HS Financial Group Reviews and Complaints: What the Record Shows and What to Do (2026)

Who HS Financial Group is

HS Financial Group, LLC is a limited liability company. The Better Business Bureau lists its business start and incorporation date as July 1, 2000, and its own About page says it was founded in 2000. The BBB names Timothy M. Sullivan, President, as its principal contact, and gives its address as 18013 Cleveland Parkway Drive, Suite 170, Cleveland, Ohio 44135. The company's site lists a toll free number, 800 222-1626, and a local number, 216-762-1800.

The Ohio Secretary of State's business search was offline for maintenance when we checked on November 13, 2026, so we could not read the company's Ohio filing. The LLC form and start date above come from the BBB, and an Ohio appeals court decision from 2020 (described below) names HS Financial Group, LLC as the plaintiff.

The company describes two lines of work. As an agency, it says it specializes in recovering "Higher Education, Government, Consumer, and Commercial accounts" and also runs call center projects for clients. As a buyer, its services page says it "purchases portfolios of unsecured, charged-off debt" from banks, financial institutions, and consumer and auto lenders, that it has made over 140 debt purchases, and that it is a long time member of the Receivables Management Association International. The same page invites creditors holding delinquent credit cards, auto and consumer loans, business loans and rent to own loans to ask whether it may want to buy them.

The site footer says "This communication is from a debt collector" and shows a State of Nevada collection agency license, number CAD11225, a Nevada collection agency manager certificate for Timothy Sullivan, number CM12775, and NMLS ID 1126763. The home page says the company is licensed to collect in all 50 states, while the services page says 48 states and Puerto Rico. We could not check the licence list itself, because the NMLS consumer site refused automated access. The services page also says the company is "owned and managed by attorneys". It is not a law firm: when it sued in Ohio, an attorney with a separate Westlake, Ohio office address appeared for it.

The public record at a glance

• BBB rating and accreditation. A plus, not BBB accredited, as checked on November 13, 2026. The BBB opened its file on the company on October 15, 2004, and lists it under collections agencies.
• BBB complaints. 1 in the last three years, and that same complaint falls in the last 12 months, as of November 13, 2026. The BBB shows it as a billing issue filed November 15, 2025, marked answered (the consumer did not accept the response). The profile lists no customer reviews.
• CFPB complaint database. No complaints under any form of the name we tried (HS Financial Group; HS Financial Group, LLC; HS Financial Group LLC; HS Financial Group, L.L.C.), and a full text search for "HS Financial" also returns none, as of November 13, 2026. The same search returns hundreds of complaints for other collectors, so the tool was working.
• Federal enforcement. A search of the CFPB's enforcement actions on November 13, 2026 returned no action naming the company. A web search for state attorney general consent orders or settlements naming it found none.
• Federal dockets with HS Financial in the case name. CourtListener shows 10 federal dockets with "HS Financial" in the case name, 4 of them filed since November 13, 2023. 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. A short record also proves nothing about your account: no complaint database can tell you whether the balance on your letter is right.

What the complaint record does and does not tell you

This company's public complaint footprint is small. One BBB complaint in three years and none in the federal database is a thin record for a company that says it has bought more than 140 portfolios.

The one published court decision we found turned on the company's proof of the account, and that proof is the first thing to check in your own paperwork.

Lawsuits and court decisions

Here is what the court record shows.

• HS Financial Group, L.L.C. v. Hinchee (Ohio Court of Appeals, Second District, 2020, 2020-Ohio-4765). The company sued a consumer in Fairborn Municipal Court in April 2019 for $12,113.83 on a consumer loan, as the assignee of Lending Point, LLC. She answered, denied the allegations and raised defenses, including that the company had not proven it owned the claim. The trial court granted the company summary judgment. The appeals court reversed and sent the case back. It held that the affidavit of the company's employee did not meet the business records rule, Evid.R. 803(6), was not properly authenticated and was inadmissible. The opinion walks through the paperwork: a bill of sale from Lending Point to Argent Holdings, LLC, another from Argent Holdings to Security Credit Services, LLC, with the account details blacked out and no account schedule attached, and a final assignment from Security Credit Services to HS Financial Group that described the accounts only by reference to an agreement that was not attached. We did not review how the case ended after it went back to the trial court.
• Recent federal filings. Of the 4 dockets filed since November 13, 2023, three have the company named in the caption: Simmons v. HS Financial Group, LLC (N.D. Ohio No. 1:24-cv-01959, filed November 8, 2024, closed January 7, 2025); Jones v. HS Financial Group, LLC (D. Md. No. 1:26-cv-00361, filed January 29, 2026, listed as a removal under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, with other defendants named); and Montgomery v. HS Financial Group LLC (D. Md. No. 8:26-cv-01926, filed May 15, 2026). The fourth is a Texas bankruptcy court docket captioned only "HS Financial Group LLC" (S.D. Tex. No. 25-00461, January 15 to February 13, 2025). We could not confirm from docket information alone that each involves the Cleveland company or what the claims are, and we did not read the pleadings.
• Older federal filings. Six earlier dockets captioned with the company's name were filed from 2011 to 2016 in New Jersey, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri and a Florida bankruptcy court. All six are closed, and we did not read them.

Put plainly: the company sues in its own name on accounts it says it bought, and in the one appeal we found, it lost a summary judgment because the affidavit offered to prove the account was inadmissible, and the court also noted gaps in the sale paperwork. That does not mean every account it holds lacks paperwork. It means the paperwork is worth asking for.

Why the company is contacting you or your business

For one of two reasons. Either a creditor has placed the account with it to collect, or it bought the account, often after it was charged off and sometimes after it had already passed through other buyers. The paperwork in Hinchee traces a single account from the original lender through two other companies before reaching HS Financial Group. The letter should say who the current creditor is. If it does not, ask.

On the business side, the company's own services page lists business loans among the receivables it may buy, and it says it recovers commercial accounts. If you signed a personal guarantee, the owner of the account can pursue you as well as the company that borrowed.

A collection letter can come before suit, during a lawsuit, or after a judgment, when the work shifts to garnishments, levies or liens. The paper you received tells you which stage you are in. Read it before you call.

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. A consumer's suit under the Act generally must be brought within one year of the violation.

Debt buyers and the definition of debt collector. The Act covers anyone whose business has the principal purpose of collecting debts, and anyone who regularly collects debts owed or due another. In Henson v. Santander Consumer USA Inc. (2017), the Supreme Court held that a company collecting debts it bought for its own account does not fall within the second part of that definition. The Court said it was not deciding the first part, the principal purpose test. HS Financial Group's own footer calls each communication one "from a debt collector".

A business debt is generally outside the FDCPA. A business credit card, a business loan, an equipment lease or a supplier account is usually a commercial obligation, even when the owner signed a personal guarantee. Contract terms, court rules and general law still apply.

Ohio's collection agency section is not limited to consumer debt, and it is not a licensing law. Ohio Revised Code section 1319.12 defines a collection agency as any person who, for compensation, "offers services to collect an alleged debt asserted to be owed to another", and the wording is not limited to consumer debts. The section does not set up a licence; it sets rules for an agency that takes an account by assignment and sues on it in its own name. The assignment must be voluntary, in a separate written agreement that states its effective date and the consideration paid, and the suit must be brought in the county where the debtor lives. The agency must appear through a lawyer admitted in Ohio, and the section says it does not relieve an agency of complying with the FDCPA. Whether these assignment rules apply to an account the company bought outright is a question for a lawyer.

Ohio's consumer protection law draws a consumer line too. The Consumer Sales Practices Act, starting at section 1345.01, defines a consumer transaction as one with an individual for purposes that are primarily personal, family or household, so a business deal generally falls outside it.

Attorney fee clauses in business contracts. Section 1319.02 covers promises to pay attorney fees in a written contract of indebtedness that is not for personal, family or household purposes. Under that section, such a promise is enforceable only if the total owed when the contract was made exceeded $100,000, and only for a reasonable amount. If a demand on a smaller business account adds attorney fees, ask what the claim for them rests on.

Time limits. Under section 2305.06, an action on a written contract must be brought within six years after the cause of action accrued, with listed exceptions. Under section 2305.07, a contract not in writing has four years, and a consumer transaction for personal, family or household purposes has six years, counted from thirty days after the last charge or payment. Other states set their own rules, and the company says it collects across the country.

Personal guarantees. A guarantee is a separate promise by you to pay the company's debt. It is a common way a business account can reach your personal assets. Find the application or agreement and read the section on liability before you respond.

What to check in your own paperwork

• Who owns the account. Ask in writing whether HS Financial Group is collecting for someone else or owns the account. If it owns it, ask for the chain of bills of sale and the account schedule that names your account, not just a generic assignment.
• Which person or entity owes it. Is the account in the company's name, your name, or both? Look for a personal guarantee or a clause making you jointly liable.
• Whether it is a consumer or a business account. The answer decides whether the FDCPA and Ohio's consumer rules apply. Keep the application and statements that show what the credit was for.
• The balance and how it was built. Ask for an itemized statement: the charged off balance, interest, fees and any payments credited. Compare it with your own bank records.
• Whether a suit or judgment already exists. Search the court records for your county, including the municipal court. If a judgment exists, get its date, amount and case number.
• Time limits. Note the date of your last payment and whether the contract was written or not. A lawyer can tell you whether the claim is timely.

If a lawsuit has been filed

The plaintiff will be HS Financial Group in its own name if it owns the account, or the creditor it collects for. In Ohio, Civil Rule 12(A)(1) says the defendant shall serve an answer within twenty-eight days after service of the summons and complaint. Other states where the company sues set their own deadlines, and the deadline that applies to you is the one on your summons.

Hinchee shows why answering matters. The defendant answered and denied the allegations, which preserved her defenses, including that the company had not proven it owned the claim. The appeals court said a party asking for summary judgment must first point to admissible evidence on every essential issue.

If you do not answer, the plaintiff can ask for a default judgment, and a judgment can lead to garnishment of wages or bank accounts and liens, subject to exemptions. A company and an owner sued on a guarantee are separate defendants, each with its own deadline.

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

Can a balance HS Financial Group is collecting be settled?

Sometimes, if the creditor agrees. The company's payments page offers a settlement offer form and invites people to call to discuss payment plans and other repayment options. If it owns the account, the decision is its own; if it collects for another creditor, any reduction is generally that creditor's decision.

Whatever you agree, get it in writing before you pay: the amount, the schedule, and that it settles the account in full for every person and company named. If there is a lawsuit, the agreement should say how the case will end, and you should get a copy of what is filed with the court. If there is a judgment, ask for proof that it has been satisfied, then check that any garnishment has been released.

Business Debt Adjusters negotiates business debt, including business credit cards, business loans and merchant cash advances. We've resolved over $500 million in business debt across 11 years, and our clients rate us 4.7 stars across 246 Google reviews. We review the agreement, the guarantee, the balance and any court filings, and we tell you what is realistic before you commit to anything. Business Debt Adjusters is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation. 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. If your letters come from a different collection agency, our Radius Global Solutions review covers that Minnesota agency's record.

When you need a lawyer

Settlement help and legal representation are different things. If you have been served and the deadline is close, if you have grounds to dispute the debt entirely (wrong party, identity theft, an expired time limit, a debt discharged in bankruptcy, or a gap in the chain of ownership), or if a judgment has already been entered and you want to challenge it, talk to a defense lawyer licensed in that state.

Sources

• HS Financial Group, LLC, home page (address, phones, Nevada license CAD11225, NMLS ID 1126763, debt collector disclosure)
• HS Financial Group, LLC, About page (founded in 2000; Higher Education, Government, Consumer and Commercial accounts)
• HS Financial Group, LLC, Services page (debt buying, over 140 purchases, RMAI membership, business loans among receivables purchased)
• HS Financial Group, LLC, Payments page (payment plans and settlement offer form)
• Better Business Bureau, HS Financial Group LLC profile (A plus, not accredited, started 7/1/2000, 1 complaint in 3 years)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database, search for HS Financial Group (no results)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, enforcement actions search for HS Financial (no results)
• HS Fin. Group, L.L.C. v. Hinchee, 2020-Ohio-4765 (Ohio Ct. App. 2d Dist.), Supreme Court of Ohio reporter
• CourtListener federal docket search, case name HS Financial (10 dockets; 4 filed since November 13, 2023)
• 15 U.S.C. 1692a, FDCPA definitions of consumer, debt and debt collector
• 15 U.S.C. 1692g, FDCPA validation of debts
• 15 U.S.C. 1692k, FDCPA civil liability (one year to sue)
• Henson v. Santander Consumer USA Inc., No. 16-349 (U.S. June 12, 2017)
• Ohio Revised Code section 1319.12, collection agencies and assigned accounts
• Ohio Revised Code section 1319.02, attorney fees in commercial contracts of indebtedness
• Ohio Revised Code section 1345.01, Consumer Sales Practices Act definitions
• Ohio Revised Code section 2305.06, six years on written contracts
• Ohio Revised Code section 2305.07, unwritten contracts and consumer transactions
• Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 12(A)(1), time to answer

Facts on this page were checked against the linked sources on November 13, 2026. Business Debt Adjusters is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized to represent the company described.