Harris & Harris: Who They Are and How to Dispute a Harris & Harris Collection

Harris & Harris is a real collection agency based in Chicago. Companies and government agencies hire it to collect unpaid bills for them, and in SmartDispute’s data it was collecting mostly for Comcast/Xfinity.

If Harris & Harris, or just “HARRIS,” is on your credit report, it’s most likely collecting a final bill from a cable or internet account you closed. This guide covers who Harris & Harris is, who it collects for, how its accounts appear on each credit report, the problems worth checking, and how to dispute a Harris & Harris collection that’s wrong.

---

What Is Harris & Harris?

Harris & Harris, Ltd. is an accounts receivable management company headquartered in Chicago, with a second office in Coppell, Texas. It was founded in 1968, is licensed in all 50 states, and collects for clients in government, toll authorities, healthcare, telecommunications, utilities, and banking (Harris & Harris). In May 2026, it acquired another collection agency, Frost-Arnett Company.

Harris & Harris is an agency, not a debt buyer:

• The original company, such as Comcast, still owns the debt. Harris & Harris collects on its behalf.
• 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 bill.

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

Is Harris & Harris Legit?

Yes. Harris & Harris is a licensed collection agency, and a Harris & Harris 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 or text using its name is genuine.

• Check your credit reports. A real Harris & Harris collection normally appears there with an original creditor you’ll recognize, most often Comcast/Xfinity or Spectrum.
• 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 Comcast or the other company still owns the debt, it can confirm whether it sent your account to Harris & Harris.

Harris & Harris has a regulatory history worth knowing. In 2024, it agreed to pay $1 million to settle a Washington Attorney General lawsuit alleging that its collection notices to Providence hospital patients left out required information about their medical debt rights and listed its own phone number instead of the hospital’s. It didn’t admit the allegations (Washington Attorney General).

If someone claiming to be with Harris & Harris 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 Harris & Harris Collect For?

Harris & Harris collects for many kinds of clients, including hospitals, cities, and toll authorities, but the accounts it reported on SmartDispute members’ credit reports were all telecom bills:

Harris & Harris held more Comcast collections than any other collector in our data. Comcast also used I.C. System and Transworld Systems, among others. If you see two agencies on your report for the same bill, only one should show a balance.

What SmartDispute’s Data Shows About Harris & Harris

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

• 15 members, 3% of everyone in the data, had a Harris & Harris collection. None had more than one.
• The median balance was $479. 53% were under $500, and only one was $2,500 or more.
• 67% appeared on all three credit reports, above the 55% average for all collections.
• All were placed with Harris & Harris in 2024 or 2025, typically more than a year after the first missed payment.

How Does Harris & Harris Appear on Your Credit Report?

Each bureau shows Harris & Harris a little differently:

A few things that confuse people:

• “HARRIS” at TransUnion. The one-word name doesn’t say it’s a collection agency. Check the original creditor field, which usually shows the cable or phone company.
• No name at Equifax. Some Equifax entries for Harris & Harris in our data 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 Harris & Harris, not the date you opened your cable or phone service.

What Harris & Harris Reporting Problems Should You Check For?

Compare each Harris & Harris account with your records, with the original company’s final bill, and across all three bureaus:

• The amount. Final cable and internet bills often include charges for unreturned equipment. If you returned a modem or cable box, keep the return receipt and check that the balance doesn’t include it.
• Two collections for one debt. If you also see another agency for the same bill, only one should show a balance.
• Paid but still showing a balance. If you paid Harris & Harris or the original company, 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 original company, not the date Harris & Harris received the account.
• Too old. A collection can be reported for seven years, plus 180 days, from the original delinquency.
• Not yours. Identity theft, a mixed credit file, or service opened in your name without permission.

How Do You Dispute a Harris & Harris 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 Harris & Harris 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 your final bill, equipment return receipts, or other proof.
3. Dispute directly with Harris & Harris by mail at the address shown for it on the credit report you’re disputing. TransUnion and Equifax list P.O. Box 186, Chicago, IL 60690, and Experian lists its Chicago headquarters on West Jackson Boulevard. Harris & Harris also has an online dispute form, but a mailed dispute gives you a record of exactly what you sent and when.
4. Contact the original creditor. Because the cable or phone company still owns the debt, it can correct the balance and tell Harris & Harris 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 Harris & Harris Sue?

Harris & Harris doesn’t publish a policy on lawsuits. With an agency, the decision to sue belongs to the company that owns the debt, which can take the account back and hire a law firm. Most Harris & Harris balances in our data were small. 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 Harris & Harris?

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

• Paying should update the collection to a $0 balance. Harris & Harris doesn’t publish a policy of deleting accounts once they’re paid.
• If you want the collection removed, ask for deletion as part of the payment and get the agreement in writing before you pay. Because Harris & Harris collects for the original company, that company’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.

Harris & Harris Contact Information

These are the details on Harris & Harris’s contact page as of October 2026:

Your letter from Harris & Harris may list a different phone number or address for your account. Disputes are best sent in writing, which creates a record of what you asked and when.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Harris & Harris?

A collection agency headquartered in Chicago, founded in 1968. It collects unpaid bills for companies and government agencies and doesn’t own the debts.

What is “HARRIS” on my TransUnion report?

Usually Harris & Harris, Ltd. TransUnion shortens the name. Check the original creditor field to see whose bill it’s collecting.

Who does Harris & Harris collect for?

Many companies and agencies. In our data, all of its collections were cable, internet, or phone bills, and two-thirds were for Comcast/Xfinity.

What is the Harris & Harris phone number?

Harris & Harris lists 1-800-362-0097 to pay a debt. Your letter may list a different number for your account.

Does Harris & Harris do pay for delete?

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

Will Harris & Harris 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 Harris & Harris account, including any listed only as “HARRIS” or with no name at Equifax: the original creditor, the balance, the dates, and the status at each bureau. Then compare the balance with the original company’s final bill. 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.

---