Debt collectors are individuals or agencies that specialise in following up on and collecting outstanding debt. They're usually third-party agents that can be hired by any company that wants to follow up on delinquent accounts, i.e. where clients have defaulted on making payments. Cell phone companies, building, hospitals, car dealers, universities, utility companies and even small businesses can benefit from their services.
The process usually starts with the parent company assigning or selling your debt to a collection agency after clients have missed several payments. For companies, hiring a debt collector is usually a more cost-effective option than spending in-house company resources pursuing outstanding payment. Major operations like credit card agencies usually after 180 days, or six months, of non-payment. Other types of businesses may send accounts to collections agencies after just a month or two or missed payments. If a collection agency doesn't buy a creditor's debt, it might act as a middleman, collecting customers’ delinquent debts and remitting them to the original company for a fee ranging from between 25%-45% of the original amount.
While debt collectors usually get a bad reputation for harassing consumers, in reality, they're just doing their jobs. Collectors can use any number of ways to coerce clients to pay their bills - from letters and phone calls to in-person visits. If they can't reach the debtor, they might use computer software and private investigators along with information on the consumer's bank accounts and other assets to find the person. If coercion doesn't work, debt collectors have the option of taking debtors to court. In these cases, a case must be presented and won before the statute of limitations runs out. A positive ruling allows a collector to request the debtor's employers and banks to deduct payments in monthly installments or large chunks against the debtor's salary or savings.
When all else fails, debt collectors might report the debtor's collection account to the a credit bureau. When reported, these infractions can remain on your credit reports for up to seven years from the date of default of the original account, causing serious consequences like loan and credit card applications being denied, unfavourable interest rates, difficulty getting employed, and higher insurance premiums.
If your debt was sold to a collector, chances are you might be able to negotiate a lower payment. Because debt collectors buy debts for pennies on the dollar, they have fairly large profit margins if they collect the original amount owed. This gives them ample flexibility to negotiate settlements of up to 25% or 30% of what was originally owed.
If you or someone you know might benefit from a debt collection agency, feel free to send them our handy list of the top 10 agencies in Doha, Qatar below.