As if collecting outstanding debts from delinquent accounts domestically wasn’t difficult enough, the entire process gets exponentially more complicated when you are attempting to collect debts from accounts in other countries. International debt collection brings a whole new set of complications to the standard debt collection procedure, and having an agency with extensive experience operating internationally should be a top priority if you are struggling to collect from customers overseas.
Direct Recovery Associates has the level of experience with international debt collection that you are looking for. Because of that experience, we have worked with all three of the most common differences that you are forced to deal with when collecting debts from clients based in other countries.
Different Rules & Regulations
The most common issue with international debt collection is that every country has their own rules and regulations with respect to what a debt collector can and cannot do. In some countries, the limitations extend well beyond the rules that we operate under domestically with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. In other countries, the rules are much looser, but the debtors in those countries might be much harder to find.
No matter what country you are attempting to collect from, it is critical that you have someone in your corner who is well-versed in exactly what is and isn’t legal in that country. You always want to play by the rules so that you don’t offend or upset foreign law enforcers, but you have to know what the rules are if you are going to follow them.
Different Languages
In addition to having different rules and regulations, anyone you interact with while attempting to collect a debt internationally is likely going to speak a language that is very different from English. In these cases, simply communicating what you are attempting to do can be more frustrating than the fact that the debt exists in the first place.
Once again, Direct Recovery has extensive experience here no matter what country you are attempting to collect from, we likely have someone who can get your message across more quickly and accurately than you could on your own.
Different Cultures
As if different rules and regulations and the language barrier weren’t enough, international debt collectors also have to deal with a number of cultural differences that might exist in a foreign country. There are an astounding number of cultural traditions that you want to respect if you are expecting people in another country to help you, and knowing all of those traditions is almost as overwhelming as knowing the different languages.
Our experience with international debt collection around the world has helped us develop an understanding of the unique cultural differences that exist in various countries, and we have used that experience to ensure that we do not offend anyone when attempting to locate and collect from a debtor on behalf of our clients.
