Cavalry Portfolio Services Reviews and Complaints: What the Record Shows and What to Do (2026)

Who Cavalry Portfolio Services is

Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC describes itself on its own website as a company that, founded in 2002, works in the acquisition and management of non-performing consumer loan portfolios. In plain terms, the Cavalry group buys accounts that the original lender has charged off and then works to collect them. The same site says the company may be able to resolve a debt for less than the full balance.

The company's contact page and its state disclosures give a mailing address of 1 American Lane, Suite 220, Greenwich, CT 06831, a customer care line of (866) 434-2995 and a resolution line of 1-866-483-5139. Its North Carolina disclosure lists three addresses for the company: 4050 Cotton Center Boulevard in Phoenix, Arizona; 1 American Lane in Greenwich, Connecticut; and 500 East Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Connecticut business registry, checked November 11, 2026, shows Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC as an active limited liability company formed in Delaware that began doing business in Connecticut on June 13, 2002. The same registry shows Cavalry SPV I, LLC, Cavalry SPV II, LLC and Cavalry Investments, LLC as active Delaware LLCs at the same Greenwich address. Older records tie the group to Valhalla, New York: the registry lists a withdrawn affiliate, Cavalry Auto Finance, LLC, with a mailing address at 500 Summit Lake Drive in Valhalla.

In a 2013 West Virginia case, the companies described their own roles to the court: the SPV entities bought and held credit card debt, Cavalry Investments bought and held various obligations, and Cavalry Portfolio Services was the collection agency. Not every agency works for an affiliated buyer: Radius Global Solutions, a Minnesota collection agency, collects for creditors that place accounts with it.

So, in the sources checked, Cavalry is a debt buyer and its collection arm. It is not a lender and not a law firm. When it sues, a separate law firm appears for the Cavalry entity that owns the account. In one Michigan federal case, for example, Cavalry SPV I was sued together with the collection law firm Roosen Varchetti & Olivier.

The public record at a glance

• BBB rating and accreditation. A, BBB accredited since February 22, 2022, as checked on November 11, 2026. The BBB profile is filed with BBB Connecticut.
• BBB complaints. 511 in the last three years and 83 in the last 12 months, as of November 11, 2026. The complaint details were not displayed when we checked.
• BBB customer reviews. An average of 1 out of 5 from 20 reviews, as of November 11, 2026.
• CFPB complaint database. 6,540 complaints filed under Cavalry Investments, LLC, received from May 2013 to November 2026, as of November 11, 2026. 3,131 of them were received in the three years before that date and 1,338 in the last 12 months. 5,060 are filed under debt collection, and about 1,350 under credit reporting. We searched the other Cavalry company names in that database and found no complaints filed under them, so the count reflects this one company name only.
• Licensing. New York City's licensing records list debt collection agency licenses for Cavalry Portfolio Services, Cavalry SPV I, Cavalry SPV II, Cavalry SPV IV and Cavalry Investments running to January 31, 2027, as of November 11, 2026. The company's own site lists California, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina and Oregon licenses and registrations.
• State enforcement. The West Virginia Attorney General sued four Cavalry companies in 2010. In 2013 the state's highest court upheld an order that barred three of them from collecting debts bought before they were licensed. Details are below.
• Lawsuits naming the companies. CourtListener's federal docket search returns 1,868 dockets, including bankruptcy court cases, with Cavalry Portfolio, Cavalry SPV or Cavalry Investments in the case name, 82 of them filed since November 11, 2023. We did not screen the results, so some may involve unrelated companies, and we read none of the filings behind these counts. Being named in a lawsuit is not proof of wrongdoing.

A complaint count is not a finding. The CFPB database publishes what consumers report, and the BBB displays what complainants and the business each say. Read the numbers as a map of what people dispute, not as a verdict.

What the complaints say

The CFPB data shows what consumers most often report. The most common issue label is "attempts to collect debt not owed" (1,801 complaints). Within it, 1,103 consumers said the debt was not theirs and 481 said it came from identity theft. Next come "written notification about debt" (961), most of them saying the consumer did not receive enough information to verify the debt, "incorrect information on your report" (729), "false statements or representation" (642), with 565 of those about the amount being collected, and "took or threatened to take negative or legal action" (517).

Within that last group, 125 consumers reported being sued without proper notice of the lawsuit and 121 reported a threat to sue on a very old debt.

The company response is "closed with explanation" on 5,192 complaints, "closed with non monetary relief" on 1,320 and "closed with monetary relief" on 26. All but two were marked as answered on time. The states with the most complaints are Florida (882), California (815), Texas (713), New York (489) and Georgia (430). 2,800 of the debt collection complaints are tagged as credit card debt or credit card.

The BBB reviews read the same way. In February 2026 one reviewer wrote of asking since 2021 for proof that the debt was theirs, and of a garnishment after a request to continue a court date. In May 2026 another wrote of not owing the debt and wanted it removed from her credit report. Those are the reviewers' accounts, not findings.

Two lessons come out of those files. First, ask in writing who owns the account and how they came to own it, because the owner of the account is the party entitled to collect it. Second, keep copies of every notice, every payment and every court paper, and check your credit report for the account.

The West Virginia Attorney General case

On June 3, 2010 the West Virginia Attorney General sued Cavalry SPV I, LLC, Cavalry SPV II, LLC, Cavalry Investments, LLC and Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County (Civil Action No. 10-C-994). According to the later appeals opinion, the case followed about sixteen consumer complaints and an investigative subpoena issued January 25, 2010. The Attorney General's complaint alleged that three of the companies, the two SPVs and Cavalry Investments, had collected debts in West Virginia without a license, and the case concerned the state's Consumer Credit and Protection Act.

The circuit court found that Cavalry SPV I, Cavalry SPV II and Cavalry Investments did not become licensed and bonded until October 2010, after the suit was filed. It found that Cavalry Portfolio Services was licensed and bonded at all relevant times. On October 7, 2011 it entered a temporary injunction against the other three. They were barred from collecting debts acquired before they were licensed, including pending suits and judgments already entered, and ordered to release garnishments of wages and liens filed before they became licensed. They were also ordered to write to affected consumers.

The companies appealed. On November 13, 2013 the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Nos. 11-1564 and 12-0546, 232 W. Va. 325) affirmed the temporary injunction. It also upheld the Attorney General's subpoena power, but reversed the part of the order that enforced the whole subpoena and sent that question back to the trial court. A temporary injunction is not a final ruling on the merits. We read the 2013 opinion, not the final resolution of the case, so this page does not describe how it ended.

One practical takeaway, ours and not the court's: it is worth asking which entity owns the account and whether it is licensed in your state.

Other court decisions involving Cavalry

CourtListener lists 47 opinions with Cavalry Portfolio, Cavalry SPV or Cavalry Investments in the case caption, from federal and state courts. Here is what two of them actually show, along with recent federal filings.

• Cavalry SPV I, LLC v. Watkins (Cal. Ct. App. No. D072299, 2019, 36 Cal. App. 5th 1070). Citibank charged off a gas station card account in March 2011 at $1,603.22 and sold it to Cavalry SPV I in August 2012. Cavalry added interest from the charge off date and collected through Cavalry Portfolio Services, whose letters offered discounts of 20 to 40 percent. The consumer disputed the debt, Cavalry sued, and she countersued under California's Rosenthal Act. The trial court found her liable for the original balance and rejected her claims. The appeals court affirmed that, while finding that Cavalry had relied on an incorrect reading of one interest statute. It reversed the attorney fee award and sent it back to the trial court.
• Cavalry SPV I, LLC v. Wilkerson (N.Y. Sup. Ct., Bronx County, Index No. 806195/2023E, December 4, 2024, 2024 NY Slip Op 24305). Cavalry SPV I, as assignee of Citibank, sued over a Home Depot card balance of $4,642.92 and moved for summary judgment against a defendant who had no lawyer. The court denied the motion with leave to renew, because there was no proof that the extra notice New York's Consumer Credit Fairness Act requires for unrepresented defendants had been given. Cavalry's papers included a bill of sale and affidavits from Citibank and Cavalry, and Mandarich Law Group appeared as its counsel.
• Recent federal filings. Clarke v. Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC (N.D. Ga. No. 1:26-cv-06170, filed October 14, 2026) and Batts v. Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC (E.D. Pa. No. 2:26-cv-04433, filed June 26, 2026) are both coded consumer credit. We did not read their pleadings, so this page does not describe their claims.

Put plainly: Cavalry buys accounts, sues to collect some of them, and is named in lawsuits in turn. These two decisions are examples, not a measure of how Cavalry's cases usually end.

Why Cavalry is contacting you or your business

Because a Cavalry entity bought an account with your name on it, or is collecting one for an affiliate that did. The CFPB data points mostly to credit cards. Cavalry describes what it buys as consumer loan portfolios, and we have not found any source showing that it buys merchant cash advances, business loans or other commercial debt.

A business owner usually meets Cavalry in one of three ways. The account is a personal card that was used for the business. The account is a business card that the owner is personally liable for under the card agreement. Or a personal account went unpaid during a hard stretch for the business. In each case the claim is against you as an individual, and your company's assets and other creditors are a separate question.

Ask the first letter's sender, in writing, to name the original creditor and the date of sale. The summons, if there is one, names the Cavalry entity that owns the account and the law firm acting for it.

Your rights: which rules apply to which debt

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies to consumer debts. The statute defines a debt as an obligation arising from a transaction that is primarily for personal, family or household purposes. For a consumer debt, you can dispute the debt in writing and ask for verification within the window stated in the first notice. Once you dispute in writing within that window, the collector must pause collection of the disputed amount until it mails verification (15 U.S.C. 1692g). A company that buys consumer accounts and collects on them is generally treated as a debt collector under the statute, though courts have looked at the facts of each business.

A business debt is generally outside the FDCPA. A business credit card, a business loan or a supplier account is usually a commercial obligation, even when the owner is personally liable. The protections built for household debts generally do not apply to it. Contract terms, court rules and general law still apply. Smaller debt buyers can hold business accounts too; HS Financial Group lists business loans among what it buys.

State law adds its own layer. California's Rosenthal Act, a state consumer debt collection law, was at issue in Watkins. In New York, the Consumer Credit Fairness Act sets a three year limit for suits arising from a consumer credit transaction, and says a later payment does not revive or extend an expired limit, as the Wilkerson opinion quotes. Many states, West Virginia among them, also require a collection agency to be licensed. For a New York collection law firm that sues for creditors and debt buyers, including how New York's own collection statute treats a guarantor, see our Rubin & Rothman review.

Your credit report is a separate track. About one in five of the CFPB complaints filed under Cavalry Investments, LLC is a credit reporting complaint. The company's site says that when an account is paid in full or resolved for less, it will request deletion of the tradeline about 30 days after the final payment posts.

What to check in your own paperwork

• Who owns the account. The letter or complaint should name the current owner, such as Cavalry SPV I, LLC, and the original creditor. Ask in writing for the date of sale and the chain of ownership.
• Whose debt it is. Is the account in your name, your company's name, or both? Find the card agreement or application and look at the liability section. Personal liability is one of the main things that puts your own assets in play.
• The balance and how it was built. Compare the charge off balance with what Cavalry is asking for, and ask for an itemized statement showing interest, fees and payments credited. In Watkins, the interest added after the sale was the core of the dispute.
• Whether it is really yours. More than 1,500 CFPB complaints say the debt belonged to someone else or came from identity theft. If you do not recognize the account, say so in writing and pull your credit reports.
• Whether a suit or judgment already exists. Search your county court's online records, and if a judgment exists, get its date, amount and case number.
• Time limits. Note the date of your last payment. Statutes of limitation vary by state and by type of debt, and only a lawyer licensed there can tell you whether one applies.
• Who you are dealing with. Use only the phone numbers and addresses on the company's own website or on court papers.

If a lawsuit has been filed

The plaintiff will usually be the Cavalry entity that owns the account, often Cavalry SPV I, LLC, with an outside law firm as its counsel. The deadline to respond is set by the court and the state, and it is printed on the summons. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to respond by the date in the court papers, either yourself or through a lawyer. For how a collection law firm works a file from the first letter to post-judgment garnishment, see our review of Stenger and Stenger, a Grand Rapids firm.

The CFPB also explains why. When you respond, the debt collector has to prove to the court that the debt is valid, and responding does not mean you agree you owe it. If you do not respond, the court can enter a default judgment, which can lead to garnishment of wages or bank accounts within each state's limits and exemptions. The Wilkerson opinion describes New York's rules for a debt buyer seeking a default judgment in a consumer case, which call for affidavits covering the original creditor and later sellers.

Filing an answer does not end the chance to settle. This page is general information, not legal advice. If you have been sued, talk to a lawyer licensed in the state where the case is filed.

Can a balance Cavalry is collecting be settled?

Often it can be discussed. Cavalry's own site says it may be able to resolve a debt for less than the full balance, and in Watkins the court's opinion describes Cavalry Portfolio Services letters offering discounts of 20 to 40 percent. Whether a particular balance can be settled, and for how much, depends on the account, its age, whether a suit has been filed and your documents.

Whatever you agree, get it in writing before you pay: the amount, the schedule, that it settles the account in full, and, if there is a suit or judgment, a dismissal or a satisfaction of judgment filed with the court. Then check your credit reports and confirm that any garnishment has been released.

Business Debt Adjusters negotiates business debt, including business credit cards, business loans and merchant cash advances. We review the agreement, the guarantee, the balance and any court filings, and we tell you what is realistic before you commit to anything. If several debts are pressing at once, see how business debt settlement works and business credit card debt relief. If a merchant cash advance is part of the picture, see how MCA debt relief works, whether a merchant cash advance is a loan, and settlement versus bankruptcy. For another debt buyer's record, see our LVNV Funding review.

Sources

• Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC, About Cavalry (founded 2002, non-performing consumer loan portfolios)
• Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC, home page (resolution for less than full balance, tradeline deletion policy)
• Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC, Contact Us (Greenwich, Connecticut address, phone numbers, chief compliance officer)
• Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC, Federal, State and Local Disclosures (licenses, addresses)
• Better Business Bureau, Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC profile (A rating, accredited since 2/22/2022)
• Better Business Bureau, Cavalry Portfolio Services complaints (511 in 3 years, 83 in 12 months)
• Better Business Bureau, Cavalry Portfolio Services customer reviews (average 1 out of 5 from 20 reviews)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database, company: Cavalry Investments, LLC (6,540 complaints, 2013 to 2026)
• Connecticut business registry open data, Cavalry entities (formation state, registration dates, status)
• New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection licenses, open data (Cavalry debt collection agency licenses)
• Cavalry SPV I, LLC v. Morrisey, 232 W. Va. 325 (W. Va. 2013), via CourtListener
• Cavalry SPV I, LLC v. Watkins, 36 Cal. App. 5th 1070 (2019), via CourtListener
• Cavalry SPV I, LLC v. Wilkerson, 2024 NY Slip Op 24305 (Sup. Ct. Bronx County), via CourtListener
• CourtListener federal docket search, case names Cavalry Portfolio, Cavalry SPV or Cavalry Investments (1,868 dockets; 82 filed since November 11, 2023)
• 15 U.S.C. 1692a, FDCPA definitions of consumer, debt and debt collector
• 15 U.S.C. 1692g, FDCPA validation of debts
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What should I do if I'm sued by a debt collector or creditor?

Facts on this page were checked against the linked sources on November 11, 2026. Business Debt Adjusters is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized to represent the company described.