Many individuals who visit my office for a free consultation have been delinquent in their debts for so long that the debts are now being collected by a collection agency. A collection agency can best be described as a business that has bought the account from the original creditor and receives payment upon collection from a delinquent debtor. Far too often I hear horror stories of honest but unfortunate debtors being pressured in an unbusinesslike manner to repay their debts. Some debtors allege the use of foul language, threatening Court actions, and belittling the debtor as a means to collect the debt. The Collection Agencies Act of Nova Scotia (1989) governs a collection agency’s ability to collect the outstanding debt in Nova Scotia. Notwithstanding this provincial legislation, some representatives of collection agencies surely push the legal envelope with respect to debt collection.
On March 4, 2011, CBC’s MarketPlace aired their investigation of collection agencies in Ontario in an episode entitled “Debt Collector Dread”
Keeping in mind that everyone has a job to do, the best way to deal with collection agencies is to pay the debt, if possible, before the debt falls into the hands of a collection agent. Seek professional debt advice before the issue gets out of control and you find yourself on the receiving end of their collection techniques.