harassment, and consumers never pay us for that work.
Who is Commercial Acceptance Company?
Commercial Acceptance Company, which they abbreviate to CAC, is a third-party debt collection agency based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. They describe themselves on their own site as “Pennsylvania’s premier consumer credit and collection agency” and say they represent “over 600 clients nationwide.” According to their Better Business Bureau profile, the business started on 1 May 1993 and was incorporated on 7 November 1988.
They are a third-party debt collector, which is the category the FDCPA was written to regulate. That is not a technicality. Original creditors collecting their own debts in their own name fall outside most of the statute, but an agency like CAC, collecting someone else’s account, is covered by all of it.
| Verified detail | What the primary sources show |
|---|---|
| Company name | Commercial Acceptance Company (“CAC”) |
| Address | 2300 Gettysburg Road, Suite 102, Camp Hill, PA 17011 |
| Main phone | 1-800-690-3857 |
| Business started | 1 May 1993 (incorporated 7 November 1988) |
| Business model | Contingency collection for creditor clients. They are not a debt buyer. |
| Clients | “Over 600 clients nationwide” |
| BBB status | B rating, not BBB accredited |
| Google rating | 1.4 out of 5 stars from 100 reviews |
Sources: Commercial Acceptance Company’s own about page and contact page; their BBB business profile; Google’s business listing. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
They moved, and a lot of pages online never noticed
Older write-ups of this company, including an earlier version of this page, placed them in Shiremanstown, Pennsylvania. That is out of date. Their own contact page, their BBB profile and Google’s business listing all give the same current address: 2300 Gettysburg Road, Suite 102, Camp Hill, PA 17011. The two boroughs sit a few miles apart in Cumberland County, so the mistake is easy to make and easy to repeat.
The address matters for a practical reason. A written dispute or a request for validation has to reach the collector to do its job, and mail sent to a former address can be delayed or returned. If you are sending anything to CAC in writing, send it to Camp Hill and send it certified with return receipt requested.
Is Commercial Acceptance Company legit, or are they a scam?
They are legitimate. The clearest proof comes from their own website terms, which state in capital letters that the site “IS OWNED BY COMMERCIAL ACCEPTANCE COMPANY (‘CAC’), A DEBT COLLECTOR” and that “CAC IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT.” They hold memberships with ACA International, AAHAM and the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and they maintain a B rating with the Better Business Bureau, though they are not BBB accredited.
People search for “commercial acceptance company scam” because an unfamiliar company is calling about a debt they may not recognise, which is exactly what a scam feels like. The useful question is not whether the company exists. It is whether the specific debt is yours, whether the amount is right, and whether the way they are collecting it follows the law. Those are three separate questions, and a real company can fail all three.
What their complaint record actually shows
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes every complaint consumers file against a named company. Between 1 January 2021 and 25 August 2026, consumers filed 294 complaints against Commercial Acceptance Company. The trend is not flat.
Complaints against Commercial Acceptance Company by year. Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, company “Commercial Acceptance Company”, retrieved 25 August 2026. The 2026 bar covers 1 January to 25 August only.
Complaints in 2025 ran at more than double the 2021 level, and 2026 was already at 60 by late August. What consumers complain about is just as telling. The single largest category is people saying the debt is not theirs.
| What consumers complained about | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Attempts to collect debt not owed | 80 | 27.2% |
| Written notification about debt | 49 | 16.7% |
| Incorrect information on your report | 36 | 12.2% |
| False statements or representation | 30 | 10.2% |
| Took or threatened negative or legal action | 25 | 8.5% |
| Improper use of your report | 24 | 8.2% |
| Communication tactics | 21 | 7.1% |
| Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly | 12 | 4.1% |
Top complaint categories, 1 January 2021 to 25 August 2026. Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. Percentages are of 294 total complaints.
Roughly a quarter of everyone who complained said the debt was not theirs at all. Another 12.2% raised incorrect information on their credit report, and 8.2% raised improper use of their credit report. Taken together, nearly half of all complaints are about accuracy rather than hardship, and 61% of them came from Pennsylvania consumers.
The number that stands out
The CFPB also records how each complaint was resolved. This is where Commercial Acceptance Company stands apart from the industry, and not in a good way.
How complaints close, Commercial Acceptance Company versus all debt collectors. Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, complaints received 1 January 2021 to 25 August 2026, retrieved 25 August 2026. National figure covers 847,764 debt collection complaints.
All 294 complaints closed with an explanation. None closed with monetary relief. None closed with non-monetary relief. Across the 847,764 debt collection complaints filed nationally over the same period, 22.1% closed with non-monetary relief and a further 0.3% with monetary relief, so the industry-wide rate of some relief is 22.4%. Commercial Acceptance Company’s rate is zero.
That is worth understanding correctly. It does not prove they broke the law, and a complaint is an allegation rather than a finding. What it does tell you is practical: filing a CFPB complaint against this company has, so far, produced an explanation and nothing else, 294 times out of 294. If you want an outcome rather than a response, a complaint on its own has not been the tool that delivers it.
Who does Commercial Acceptance Company collect for?
They collect on contingency for creditor clients rather than buying debt portfolios, which is the opposite of what several other pages about this company claim. Their marketing materials point at healthcare providers, apartment and housing operators, ambulance services and credit unions, and their industry memberships with AAHAM and the Healthcare Financial Management Association reflect how much of their book is medical.
This distinction changes your practical position in three ways. The original creditor still owns the account, so the creditor can pull it back or settle it directly. The balance should match what the creditor says you owe, because CAC did not buy it at a discount. And if the account is disputed, CAC has to go back to their client for documentation rather than to a bulk data file. If you are wondering why a debt collector is calling you about a bill you thought was resolved, an unpaid insurance balance or a co-pay is a common answer with a medical-heavy agency.
What their own consumer FAQ leaves out
Commercial Acceptance Company publishes a consumer FAQ page. It explains how to pay them online, by phone and by mail, how to find your account number, how long debts stay on a credit report, and what to do about credit report errors, which it says you should take to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion directly.
What that page does not mention anywhere is your right to demand validation of the debt, your right to dispute it with CAC in writing, or your right to tell them in writing to stop contacting you. Those are the three rights that actually change the balance of power, and they come from federal law rather than from the collector’s goodwill. The page also discourages readers from using debt counselling, on the basis that such companies “come with hidden costs and creditors are not required to work with them,” and steers them to call CAC instead.
None of that is unlawful. Collectors are not required to write a consumer rights guide on their own website. It is a good reason, though, to get your information about your rights somewhere other than from the company trying to collect from you.
Your rights when Commercial Acceptance Company contacts you
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 and following, applies to CAC in full. These are the provisions that matter most in practice.
| Your right | Where it comes from | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Demand validation within 30 days | 15 U.S.C. § 1692g | Dispute in writing within 30 days of their first written notice and they must stop collecting until they mail you verification of the debt. |
| Tell them to stop contacting you | 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c) | A written cease-communication notice ends the calls and letters, apart from limited notices such as telling you they are suing. |
| Freedom from harassment | 15 U.S.C. § 1692d | No threats, obscene language, or repeated calls intended to annoy or abuse. |
| Freedom from false statements | 15 U.S.C. § 1692e | They cannot misstate the amount, imply a lawsuit they will not file, or pretend to be someone they are not. |
| Limits on call frequency | 12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b) | Regulation F presumes compliance only if they call no more than seven times in seven consecutive days, and not at all in the seven days after they speak with you. |
| Damages and your lawyer paid | 15 U.S.C. § 1692k | Up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus any actual damages, and the collector pays your attorney’s fees and costs. |
Federal debt collection protections. Statutory text via the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, and the Code of Federal Regulations.
If the calls are reaching your mobile phone through an autodialer or a prerecorded voice without your consent, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act may also apply, and our robocall team handles those claims. The same is true of collection text messages.
Pennsylvania consumers have a second statute
Since 61% of the CFPB complaints against Commercial Acceptance Company come from Pennsylvania residents, this matters to most people reading this page. Pennsylvania’s Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act provides at Section 4(a) that “it shall constitute an unfair or deceptive debt collection act or practice under this act if a debt collector violates any of the provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.” Section 5(a) then provides that such conduct “shall constitute a violation of” Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
In plain terms, a single act by a collector in Pennsylvania can breach both federal and state law. Two limits are written into the same statute: an action must be brought within two years of the violation, and Section 5(c) says remedies under the state act and the FDCPA are not cumulative, so a collector does not pay twice for the same conduct.
How to make the calls stop
- Write down what is happening. Log every call with the date, the time, the number that appeared and what was said. A call log is the evidence that turns a complaint into a case.
- Do not confirm anything on a cold call. You do not have to confirm your date of birth, your Social Security number or that the debt is yours. Ask them to put it in writing.
- Send a written dispute inside the 30-day window. Under § 1692g, a dispute mailed within 30 days of their first written notice forces them to stop collecting until they verify the debt. Send it certified with return receipt to the Camp Hill address.
- Send a cease-communication letter if you want the contact to end. Section 1692c(c) makes this binding once they receive it.
- Check your credit reports. Pull all three at AnnualCreditReport.com and see what CAC has reported. If the entry is wrong, dispute it with the credit bureaus in writing so the reinvestigation duty under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i is triggered.
- If the debt is not yours at all, treat it as possible identity theft. Given that 27.2% of complaints against this company say exactly that, it is worth ruling out.
- Talk to a consumer lawyer before you pay. Paying or even acknowledging an old debt can restart the clock on it.
Which phone numbers are really theirs?
All three numbers below are confirmed by primary sources. The main line and the fax come from the company’s own contact page, and the local line is the business phone listed on their BBB profile. An older number, 717-901-4924, has circulated on other sites for years, and we have dropped it because no current primary source supports it.
| Number | What it is | Where it is confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| 1-800-690-3857 | Main line | Their own contact page and consumer FAQ, and Google’s business listing |
| 717-901-4557 | Local line | Listed as the business phone on their BBB profile |
| 717-901-5565 | Fax | Their own contact page |
Verified 25 August 2026. Their published hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm Eastern.
Consumers also report calls from other numbers in the 717 area code that we cannot tie to the company through any primary source, so we do not list them here as theirs. Caller ID is not proof of identity in either direction. A collector can appear under a number that is not published anywhere, and scammers routinely spoof the real numbers of real agencies. The reliable test is not the number on your screen. Ask for the caller’s company name, address and the name of the original creditor, then call the company back on their published main line and confirm the account exists before you discuss anything or pay anyone.
How Agruss Law Firm can help
We are consumer protection lawyers. We sue debt collectors for harassment under the FDCPA, we sue furnishers and credit bureaus under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and we handle arbitration when a contract forces a claim out of court. If Commercial Acceptance Company has harassed you, misstated what you owe, or reported something inaccurate about you, we would like to hear about it.
Our consultation is free. The FDCPA’s fee-shifting provision means the collector pays our fees and costs, so you never write us a check for our work. Some clients also see the debt resolved and their credit report corrected as part of a settlement. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case.
Call 888-572-0176 to speak with us, or use the contact form on this site and tell us the collector’s name, what the account is, and what has been happening. If you are not sure where to start, our debt help page walks through the options, and our overview of credit report problems covers what to do when the damage has already reached your file.
Frequently asked questions
Is Commercial Acceptance Company legit?
Yes. Commercial Acceptance Company is a real debt collection agency at 2300 Gettysburg Road, Suite 102, Camp Hill, PA 17011. Their own website terms state that the site is owned by “COMMERCIAL ACCEPTANCE COMPANY (‘CAC’), A DEBT COLLECTOR” and that they are attempting to collect a debt. Their business started on 1 May 1993, and they hold a B rating with the Better Business Bureau, although they are not BBB accredited. Being a real company is not the same as being compliant: consumers filed 294 complaints against them with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau between January 2021 and August 2026, and every one of those complaints closed with an explanation rather than any relief.
Is CAC a debt collector?
Yes. CAC is the abbreviation Commercial Acceptance Company uses for themselves, and they identify as a debt collector in their own website terms and in their consumer FAQ. They are a third-party collection agency, which means the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies to them in full. Be careful with the initials, though, because several unrelated businesses use them, including an HVAC contractor in New Mexico that trades as CAC, Inc. Check the address and phone number on any letter you receive against the Camp Hill details before you respond.
Who does Commercial Acceptance Company collect for?
They collect for creditor clients rather than for themselves. Their own site says they represent over 600 clients nationwide, and their marketing and industry memberships point at healthcare providers, apartment and housing operators, ambulance services and credit unions. A large share of their work is medical, which is why many people first hear from them over an unpaid insurance balance, a deductible or a co-pay. Because they are collecting on behalf of the original creditor rather than as a debt buyer, the creditor still owns the account and can settle it or withdraw it directly.
What is a commercial acceptance company?
As a general business term, a commercial acceptance company is a firm that finances or collects on commercial obligations. In this case it is a proper name rather than a description: Commercial Acceptance Company is a specific debt collection agency in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania that has been in business since 1993. If a letter or a call is coming from “Commercial Acceptance Company” about a personal debt, you are dealing with that agency, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act governs how they may contact you.
How can I tell if a collection agency is legit?
Ask the caller for their company name, street address, phone number and the name of the original creditor, and never confirm personal details to someone who called you. Then hang up and call the company back on a number you found independently rather than one they gave you. A legitimate collector must also send you a written validation notice within five days of first contacting you under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g. Check the company against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint database and the Better Business Bureau. Caller ID proves nothing, because scammers spoof the real numbers of real agencies.
Do I have to pay a debt that was sold to a collection agency?
If the debt is genuinely yours, valid and within the statute of limitations, the obligation survives being sold or placed for collection. That said, Commercial Acceptance Company does not buy debt. They collect on behalf of the original creditor, so the creditor still owns your account. Before paying anyone, dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of the first written notice and require validation under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g. If they cannot verify it, they must stop collecting. Roughly 27% of the complaints filed against this company say the debt was not owed in the first place.
How long until a debt becomes uncollectible?
Two different clocks run, and people mix them up constantly. The statute of limitations governs how long a creditor can sue you, and in Pennsylvania that is four years for most contract debts under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525. Credit reporting runs on a separate seven-year clock under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, measured from the original delinquency, and selling or transferring the debt does not reset it. A debt past the limitations period does not disappear, and a collector may still ask you to pay it. Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can restart the limitations clock in some circumstances, which is why it is worth taking advice before you pay anything on an old account.
Can you pay the original creditor instead of the collection agency?
Often yes, and with Commercial Acceptance Company it is a realistic option, because they collect on contingency rather than owning the debt. The original creditor still holds the account and can choose to take payment directly or recall it from the agency. The creditor is not obliged to do either, and many will simply refer you back once an account is placed. If you do reach an arrangement with the creditor, get it in writing before you pay, and make sure it states what happens to the collection account and to any credit reporting tied to it.
This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Complaint data reflects allegations by consumers, which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau does not verify, and does not establish that any company violated the law. Figures were retrieved on 25 August 2026 and may change.
