When and Why a Company Should Consider Hiring a Collection Agency

When should a company hire a collection agency?
Key takeaway: The best time to hire a collection agency is within 120 days of an account being past due. Before hiring a collection agency, do as much as possible yourself to try to collect the debt.

It can be discouraging for a business owner or manager to put a lot of effort into providing a good or service to a client only to discover later that they aren’t paying their bills. Unfortunately, both small and large enterprises must deal with this on a regular basis. It might be challenging to recover a debt when a client is past due on their payments. A collecting agency can be useful in this situation. But when should a business hire a collection agency, and what issues should this choice be based on?

Use a Collection Agency When:

When all other means of debt recovery have failed, a business should think about engaging a collection agency. This entails emailing the client numerous reminders and notices, contacting them by phone, and providing payment plans. The time has come to call in the experts if the client refuses to pay. A collection firm might offer tools and knowledge that a business might not have, like skip tracing technology and legal possibilities for recovering the debt. Does Debt Disappear After Seven Years?

It’s a widespread myth that debts are forgiven after seven years. Although negative things on a credit report can only stay there for a maximum of seven years, this does not signify that the debt has been paid off. Even seven years after the original due date, a debt may still be legally recovered. The time restriction for collecting a debt, however, varies by state and type of debt. How long can a debtor be pursued by a debt collector? As previously stated, each state and type of debt has a different statute of limitations for collecting. The duration can be between three to fifteen years. It’s crucial to remember that a debt collector cannot attempt to collect a debt through unethical methods, such making threats or harassing behavior. It’s crucial to be aware of your rights and seek legal counsel if a debt collector is harassing you. How Much Do Debt Collection Companies Pay?

A corporation normally incurs no upfront costs when working with a collection agency. Instead, a portion of the money that is collected goes to the collection agency. Depending on the age and nature of the loan, this percentage can range from 20% to 50%. What Debt Collectors Are Not Permitted to Do When attempting to collect a debt, debt collectors are subject to laws and regulations that they must go by. They are not permitted to make abusive remarks, use foul language, or misrepresent the debt or themselves to the debtor. They are prohibited from contacting the debtor’s employer or calling at obnoxious hours. A debtor has the right to complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if they believe a debt collector has abused their rights.

In conclusion, after trying every other method of debt collection, a business should think about engaging a collection agency. It’s crucial to realize that debts do not vanish after seven years, and that different states have different statutes of limitations depending on the type of debt and the state. When trying to collect a debt, debt collectors are required to abide by rules and regulations and collection firms often take a percentage of the money collected.

FAQ
Correspondingly, can banks sell your debt?

Your debt may indeed be sold by banks to a collection agency. When a debt is sold, the buyer (often a collection agency) takes on the obligation to pursue payment from the borrower. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and other pertinent rules and regulations must, however, be followed by the debt buyer. It is crucial to understand that simply because a debt is sold, the borrower is still responsible for paying it back. The borrower is still legally obligated to repay the debt, but now it is owed to the new owner.