This data comes from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and reflects consumer complaints, not proven violations.

CFPB complaint data Grade D 143 complaints

Retail Merchants Associates - Debt Collector Complaint Profile

CFPB complaint profile across 6 states, reputation grade D.

Complaints by issue type

What consumers report about Retail Merchants Associates

complaints
Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

Data updated July 2026

D

Grade D · 55.2/100 composite

This collector has a poor complaint record with above-average complaints and below-average response rates.

Based on consumer-filed CFPB complaints, not proven violations or a court finding of wrongdoing.

The verdict

A reputation grade of D: Retail Merchants Associates ranks ahead of 26% of the 5,283 collectors PlainCollector grades - 74% keep a cleaner CFPB record, on 143 all-time complaints and a 87% timely-response rate.

26th pct
reputation rank of 5,283 graded collectors
143
CFPB complaints, all-time
87%
answered inside the CFPB window
31
in the last 12 months (stable)

Grades are relative: every collector is ranked against the others, so an A reflects a cleaner record than peers, not a clean bill of conduct. A complaint is a consumer filing, not a proven violation.

What do CFPB complaints reveal about Retail Merchants Associates?

Retail Merchants Associates has accumulated 143 total CFPB complaints across 6 states, with 31 filed in the most recent 12 months against 112 historical complaints before that window. The trailing-12-month volume represents 21.7% of the full complaint history, a stable pattern that indicates a mature dispute profile with predictable monthly volumes.

The dominant consumer grievance logged with the CFPB is "Attempts to collect debt not owed", narrowing to "Debt is not yours". The company posts a 87% timely-response rate against a 21% consumer-dispute-after-response rate.

Complaints have been recorded across 6 states, led by Louisiana with 113 and Texas with 24. Normalized against the full CFPB collector database, the reputation score of 55.2/100 places Retail Merchants Associates in grade band D.

How to read a complaint count →

Complaint Summary

Total CFPB complaints

143

mid-volume (CCDB)

Last 12 months

31

21.7% of all-time complaints

Stable →

States active

6

regional footprint

Timely response rate

87%

acceptable band

Consumer disputes

21%

elevated (vertical avg ~19%)

Reputation grade

D

55.2/100 composite

How does Retail Merchants Associates's reputation rank nationally?

Reputation score vs. every graded collector

PlainCollector composite reputation score (0–100, higher = cleaner CFPB record)

55 26th percentile higher than 26% of 5,283 graded collectors

0–10: 0 graded collectors (0%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3 graded collectors (0%). Below this entry. 20–30: 29 graded collectors (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 160 graded collectors (3%). Below this entry. 40–50: 583 graded collectors (11%). Below this entry. 50–60: 1,469 graded collectors (28%). This entry sits in this band. 60–70: 1,364 graded collectors (26%). Above this entry. 70–80: 871 graded collectors (16%). Above this entry. 80–90: 660 graded collectors (12%). Above this entry. 90–100: 144 graded collectors (3%). Above this entry. This collector 0 100 every graded collector, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more graded collectors. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCollector composite of CFPB Consumer Complaint Database · 2013–2026

Response-quality profile

Retail Merchants Associates versus the debt-collection vertical average.

Timely response within SLA 87.1%
Vertical avg

CFPB requires companies to respond within 15 days for most complaints; 60 days for credit-reporting.

Consumer dispute rate (post-response) 21.4%
Vertical avg

Lower is better. The percentage of consumers who flagged the company's response as unsatisfactory.

State coverage breadth 10.7%

Share of US states + territories with at least one filed complaint against this collector.

How does Retail Merchants Associates compare to its peers?

How does Retail Merchants Associates compare? Versus a similar-volume peer and the national average, drawn from 10 collectors with a comparable complaint count
Retail Merchants Assoc… National average
Complaints (last 12 mo)lower is better
31
15
268
Timely-response ratehigher is better
87%
99%
91%
Consumer-dispute ratelower is better
21%
28%
19%

Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database.

Complaint Trend (24 months)

2024-01 2026-03

Issue Detail Breakdown

Issue Sub-Issue Complaints
Attempts to collect debt not owed - 51
False statements or representation - 31
Written notification about debt - 22
Took or threatened to take negative or legal action - 21
Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed - 10
Communication tactics - 4
Disclosure verification of debt - 3
Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly - 1

Where do complaints against Retail Merchants Associates come from?

Retail Merchants Associates's own per-state count, not a national baseline.

Top states by complaints against Retail Merchants Associates

Across 6 states with at least one filing

complaints
Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

What to do if Retail Merchants Associates contacts you

A grade of D signals how Retail Merchants Associates's CFPB record compares to peers, here is how to act on it.

  • Demand written debt validation within 30 days of first contact, collectors must prove the debt is yours. Validation letter
  • Confirm the caller is really Retail Merchants Associates and not an impostor before paying anything. Verify a collector
  • Know your FDCPA rights, you can stop calls and report harassment. Your rights
  • See how Retail Merchants Associates ranks against every other collector by complaint record. Browse rankings

Complaint counts and grades reflect the public CFPB record, not a regulator's finding of wrongdoing or legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common complaint against Retail Merchants Associates? ▼

The most common issue consumers report about Retail Merchants Associates is "Attempts to collect debt not owed", specifically "Debt is not yours". This is based on 143 complaints filed with the CFPB.

Are complaints against Retail Merchants Associates increasing or decreasing? ▼

Complaints against Retail Merchants Associates have been stable. The company received 31 complaints in the last 12 months.

What is Retail Merchants Associates's reputation grade? ▼

Retail Merchants Associates has a reputation grade of D (score: 55.2/100), PlainCollector's composite letter grade blending complaint volume, response timeliness, dispute rate, and complaint trend.

Does Retail Merchants Associates respond to consumer complaints? ▼

Retail Merchants Associates has a 87% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. Consumers disputed the company's response in 21% of cases.

In how many states does Retail Merchants Associates operate? ▼

Retail Merchants Associates has received CFPB complaints from consumers in 6 states, with the most complaints from Louisiana (113 complaints).

Data sourced from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCollector Editorial

Every figure on PlainCollector is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.