The expectations debtors have for collectors
Feb 09, 2015 Phil Burgess
With scams rampant, consumers are on the lookout for hoaxes more than ever. Customers are becoming more suspicious of debt collectors over the phone, which means professionals have to pay attention to what the debtor's expectations are during the phone call, as they can risk having a confrontation with a customer.
Particular demands
According to Nolo, a website that provides legal advice for business, scammers will insist on payment the day they call, sometimes while threatening a lawsuit. The source mentioned that although collection agencies will also want payment immediately, they won't threaten court as a first resort, in keeping with the law. Any accusations like this will make debtors suspicious of deceit.
"These scam artists pretend to be from companies with familiar-sounding names and use high-pressure demands to get people to pay using prepaid money cards," Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said in a recent statement. "The caller threatens to report you to the FBI, FTC and even to your employer if you don't immediately pay up."
Lack of information
Legitimate debt collectors remain professional over the phone and are ready to offer any available information. They have to be sure they have material about the agency on hand over the phone, as any delay may make callers wary.
The Colorado Department of Law also mentioned that professionals will have information about the debt on hand, such as the dates, amounts, account numbers and names associated with it. If a collector can't offer this information quickly enough, they are at risk for meeting resistance when speaking to the debtor.
In addition, professionals have to be wary about giving out any personal phone numbers. Although it's important to get the money on time, the source noted that to contact a collector, debtors have to go through a phone system if it's a legitimate agency. Professionals have to be aware of little aspects like this so they can avoid being accused of being a scammer and missing out on payment opportunities.
