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Business Profile

Collections Agencies

Sterling & Associates, LLC

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Collections Agencies.

This business has 1 alert

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 75 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 20 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:06/13/2025

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    ResolvedMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
     
    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

    Sincerely,

    ******** ****

    Business Response

    Date: 06/16/2025

    Dear ******** ****
    Thank you for contacting us. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and distress this situation may have caused.
    After reviewing our records, we have processed refunds for all transactions associated with the card ending in 6518. A total of four (4) transactions were found and refunded.
    Please note that depending on your banks processing times, the refunded amount should appear on your card within 3 to 7 business days. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to contact us again. We're here to help.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:06/06/2025

    Type:Order Issues
    Status:
    ResolvedMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
     
    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

    Sincerely,

    ***** ***********

    Business Response

    Date: 06/09/2025

    Dear ***** ***********,

    Thank you for contacting us. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and distress this situation may have caused. After reviewing our records, we have processed refunds for all transactions associated with the card ending in 3268. A total of seven transactions were found and refunded, amounting to $925.18.

    Please note that depending on your banks processing times, the refunded amount should appear on your card within 3 to 7 business days. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to contact us again. We're here to help.


  • Initial Complaint

    Date:05/08/2025

    Type:Order Issues
    Status:
    ResolvedMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
     
    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I want to confirm that my payments were not towards an actual lawsuit against me, and confirm this was a scam. Please let me know how long it will take to receive the refund.

    Sincerely,

    ******* ***amount than originally said, going from me owing $288 to $950. Then, this week, on Tuesday they said I owed $288, then today they sent an email saying I was going to be arrested and there was a warrant for my arrest within 2 hours and I owe an additional $450 for a late fee. I am one that always follows the rules and does not want to get trouble and I do not want to pay any more money before I can confirm that it is an actual loan Im paying off.

    Business Response

    Date: 05/09/2025

    Dear ******* ***,
    Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern this situation has caused you.
    We would like to inform you that the all refunds have been successfully processed. Please find the refund receipts attached for your records.
    Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:05/06/2025

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    AnsweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
     
    Complaint: 23295140

    I am rejecting this response because: the funds will not be made available to me per my bank until 5/18. I would like to keep this open until I have the funds. 

    Sincerely,

    ****** *****

    Business Response

    Date: 05/09/2025

    Dear ****** *****,
    Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern this situation has caused you. We would like to inform you that the refunds for the amounts of $150.00, $204.05, and $254.09 have been successfully processed. Please find the refund receipts attached for your records.
    We truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:04/25/2025

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    AnsweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    ***** Sterling and associates charged my card and I never signed any paperwork stating I agreed to terms. I was never served any legal paperwork about said case they threaten to take me to court for.

    Business Response

    Date: 04/25/2025

    Dear ***** *****,
    Thank you for reaching out regarding your recent concern. We truly want to assist you and issue a refund, but after carefully reviewing our records, we have not been able to locate any transaction under your ******* help us resolve this matter as quickly as possible, could you please provide the last four digits of the card that may have been charged? This information will allow us to verify the transaction and proceed accordingly.

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:04/08/2025

    Type:Delivery Issues
    Status:
    UnresolvedMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
     
    Complaint: 23179279

    I am rejecting this response because: the card has been canceled by the bank. Will need a different method of refund. 

    Sincerely,

    **** *******

    Business Response

    Date: 04/10/2025

    Dear *******, ****

    Thank you for reaching out to us. We sincerely appreciate your patience.

    We would like to inform you that our recent attempts to process a refund to the card ending in 2266 have been declined due to a security block or restriction. We kindly ask that you contact your bank to authorize or allow transactions from our company, as this would greatly assist us in completing the refund.

    Once we receive confirmation that the card can accept the transaction, we will proceed immediately with processing the refund through the original method of payment wich ensures the faster way to resolving this matter to your satisfaction.

    Thank you again for your cooperation and understanding. 
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:04/04/2025

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    AnsweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I received an email threatening legal action. In a severe anxiety attack I paid $216 to start settling it. However after calming down I looked into the email more and found out that they were using a deceased US attorney to collect his money. This is very deceitful and I would like a refund.

    Business Response

    Date: 04/11/2025

    Dear ***** ******,
    Thank you for reaching out to us. We sincerely appreciate your patience, and we want to assure you that we are committed to resolving this matter to your satisfaction.
    Please find attached the refund receipts confirming that the amount has been returned to your card ending in 5844, it may take between 3 to 7 business days to appear on your account, depending on your banks processing times. If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.



  • Initial Complaint

    Date:03/31/2025

    Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
    Status:
    ResolvedMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
     
    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

    Sincerely,

    ******* ********

    Business Response

    Date: 04/07/2025

    Dear Barbara ********

    Thank you for reaching out to us. We sincerely appreciate your patience, and we want to assure you that we are committed to resolving this matter to your satisfaction.

    Please find attached the refund receipts confirming that the amount has been returned to your credit card ending in 8323. If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Kind regards


  • Initial Complaint

    Date:03/20/2025

    Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
    Status:
    AnsweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I will gladly accept refund. Please mail a check to me ***** ******* ********************************************;

    Business Response

    Date: 03/25/2025

    Dear ***** Master,

    Thank you for your message. We want to assure you that we have attempted to issue a refund to your credit card; however, the transaction was declined due to a security violation error.

    We are committed to resolving this matter and ensuring you receive your refund. Could you please let us know an alternative way we may send you the funds? We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this situation may have caused.

    Business Response

    Date: 03/27/2025

    Dear ***** Master,
    Thank you for your response and for providing an alternative method for refund delivery.
    We understand your request to receive the refund by check; however, please note that issuing physical checks through the mail is not part of our standard operating procedures due to internal policy and security protocols. That said, we are actively speaking with our administrative team to explore whether we can make an exception in this case or potentially issue a money order as an alternative.
    We appreciate your patience as we work through the necessary approvals. We are committed to resolving this matter fairly and promptly and will provide an update within the next 57 business days.
    Thank you again for your understanding.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:03/10/2025

    Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
    Status:
    AnsweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I began receiving emails from this company stating i had a payday loan past due and a warrant would be sent out in my name if not paid. I paid $250 only to find out this is a scam!!! Help would be appreciated

    Business Response

    Date: 03/11/2025

    Dear ****** ******,
    Please know that we have processed a refund of $250.00 to your card, and it should be reflected in your account within 3-7 business days. If you do not see the refund within this timeframe, please let us know, and we will be happy to assist you further.
    We deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused and truly appreciate your patience and understanding. If there is anything else we can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out.

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