Poll: Have you ever used the services of a debt collector? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever used the services of a debt collector?".
View the poll results »
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Just send round a bunch of me mates with baseball bats
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Tim Drayton 
Cyprus
Local time: 06:40
Turkish to English
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It was pretty effective ... although their fee was about half the money involved.
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Marjolein Snippe
Netherlands
Local time: 05:40
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
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| I was wondering about that... | Dec 10, 2014 |
Just out of curiosity - do these people usually charge a percentage or a flat fee?
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... I would have liked to. I was once owed $9,000 for over two years. Unfortunately, it was a respected international organization, so all I could do was scream to as many people as I could find who would listen.
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Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
... I would have liked to. I was once owed $9,000 for over two years. Unfortunately, it was a respected international organization, so all I could do was scream to as many people as I could find who would listen.
Why couldn't you have taken action against them? I would have done!
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| I haven't used them (yet)... | Dec 10, 2014 |
Marjolein Snippe wrote:
Just out of curiosity - do these people usually charge a percentage or a flat fee?
... but as far as I know they charge a percentage.
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DianeGM
Local time: 06:40
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
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| Yes, twice ... | Dec 10, 2014 |
many moons ago, when I started out as a freelancer, I had a couple of bad experiences and not being blessed with friends with the requisite baseball bat-wielding skills, it was my last resort. It was relatively expensive in both cases, but in both cases the non-paying parties did have to pay in full, even if I only got a fraction of the money and I'd have never have seen a red cent otherwise.
@Marjolein: I paid a percentage in both cases.
[Edited at 2014-12-10 12:42 G... See more many moons ago, when I started out as a freelancer, I had a couple of bad experiences and not being blessed with friends with the requisite baseball bat-wielding skills, it was my last resort. It was relatively expensive in both cases, but in both cases the non-paying parties did have to pay in full, even if I only got a fraction of the money and I'd have never have seen a red cent otherwise.
@Marjolein: I paid a percentage in both cases.
[Edited at 2014-12-10 12:42 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I have asked a friend of mine, who is a lawyer to write a "friendly reminder"... he was so friendly that I got the money exactly in 7 days
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Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 12:40
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
But I have a lawyer who is better than Tony Soprano without the horse's head.
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I used a debt collecting firm once, about six years ago, for a debt of about €900 owed by an agrency in France - with disappointing results. They did little to support me and in the end I got some of the money by visiting the agency unannounced in person (accompanied by a male friend - without baseball bat but looking grim in dark glasses). A nerve-racking but fascinating experience.
I still had to pay the debt collecting firm the agreed percentage because I'd signed a contract with them... See more I used a debt collecting firm once, about six years ago, for a debt of about €900 owed by an agrency in France - with disappointing results. They did little to support me and in the end I got some of the money by visiting the agency unannounced in person (accompanied by a male friend - without baseball bat but looking grim in dark glasses). A nerve-racking but fascinating experience.
I still had to pay the debt collecting firm the agreed percentage because I'd signed a contract with them.
If anyone would like to know the name of the debt collecting firm in question, please contact me privately. ▲ Collapse
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svetlana cosquéric
France
Local time: 05:40
Member (2008)
Russian to English
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SITE LOCALIZER
Jenny Forbes wrote:
I used a debt collecting firm once, about six years ago, for a debt of about €900 owed by an agrency in France - with disappointing results. They did little to support me and in the end I got some of the money by visiting the agency unannounced in person (accompanied by a male friend - without baseball bat but looking grim in dark glasses). A nerve-racking but fascinating experience.
I still had to pay the debt collecting firm the agreed percentage because I'd signed a contract with them.
If anyone would like to know the name of the debt collecting firm in question, please contact me privately.
So did I: a male friend, 195 cm, XXXXL, ... + a persuasive speech I think (he left me outside), so effective
a friend - so, free of charge!
[Edited at 2014-12-10 14:35 GMT]
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... but I did once offer to send my 'agent' round to sort out the problem. Suddenly there was no problem after all, much to the relief of my 'agent'!
Another time my husband, off his own bat, sent a mail from his company's finance department, saying that as I was one of their suppliers, they sometimes helped me with my accounting, and there appeared to be a slight irregularity...
It was more or less true - I did translate for them occasionally when it was not too techn... See more ... but I did once offer to send my 'agent' round to sort out the problem. Suddenly there was no problem after all, much to the relief of my 'agent'!
Another time my husband, off his own bat, sent a mail from his company's finance department, saying that as I was one of their suppliers, they sometimes helped me with my accounting, and there appeared to be a slight irregularity...
It was more or less true - I did translate for them occasionally when it was not too technical and did not require a knowledge of Latvian or anything else beyond my scope. And we did have a finance manager in common. (I just happen to be married to him.)
He did not have to spin any more yarns - payment arrived fast! ▲ Collapse
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| I've considered it | Dec 10, 2014 |
Around a decade ago, but at the time I couldn't afford it.
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 23:40
English to Spanish
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| Debt collectors | Dec 10, 2014 |
Reading about these experiences was quite entertaining and informative. Thanks.
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