Caine & Weiner: Who They Are and How to Dispute a Caine & Weiner Collection

Caine & Weiner is a real collection agency based in Sherman Oaks, California. It doesn’t own the debts it collects. Companies hire it to collect for them, and in SmartDispute’s data that company was almost always Progressive, the auto insurer.

If Caine & Weiner is on your credit report, it’s most likely collecting a balance Progressive says you owe on a policy. This guide covers who Caine & Weiner is, who it collects for, how its accounts appear on each credit report, the problems worth checking, and how to dispute a Caine & Weiner collection that’s wrong.

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What Is Caine & Weiner?

Caine & Weiner Company, Inc. is a collection agency headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California, with collection centers in Illinois and Texas. It has been collecting since 1930 and handles both consumer debts and business-to-business accounts for companies in insurance, telecommunications, healthcare, education, retail, and other industries.

Caine & Weiner is an agency, not a debt buyer:

• The original company, such as Progressive, still owns the debt. Caine & Weiner collects on its behalf for a fee.
• It can settle only within the limits the company allows.
• The company can take the account back and send it to a different agency, which can create a second collection account for the same debt.

Our article on the most common debt collectors explains how agencies and debt buyers differ.

Is Caine & Weiner Legit?

Yes. Caine & Weiner is a licensed collection agency, and a Caine & Weiner collection on your credit report is a real account reported by a real furnisher. That doesn’t mean every detail is right, or that every call using its name is genuine.

• Check your credit reports. A real Caine & Weiner collection normally appears there with an original creditor you’ll recognize, most often Progressive.
• Expect a validation notice. A collector must send you validation information about the debt, either in its first contact or within five days.
• Call the company you owe directly if you’re unsure. Because Progressive or the other company still owns the debt, it can confirm whether it sent your account to Caine & Weiner.

If someone claiming to be with Caine & Weiner threatens arrest or demands payment by gift card or wire, treat it as a scam. Our guide to calls about being served papers covers the common scripts.

Who Does Caine & Weiner Collect For?

In SmartDispute’s data, Caine & Weiner held 34 collections, and 31 of them, 91%, were for Progressive. The other three were a veterinary care plan, a university, and one other company.

Progressive used two agencies in our data. Caine & Weiner held 31 of Progressive’s collections and Credit Collection Services held 21. If you see both agencies on your report for the same Progressive policy, only one should show a balance.

What SmartDispute’s Data Shows About Caine & Weiner

SmartDispute looked at the first credit report of 591 members, pulled before any disputes. For Caine & Weiner:

• 34 members, 6% of everyone in the data, had a Caine & Weiner collection. None had more than one.
• The median balance was $312. 65% were under $500, and only 2 were $2,500 or more.
• 4 Caine & Weiner collections, 12%, showed a $0 balance. They had been paid or settled but were still on the report.
• 65% appeared on all three credit reports, above the 55% average for all collections.
• Accounts reached Caine & Weiner fast: a median of 2 months after the first missed payment.
• At the time of the first report, the median Caine & Weiner collection was 18 months past its first delinquency, the newest of the six collectors we profiled.

How Does Caine & Weiner Appear on Your Credit Report?

Each bureau shows Caine & Weiner a little differently:

A few things that confuse people:

• No name at Equifax. More than half of the Equifax entries for Caine & Weiner showed no collector name. Match the account by original creditor, balance, and dates.
• “Open” and “closed.” Experian lists collections as closed while TransUnion and Equifax usually list them as open. That’s a display difference, not an error.
• Date opened. This is the date the account was placed with Caine & Weiner, not the date you started your policy.

What Caine & Weiner Reporting Problems Should You Check For?

Compare each Caine & Weiner account with your records, with your insurer’s account if it also appears, and across all three bureaus:

• The amount. Check the balance against your insurer’s final statement for the policy and any payments or credits you received.
• Two collections for one debt. If you also see Credit Collection Services or another agency for the same policy, only one should show a balance.
• Paid but still showing a balance. If you paid Caine & Weiner or your insurer, the collection should show $0. Include your proof of payment in the dispute.
• Delinquency date. The date of first delinquency should match when you first missed a payment to the insurer, not the date Caine & Weiner received the account.
• Too old. A collection can be reported for seven years, plus 180 days, from the original delinquency. Caine & Weiner also says it won’t report a debt that’s past the legal time limits.
• Not yours. Identity theft, a mixed credit file, or a policy opened in your name without permission.

How Do You Dispute a Caine & Weiner Collection?

1. Request validation. If you’ve just been contacted, you have about 30 days from receiving the validation notice to dispute the debt with Caine & Weiner in writing. The collector must stop collecting until it responds.
2. Dispute with each bureau reporting the error. Name the specific problem, such as a wrong balance or a duplicate collection, and include copies of statements or other proof.
3. Dispute directly with Caine & Weiner at 5805 Sepulveda Blvd., 4th Floor, Sherman Oaks, CA 91411, or at the address on its letter to you. A direct dispute puts the furnisher on notice and creates its own paper trail.
4. Contact the original creditor. Because your insurer still owns the debt, it can correct the balance and tell Caine & Weiner to update the account.
5. Follow up. If the account comes back “verified” without fixing the problem, send a second round with any new evidence 35 days after you mailed the first.

Our guide to disputing a collection account covers each step and what to include in each letter.

Does Caine & Weiner Sue?

Caine & Weiner says that if a debt is past the legal time limit, it won’t sue you for it, won’t report it to a credit bureau, and won’t treat a payment as restarting the statute of limitations. With an agency, the decision to sue on a newer debt belongs to the company that owns it, which can take the account back and hire a law firm. If you’re ever served, respond by the deadline in the papers. Our state-by-state statute of limitations guide explains what to do if you’ve been sued.

Should You Pay Caine & Weiner?

First, confirm the debt is yours and the amount is right. Then decide:

• Paying should update the collection to a $0 balance. Caine & Weiner doesn’t publish a policy of deleting accounts once they’re paid, and 12% of its collections in our data were still reporting with a $0 balance.
• If you want the collection removed, ask for deletion as part of the payment and get the agreement in writing before you pay. Because Caine & Weiner collects for your insurer, the insurer’s approval may be needed. Our pay for delete guide covers what the agreement should say.
• Pay through the official channels below or on your letter, and keep proof of every payment.

Caine & Weiner Contact Information

These are the details on Caine & Weiner’s website as of October 2026:

Disputes are best sent in writing, which creates a record of what you asked and when.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Caine & Weiner?

A collection agency based in Sherman Oaks, California, in business since 1930. It collects unpaid balances for other companies and doesn’t own the debts.

Who does Caine & Weiner collect for?

Many companies, but in our data 91% of its collections were for Progressive.

What is Caine & Weiner’s phone number?

1-818-902-4255.

Why is Caine & Weiner calling me?

Usually because a company, most often an insurer like Progressive, placed an unpaid balance with it. Ask for validation if you don’t recognize the debt.

Does Caine & Weiner do pay for delete?

It doesn’t publish a deletion policy. Ask for deletion in writing before you pay.

Will Caine & Weiner remove a collection if I dispute it?

Only if the information can’t be verified or is shown to be wrong. A dispute that names a specific error and includes proof has the best chance.

What’s the Next Step?

Pull your three credit reports and find every Caine & Weiner account: the original creditor, the balance, the dates, and the status at each bureau. Then check for any other collection of the same debt, and compare the balance with your insurer’s final statement. Anything that’s wrong, or that doesn’t match across reports, is worth disputing.

SmartDispute lays out every collection from all three bureaus side by side, flags the ones with problems, and drafts suggested disputes for you to review, change, and mail yourself. See how SmartDispute works.

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