Debt Collection Services: Third Party Agencies
- February 20th, 2012
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Though the term collection agency is often loosely used, it is usually only used for third party agencies that offer debt collection services. They are called third party collection agencies because they were not a part of the lending process and are not real stakeholders. However, the creditor assigns the accounts to these agencies on a potential fee basis. Some agencies may charge commission on the debts they recover while others have a standard fee that they levy. The creditor and collection agency usually have a service level agreement which defines the terms of service between the two. The creditor usually also bears the cost of all the communication that the collection agency makes with the debtors. It is important to know that the collection agency usually only makes money when it is able to recover any bad debt. If there is no collection, the agency cannot charge the creditor any fee.