How CollectRefund works
Our methodology
How we identify unclaimed property, how we verify ownership, what we charge, and what we will never ask of a client.
Last reviewed by David Dorfman, CEO & President of CollectRefund
What CollectRefund does
CollectRefund is an unclaimed property recovery firm headquartered in Irvine, California. We identify dormant assets, bank accounts, securities, insurance proceeds, estate distributions, business funds, held by U.S. state governments, then handle the entire claim process on behalf of the rightful owner or their heirs.
We currently manage end-to-end recovery in All 50 states. We are BBB accredited and have recovered over $7.5 million for more than 1,000 clients to date.
How we identify unclaimed property
We search official state unclaimed property databases on a recurring schedule using a combination of automated tools and trained analysts. Sources include each state’s primary database (e.g. California’s State Controller’s Office, New York’s Office of the State Comptroller, Georgia’s Department of Revenue), the multi-state aggregator MissingMoney.com, and supplemental records from stock transfer agents and probate courts.
We do not buy claim lists from third parties or use leaked PII. Every prospect we contact is the result of a publicly searchable record matched to publicly available identifying information.
How we verify ownership before contacting you
Before we ever reach out to a potential client, we cross-verify the apparent owner using publicly available data, historical addresses, name variations, employment records, probate filings, to minimize false positives. We never ask you to confirm sensitive identifying information in our initial outreach.
If you contact us first, we begin with a free preliminary search and provide you with a written summary of any property that appears to match before any agreement is signed.
Our fee structure
CollectRefund works strictly on a contingency basis. We never charge an upfront fee, retainer, or processing charge. There is no upfront cost to search or begin the process. If CollectRefund successfully recovers funds, a service fee applies based on the claim and applicable state requirements, deducted only after the state pays the claim. If we don’t recover your money, you pay nothing.
Our standard contingency rate complies with each state’s statutory cap on recovery firm fees (for example, California Code of Civil Procedure §1582 caps recovery firm fees at 10% of the claim amount). We disclose the exact rate in writing before you sign any agreement.
What we will not do
We do not ask for your Social Security Number, bank account details, or copies of identification documents until you have signed a formal agreement and we have a verified property match.
- We do not pressure clients. You can always file a claim directly with your state at no cost, we make that explicit in every conversation. Our value is in handling the documentation and coordination work, not in gating access to public information.
- We do not send wire transfer requests, gift card requests, or ‘verification deposits.’
- Any communication asking for those things is not from CollectRefund.
Credentials and accountability
CollectRefund is a registered California business (Department of Consumer Affairs registration on file). We are BBB accredited and listed on the Better Business Bureau profile for Asset Recovery in Irvine, CA. Our reviews are publicly verifiable on Google, Yelp, and the BBB.
Our CEO and President, David Dorfman, personally reviews every state landing page and methodology publication on this site. Every state guide carries his byline and a ‘last reviewed’ date.
Questions or corrections
If you’ve spotted a factual error in our state guides, want a copy of our state-by-state recovery methodology, or have a complaint about a CollectRefund interaction, we want to hear about it.