Debt Recovery

Whether you run a public, county, or private college library, you likely have several unpaid bills (dues and late fines) from users who take books but do not return them. Hiring a professional debt collection agency can help to recover money and improve the cash flow of your institution.

Most library patrons wrongly perceive that once they issue a book and do not return it – it’s a “No Big Deal”. Libraries are funded by local, state, and federal dollars. All books and equipment of a public library are, in a way, the property of the US government.

Libraries run on tight budgets, yet they are often forced to purchase fresh copies of those books, which the existing issuers do not return. This is an unnecessary expense and eats up into their already tight budget. Patrons who return books late are imposed a late fee. Interestingly this is also a small source of revenue for public libraries.

Need a professional debt collection service to recover dues? Contact us Serving Libraries Nationwide

When a patron fails to return a book, the library has the right to take appropriate action to recover its money. Library dues are legitimate debts and can be reported to credit-scoring agencies like Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.

If a book ( or multiple books) issued by a person is not returned, then every library has a different system to handle it. Most libraries transfer their past-due accounts to professional collection agencies once the late fees exceed their threshold limit.

Collection Letters Service

The upfront cost for 5 Collection Letters is about $15 per account. Debtors pay directly to you, with no other fees. Low cost option. Good for accounts less than 120 days past due.

Collection Calls Service

Contingency fee only. No upfront or other fees. Agency gets paid a portion of money they recover—No recovery-No fees. Best for accounts over 120 days. A debt collector calls debtor many times. If everything fails, a possible Legal Suit if recommended by the attorney.

A debt collection agency will send diplomatically worded written demand letters to the patron ( aka the debtor) to clear off their library bill with interest and late fees. They can even perform debt collection in the Spanish language.

Check here: Cost of hiring a collections agency

Collection Letters are the cheapest and a very effective way to recover money. Collection agencies do several scrubs to locate the debtor if he/she has shifted from the address provided by the library, then they send the demands to the latest address of the debtor. Collection agencies have access to several tools and technologies that assist in recovering the money. Debtors are often surprised when they receive a collections letter, but many people clear their library debt quickly.

If the debtor does not pay after receiving several written demands, the account can be transferred to a professional debt collector for Collection Calls. More advanced skip-tracing tools are utilized at this stage to recover money. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from debtors.

Collection agencies have recovered millions of dollars for public libraries. This also discourages the bad behavior of other patrons who feel that not returning a book is “No big deal”.

Contact us for your library debt collection needs.

GSA-approved collection agencies that specialize in “Government debt collection” are adept at handling the delicate aspects of the collection process. They possess the expertise to recover maximum funds while simultaneously upholding a reputation for fairness and maintaining a low rate of complaints. Their approach is tailored to the sensitive nature of government-related debt recovery.

Government debt collection agencies are easy to use and capable of fulfilling your Request-for-Proposal (RFP) if needed. It’s essential for these agencies to be adaptable and to prioritize specific accounts to ensure optimal returns. They should focus on maintaining low costs, strictly adhering to debt collection laws, and employing a customer-friendly approach to avoid harassing individuals during the debt collection process.

Need a Government Collection Agency: Contact Us ★ High recovery & near-zero complaint rate

To achieve GSA approval, a collection agency must undergo a rigorous application and review process. This involves demonstrating its proficiency, financial stability, and strict compliance with federal regulations, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This comprehensive vetting ensures that the agency is capable and reliable in handling government-related debt collections.

Why are collection agencies so essential to recover unpaid government bills? 

When government employees or accountants reach out to debtors about settling past-due debts, the response is often not taken as seriously as when a professional debt collector intervenes. Collection agencies, as professional debt collectors, employ a range of legally permissible and diplomatic strategies to significantly increase the likelihood of debt repayment. For government collections, which encompass local city, county, municipal, state, and federal levels, maintaining a low complaint rate is crucial. Regularly presenting a collection performance report to the client is a fundamental aspect of the debt recovery process.

The landscape of federal and local debt collection laws is constantly evolving. Professional debt collectors undergo ongoing training to stay compliant with these changing regulations, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and various other directives.

Public agencies, such as county, municipal, state, and federal entities, rely on funding for essential services like school budgets, road construction, and emergency services. In this context, debt collection agencies play an indispensable role in the government’s financial ecosystem by recovering funds from past-due accounts.

In cases where standard debt collection tactics are unsuccessful, and if policy allows, high-value defaulters may be pursued legally. The collection agency’s legal department can potentially secure court orders for wage garnishment or bank account levies.

Government debt collections can involve a range of past-due accounts, from unpaid speeding tickets, property taxes, and water bills, to IRS/income taxes, parking fines, local citations, municipal fees, bounced checks, toll taxes, court collections, and other unpaid fines and taxes.

During municipal and government collections, the fees charged by the collection agency are generally added to the debtor’s total amount due. This approach ensures that the government agency itself does not incur a loss while recovering owed funds.

In government collections, there is an important rule:  An account is typically after the consumer has received at least one notice from the government before a debt is transferred to a third-party collection agency ( or at least the government department “attempts” to send a written notification).

There are minimum standards that a government debt collection agency has to follow:

1. Collections approach should be diplomatic, ethical and empathetic.
2. Ability to process large account volumes.
3. Follow FCPA, FCRA,  FDCPA rules and other laws and state-specific rules that may apply.
4. Dedicated government subject matter experts and a low complaint rate.
5. Offer a simple system to load accounts in their system and report the payments back to the client.

A nationally licensed government debt collection agency can recover money from debtors regardless of location, often in coordination with the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA coordinates and tracks debt collection through other government agencies with automated internal processes and collection technicians. Suitable for municipality, city, state and larger county debt collections.

* GSA Vendors are businesses that have been awarded a GSA Schedule Contract by the General Services Administration. These contracts allow federal, state, and local agencies to purchase products and services from these vendors at pre-negotiated prices and under pre-negotiated terms and conditions.

Serving: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Minor Outlying Islands, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Contact us for your government debt collection agency requirement.

We’re experts in school collections and offer a compliant, low-cost, and easy-to-use service that protects your school’s reputation.

Several public and private schools are now struggling with student debt. This includes both elementary schools and high schools. To minimize accounts receivable, the schools need to have a sound debt collection process in place.

Not all collection agencies can efficiently recover money for schools. An inexperienced debt collector may bring bad PR to the school. Schools have their reputation at stake when they hire a third-party collection agency. Therefore collectors have to be amicable, respectful yet firm with their approach.

Proudly Serving Schools Nationwide For a cost-effective debt recovery: Contact us (Special packages: We understand that schools are often tight on budget.) References Available

Parents are very sensitive when the matter is related to their kids. When they realize that a professional collection agency is involved in the context of their children, they will attempt to clear these past due bills at the earliest.

The most common school debts are tuition fees, lunch debt, textbook rentals, laptops, student health, technology fee (broken iPad or Chromebook), meals and lab fees.  Collection agencies should keep costs low or offer special packages designed just for schools. Debt collection for public school districts and private schools involves a lot of patience and persistence.

Collection agencies effectively collect money from those families who can pay but simply avoid paying their legally due obligation. No need to write off your bad debts when a professional collection agency can collect them.

Communicate the fees structure clearly to parents at the beginning of the school year. Provide them with detailed information on what is expected and when payments are due. Offer financial counseling services to parents who are struggling to make payments. Help them understand the importance of education and how they can manage their finances to fulfill their obligations. Offer flexible payment plans for parents who might have difficulty paying the entire amount upfront. This could include installment plans spread over the academic year.

The debt collection methodology for schools is very different from standard recovery methods. Collection agencies cannot use the same aggressive approach they use to recover money for doctors or small businesses.   

Although the school debt crisis is happening all over the USA, some school districts of California, Florida, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire and Maine are particularly distressed due to the non-payment of fees by parents. Students’ lunch debt is particularly troublesome for public schools. Colleges have a tuition loan problem.

They should provide a variety of payment options to parents. Agencies should also explain to parents the consequences of late fees. Send communication multiple times before the payment due date (email, SMS, messaging, etc.). To minimize accounts receivable, schools themself should adopt a friendly, proactive, and sympathetic approach before forwarding the accounts to a collection agency.

Many parents send their kids to private schools and draw private elementary school loans. Usually, middle-class families take primary school loans to pay for private education if they cannot afford it.

There is a huge difference when a collection agency contacts debtors versus when the collection is done under the school’s name. Debtors understand that collection agencies will take many legally compliant actions to recover the debt and will not quickly back off. Collections must be done diplomatically. Therefore it is essential to contact the students or their parents to settle overdue accounts.

If you are looking for a good collection agency for schools: Contact us

 

If you have been ignoring to collect money from those past-due accounts, it can seriously damage the cash flow needed for the smooth functioning of your business. Here are the vital signs that your accounts receivable are already overdue for some serious collection efforts. Your unpaid bills must be assigned to a debt collection agency without further delay.

• You are losing money due to non-payment from your customers.
• More than one customer has failed to pay you.
• You have regularly started getting excuses from your customer, “I am in a meeting, let me call you back“, but the call never comes back.
• Your customer has repeatedly started breaking promises to pay off their current balance on the agreed date.
• Your customers’ checks have bounced repeatedly.
• You and your staff are unfamiliar with collection laws and regulations and unknowingly risk getting sued.
• Many of your accounts are over 90 days past due, and your internal collection efforts have effectively failed. You are losing about 10% money each month on these unpaid invoices as the probability of getting paid decreases with every passing day
  
• Your debtor is untraceable. Neither picking calls and your paper invoices are being returned as “un-deliverable” or “incorrect address“.
• You do not have the staff with enough knowledge to handle collection efforts; they are falling behind or unwilling to handle customer disputes over payment anymore.
• You are spending too much time chasing non-paying customers, time that could have been better utilized expanding your business.
• You are having trouble paying your own creditors because of non-payment from your customers. Accounts receivable have started to hurt you directly.
• You do not have the cash flow to hire new employees, forced to think about the cost-cutting measures or lack of money to purchase a piece of new equipment.
• If you have customers located all over USA, and you are finding it hard to track them.
• You got a favorable judgment from the small claims court, yet you are not getting paid by the debtor.
• A customer has falsely started pinpointing gaps in your service or how bad your product is. However, you know clearly that is not true.
• Ignoring accounts receivable has complicated the situation and can only be handled by an expert third party like a debt collection agency.

No one wants to be called by a debt collector, even if there is a legitimate reason for the call.

Debt collection agencies have resources, staff and tools to locate people, find their assets, collect money from accounts receivable and even take them to court if required.

Ignoring accounts receivable is a mistake as it will only hurt your business. It is crucial to have a company policy on how to handle accounts receivable.

The logistics industry is the backbone of nearly every business in the USA. The challenges trucking companies face have grown significantly in the last decade. Trucking companies have been experiencing severe distress due to competition, regulations, limited workforce, and overdue accounts receivable.

Serving Logistics Companies Nationwide. High Recovery Rates. Need a Collection Agency? Contact Us

Common issues faced by Logistics/Trucking companies include

• Unpredictable fuel costs and competition
• Driver shortage, employee retention and truck parking issues
• Customers expect greater tracking of their goods, resulting in increased expectations and unwillingness to pay for any additional expenses.
• Ups and Downs in the economic cycle cause significant demand variation.
• Adherence to government laws.
• Compliance with environmental laws like anti-idling and other emission reduction regulations.
• Difficult to implement newer technology and business process improvements.
• ELD Mandate and Hours-of-Service rules.
• Controlling operating costs
• Dispsute over services
• Client bankruptcies

But far the biggest challenge faced by trucking companies is accounts receivable. Other business challenges are still controllable, but a client’s non-payment ( or delayed payment) after the service has been provided can exert tremendous pressure on trucking companies.

They have to pay for insurance, driver salaries and recurring expenses, regardless of whether the owner gets paid on time by its client. If your trucking business and facing cash flow challenges, invoice factoring may be worth it despite its expense.

Trucking companies have a small back office clerical staff and are certainly not trained to handle tough debt collections. Debt collection is further divided into Commercial and Consumer collections.

After 60-90 days have passed due to non-payment, transferring the account to a debt collection agency is highly recommended.

A debt collection agency will attempt to understand the root cause of debt and try to find solutions that may include getting paid in installments. They will always adopt a diplomatic approach to preserve your client’s relationship. They have various tools and tricks to settle the account, after all that is what collectors do all day long.

For Commercial Collections, the contingency fee is usually between 25% to 40% depending on the outstanding debt. For Consumer collections, a collection agency will typically send low-cost collection letters before switching to contingency collection that costs 40% of the amount recovered.

The biggest mistake trucking companies make is waiting longer for the payment, hoping they will magically get paid. If a client has not paid for 90 days, the likelihood of them paying goes down substantially.

The involvement of a collection agency puts tremendous pressure on your debtor, due to the very fact that they know that Collection Agencies are skilled debt collectors. If required, the matter can be forwarded to an attorney who will work on getting a court ruling that allows garnishments, liquidations and other tactics that force a recovery. Debt collectors with experience dealing with logistics companies’ delinquent customers can easily handle debtor excuses very well.

Collection agencies consider logistics debt a good paper since the average recovery rate is higher than in other industries.

Collection Letters Service

Upfront cost for 5 Collection Letters is about $15 per account. Debtors pay directly to you, no other fees. Low-cost option. Good for accounts less than 120 days past due.

Collection Calls Service

Contingency fee only. No upfront or other fees. Agency gets paid a portion of the money they recover.  No recovery-No fees. Best for accounts over 120 days. A debt collector calls your debtor many times. If everything fails, a possible Legal Suit is recommended by the attorney.

Contact us for your debt collection needs.

The market size home and office security systems industry is expected to reach $84 billion by 2027. Nearly 50,000 businesses employ over 200,000 people in the Security Alarm Services industry. Johnson Controls and ADT have the largest market share.

The security industry, in particular, is facing ever-increasing challenges due to:

• Rapid changes in technology and up-gradation costs.
• Finding & retaining top talent and wage pressures.
• Cyber intrusions and security.
• Challenges related to newer technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, VoIP and Cloud-based adoption.
• Ever-changing privacy laws and compliance issues.
• Reducing the alarm signal transmissions and challenges to minimize false alarm incidents.
• Newcomers are rewriting the rules and further increasing competition.
• Bundling of services and demand for fewer but smarter cameras.
• Customers are getting less loyal and more price-savvy.

But the biggest issue faced by the security industry is the non-payment of bills by customers on time.

Contact us for your debt collection needs Serving all across USA

A large number of past-due accounts receivable impacts the profit margins of security companies substantially, sometimes even restricting the cash flow required for day-to-day operations. Once an account is 90 days overdue, the likely hood of getting paid directly from the customer reduces drastically. It is recommended to transfer such accounts to a collection agency after 90 days of non-payment.

Collection Demands Service

Upfront cost for 5 Collection Letters is about $15 per account. Debtors pay directly to you, no other fees, and a low-cost option. Good for accounts less than 120 days past due.

Collection Calls Service

Contingency fee only. No upfront or other fees. Agency gets paid a portion of the money they recover.  No recovery-No fees. Best suited for accounts over 120 days. A debt collector calls debtor many times. If everything fails, a possible Legal Suit if recommended by the attorney.

Most collections for home security fall under Individual/Consumer Collections, while office recoveries fall under Commercial Collections. Delinquent accounts restrict the ability to run a business as usual and, more importantly, take the focus away from acquiring new customers. The in-house staff of security companies is not professionally trained to handle debt collection, nor are they aware of federal laws involved in recovering unpaid bills. Making repetitive calls or sending invoices is a very demotivating and frustrating task for in-house employees.

A collection agency armed with their diplomatic collection demands and intensive collection calls attempts to collect debt professionally. The internal staff of security and alarm systems companies cannot beat their cost and effectiveness for recovering money.

Check here: Cost of hiring a collections agency