Thursday, October 4, 2012

What Do Collection Companies Do?

By Mike Sherman


What is the purpose of a collection company? Their job is to attempt to collect money that has not been paid, whether it be by individuals or businesses. They come into the picture if debtors fail to pay on time if at all. There are a couple of different versions of collection companies: first-party and third-party.

First-party collection companies are related to the company trying to recover the debt. They are involved early in the debt collection process, usually within six months when the account is still young. They will try and maintain a good relationship with the debtor because if they can collect, they hope to possibly stay in business with them down the road. They make the effort to settle the account before a decision is made to sell the debt or write it off as a last resort.

The majority of collection companies are third-party agencies, who are not included in the initial contract. They are hired when the creditor has been unable to collect money that is owed to them over a long period of time. They have come to this decision when they feel that they can better devote their time and resources to other areas of their business. The chance of a debt being able to collected keeps going down over time.

Collection agencies use a couple of different methods to go about their business. They will start their efforts by sending letters to try and get the the attention of the debtors. They will send a reminder in the beginning and go down the line with a sequence of different letters putting more pressure on the debtor. The letters that are sent depend on how cooperative the debtor is. Debt collectors are also on the phone all day trying to collect money on their accounts. They will try and get in direct contact with the debtor because they are restricted in terms of what information they can share with anybody else. Debt collectors must abide by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Most collection companies make money by working on commission. They usually keep a certain portion of the money that they are able to recover. The rate that they charge may vary based on the age of the account and how solid the contact information is that they are given. It also may be based on the quantity of account that are being handed over to them. Other companies may just acquire the debt for a small price of what it was initially worth, since it will be tough to collect. Collectors will be driven to work hard at their job in order to earn money. They will do anything within their means that is legal under the FDCPA.




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