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collection agencies: to be on the other side...

April 7th, 2010 at 05:05 am

Gosh, don't I feel bad right now?

For the first time in my life I have had to enlist the help of a collection company at work.

As a small business we don't usually have trouble with people not paying their bills. But we have had one couple who have not paid a portion of their job that we completed last year. Yes, last year.

They got a payout from an insurance company (thereby - the insurance company gives them money, and they give us the money). DF had started doing the job and informed them of some unsafe and hazardous areas on their house, and told them he could do the work if they required it. They called the insurance company, and told us that the insurance company had cleared it, gave their clients a claim # and DF was able to proceed.

Once the entire job was finished, they paid for the initial job - but not the extras. First they said the insurance company hadn't paid them. Then they said we had to get the insurance company to pay us directly. Which is stupid, because that particular insurance company doesn't do that. So we called the insurance company and they said that the claim had not been cleared. Ummm?

Anyway. Regardless of who has to pay, it's ridiculous that it's gone on this long. The customers now screen our calls! All this over $451 - when the main job was over $6000, all covered by insurance, and they have on-going renovations happening at their house.

Anyway. I feel bad about calling a collection agency, but they are not behaving like adults about the situation at all. *sigh* If they were having money problems and actually talked about it with us, we might be able to work something out. But instead they just don't answer their phone and ignore our invoices.

Business, hey?!

That is why I will always operate on a COD basis with any business I have in the future that I'm personally responsible for. Big Grin

3 Responses to “collection agencies: to be on the other side...”

  1. Homebody Says:
    1270648634

    Do not, I repeat, do not feel bad. The money is owed, they need to pay it or make arrangements. Good for you!

  2. gamecock43 Says:
    1270665851

    I agree- collection agencies were created for a reason. Hopefully everything will work out.

  3. ceejay74 Says:
    1270666221

    I understand how you feel--at least in the U.S., collection agencies are not very scrupulous and employ some nasty tactics. But if they won't even work out a payment plan with you (or even answer your phone calls), there's really no other option!

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