Changes Are Coming For Collection Companies
In today’s recession, collection companies are not exempt. Starting last year, they first started to suffer from declining liquidation performance, staffing cuts, and increased placements.
Then in January 2009, the U.S. savings rate spiked and continued to grow. By May 2009 the rate was the highest level of savings by consumers in sixteen years.
Usually, an increase in the U.S. savings rate would mean that consumers will be more fiscally responsible and try to pay off debts that they may owe in case of an unexpected adverse event. Unfortunately the first half of 2009 has shown us that this is not what is going to happen and the collections industry should not expect it to.
One factor that makes the situation worse is that the sustainability of savings growth is quite doubtful because a part of the increase was the result of the Obama stimulus package, which sent one time only disbursements to consumers. Also, in today’s economy any type of consumer savings may be considered a means to keep heads afloat as opposed to future planning. And although savings boost personal income, they slow down consumer spending.
For the first time, collections agencies need to alter their focus greatly. Its not that consumers won’t pay, it’s that they can’t pay. Thus, the future success of collection companies is depending on U.S. economic recovery.
That being said, informed conclusions can be drawn about the future growth in the collections industry. Better employment opportunities would be an invaluable gain for the collection industry. If debtors have jobs, they are more likely to resolve their issues. Renewed consumer confidence and spending would be a tremendous boost.
There is an forthcoming tide of pro-consumer adaptions that the collection industry can do little about. How it can truly affect change would be the quality of responses they are giving, and that they are carefully considered and level-headed. Finally, increased access to credit is a necessity for the collections industry.
Suffering from bad debt collection? Rapid Recovery Solution is the best bill collection agency around. Mallory Megan works for a medical collection agency.
Horror Stories Of Debt Collection Pt. 1
And you thought your debt collection company was bad! A recent website compiled a list of bad debt collection experiences and these were among the worst. Karen Garrett, the public relations coordinator for Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Advantage Credit Counseling Service thought she had heard it all until her agency received a call from a senior citizen late last year. She had called in tears and told Garrett that bill collectors had called her and told her that they had the police outside. If she did not pay, they were going to drag her to jail.
Debts are strictly a civil matter, not a criminal one, and jail time is definitely not even a punishment for not paying your bills. “It is very important for people to know that there is no such thing as debtor’s prison” Garrett says, smiling and rolling her eyes.
If bill collectors are making unlawful threats like physical violence, deportation and jail time, you can always report the harassment to the Federal Trade Commission or to your state attorney general’s office. The Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits bad behavior by third party collectors. These people do not follow the same rules as those who are collecting for the creditors directly. They are not allowed to call you at your place of employment if you ask them to stop, publish or threaten to publish your debt, reveal to anyone else that you may have a debt, harass you on the phone or use profanity. The laundry list continues.
They cannot utilize loss of child custody, deportation, physical harm or illegal punishment like jail. They can’t call your home before eight AM or after 9 PM or even call at all if you have already asked in writing to cease contact, or if you’ve hired an attorney.
One older woman from New Jersey owed $12,000 in credit card debt after putting day to day living expenses on her card. The debt collector called and told her that they were going to take her home. She was also told that they weren’t willing to take a penny less than the $12,000 she owed, and furthermore, they wanted it now. She attempted to gather the money herself but was unable to. “Debt collection agencies are very intelligent when it comes to doing research. They will threaten targeted assets like a home or income source. But in many states, homes are protected from debt collection,
Mallory Megan works for a debt collection agency. Also she composes articles on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
Two Top Prosecutors Go After Debt Collection Agencies
It was revealed in recent news that top legal prosecutors in Washington and Louisiana announced actions they had taken against accounts receivable management firms and their owners and managers.
Louisianian attorney general James Caldwell made the announcement on Friday that his office had obtained injunctions against two collection companies and their managers. On the same day, Rob McKenna, Washington’s Attorney General stated that his office had settled charges with a collection company that had promised to stay on the straightened arrow. In a press release, Caldwell’s office said that in late December they had obtained an injunction against Bush and Kennedy, Inc, a Baton Rouge based collection agency. The order he won placed restrictions on the business, banning them from operating further, and specifically, ordered that two of the firm’s principals, Quay W. Pattott Jr, and William S. Fesguson were banned from conducting business together.
Late last week, a judge slammed Ferguson and Parrott with added injunctions as per the request of Caldwell’s office. Ferguson is banned from using unfair and deceptive practices and acts at his current place of business, Franklin, Grant and Associates Incorporated, a collection company based out of Metairie Louisiana. Parrott is completely restricted against conducting any new business at his new place of work, Metairie based Halsey and Associates, LLC.
In Washington, McKenna’s office stated that Topco Financial Services Inc, a Washington based collection company agreed not to harass, curse out, or threaten consumers as part of a settlement. The collection company must pay around $38,000 in legal fees and penalties. An additional $82,000 in fees and penalties were suspended pending that the company agrees with the settlement terms.
As per the agreement, Topco is restricted from harassing, intimidating, threatening and embarrassing debtors, including using profanity. They are banned from implying that failure to pay a delinquent bill will result in suspension, a revocation, or impairment of the debtor’s driver’s license. They are no longer allowed to threaten debtors with impairment of their credit rating. However, the company is allowed to legally report debts to credit reporting agencies.
Mallory Megan is employed by a debt collection company. Also she composes articles on business and finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service