An interesting set of comments by a debt collector.
Derek
Senior Member
Posts: 358
Joined: Mar 2004 | | Thursday 08/19/04 10:24 AM (NEW!) | |
As collectors, we have access to very sensitive information that most companies (and virtually NO consumers) can gain access to. Although the information we are entitled to access is used to recover debts owed to our clients, we need to remember that our access to that information is a PRIVILEGE. It should be treated as such. September 11 caused the extreme element of the consumer protection groups to back off for a while, but they've returned. Some collectors are abusing the access we have and performing searches that are in violation of the data provider's TOS and the agency's PP. I've known people that were able to go to public skiptracing sites on the internet and obtain much of the same personal and private information that WE have access to, but they did so by mis-representing their PP for the information. The ease of access to the information we have is frightening. This is serious business.
These days we are plagued with activists that are working hard to REMOVE the access we have to personal and private information. Rogue collectors and skiptracers that either access information without a PP or who provide information to a party that does not have a PP for the information accessed are jeopardizing not only their company's access, but they are jeopardizing the entire skiptracing industry.
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act has already put a lot of skiptracers and private detectives out of business, and it has greatly impacted the ability of other industries to obtain personal financial information on people. As collectors, we are still privileged to gain access to information that other industries only dream of. But we cannot assume it will always be this way. Just as the federal and state governments continue to tighten the leash on collection agencies, we can expect there will be continued leash-tightening as to the skiptracing data sources we currently enjoy.
The extreme consumer protection advocates would love nothing more than to completely shut down all data providers, especially from collection agencies. Let's not give them reason to be petitioning their senators and congressman.
Below is a disturbing article in today's CI news. Although in Canada and nothing serious occurred, the disturbing aspect of this article is the fact their government has decided to review the skiptracing processes of the company named and it's collection agency. To me, this represents smoke on the horizon of things to come for us.
Smoke on the horizon for the skiptracing industry
To some, I may sound like Chicken Little screaming "the sky is falling", but I disagree.
Bill, I think this subject would be terrific material for another article you should write about. The tendency for people to abuse the skiptracing sources is enormous. That abuse will most assuredly be the catalyst for further regulatory restrictions if we do not handle this privelege responsibly. For now, things are all quiet on the homefront, but it's only a matter of time before the abuse of the system causes a public outcry from the extreme consumer protection advocates.
I'm stepping off my soapbox now. It's my staff's fault. They let me drink too much coffee this morning....
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"It is apparent that the dispute is FRIVOLOUS and/or IRRELEVANT" - Trans Union's written reply to an AoC debtor, July 2004. | |
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