(Click the arrow to go directly to the question & answer)

Why use a collection agency?
How long will it take for you to collect my money?
What if the debtor disputes the debt or just refuses to pay?
What debts can be placed for collection?
How actively do you pursue bad addresses?
Does the age of the debt make it more difficult to collect?
How long have you been in business?
Is there anything I have to do/sign up for before I fill in the Collection Placement Form?
Do I have to send you the bounced check, or fax you a copy of the check?
Are there any guarantees of payment?
I’m interested in placing my collections with you, but your website only allows one placement at a time for submission. Is there a way I could send you a LIST of all the collections to make for my company?
Does your company charge an annual fee?
If I decide to use your services, how do we get started?
What info would you need from me in order to get started?
Is there a minimum amount someone needs to owe me in order for you to get involved?
What is your fee?
Do you belong to a local Chamber of Commerce?
Do you have any estimates of average recovery rates that we can expect?
Do you purchase the debts outright from us or do you charge a percentage of the debt collected?
What documents do we need to give you for you to support the debt?
What is your Process for collection?
Do you have any requirements for us?
We have a customer who’s no longer using our services. He’s simply not paying us. His balance is just over $100. Can we use your services for this account?
I was wondering how long should I wait before I turn my accounts over for collection?
How many accounts may be sent to collections at once?
What software does your company use for its collection process?
Click here for CBSC Stats
Why use a collection agency?

Many debtors will pay a collection agency even though they never cooperated with the original creditor. The debtors sometimes realize you are serious or don’t want a damaged credit rating or to go to court, therefore it is sometimes possible for the agency to collect when the client was not able to.

How long will it take for you to collect my money?

Not all claims are collectible as some debtors may skip, file bankruptcy, become deceased or just refuse to pay. The age of the debt also plays a part in how long it may take to collect anything, if the debt is old and/or the debtor requires backup paperwork, that can prolong any collections.

What if the debtor disputes the debt or just refuses to pay?

If the debtor disputes the debt, we will provide them with an documentation you can provide us to prove the validity of the debt. If the debtor refuses to pay, we will suggest legal action.

What debts can be placed for collection?

We do not have a minimum dollar amount on claims placed with us. We do ask you only place debts that have occurred in the last 3 years. On small claims (example $10.00) we will not spend a lot of time on phone calls and letters if we do not receive payment fairly quickly.

How actively do you pursue bad addresses?

We continue to try to locate debtors for at least 6 months to a year, then we usually keep checking back on the account monthly to see if any files have been updated, such as credit bureau files, new address, employment, so we can locate them. The account is looked at weekly to make sure every effort has been made to locate the debtor so that we can then try to collect.

Does the age of the debt make it more difficult to collect?

Yes, the older a debt is, the harder it is to collect. We would recommend placement after 90 days of non-payment.

How long have you been in business?

Credit Bureau of Stark County, Inc. was established in 1927. Under current ownership since 1981 (See STATS for CBSC below for more information.)

Is there anything I have to do/sign up for before I fill in the Collection Placement Form?

Yes, Please sign and email or fax or mail a copy of our Collection Agreement (Please click here for our contract in Word document form) and then once you fill out the form we begin working on the account right away with you.

Do I have to send you the bounced check, or fax you a copy of the check?

Yes, fax, email or mail us a copy of the front of the check.

Are there any guarantees of payment?

No, we cannot guarantee payment, but are results speak for themselves.

I’m interested in placing my collections with you, but your website only allows one placement at a time for submission. Is there a way I could send you a LIST of all the collections to make for my company?

Yes, you can send them in Excel or Word, Works or any other program and attach them to an email to me at jbracken@cbscinc.com. You can also mail to the address at the top of this page or fax copies of invoices to .

Does your company charge an annual fee?

No, we do not charge an annual or monthly fee.

If I decide to use your services, how do we get started?

You can fill out the Place an Account Now form here, or fax a copy of the invoices that are due to (330) 644-2961. You may also send large listings of accounts by email in an Excel or Word format to me at jbracken@cbscinc.com. A contract will be faxed to you.

Please click here for our contract in Word document form. Please print and complete the form and fax to: (330) 644-2961, or mail it to the address above or email it to jbracken@cbscinc.com.

What info would you need from me in order to get started?

  • Your company name, address, fax, phone, and email.
  • The debtor’s contact information, name, address, any contact phone numbers, email etc.
  • Total amount owed and when it was due.

Is there a minimum amount someone needs to owe me in order for you to get involved?

No, we do not have a minimum or maximum limit on accounts placed.

What is your fee?

We charge 35% to 40% of what is collected, depending on the number of accounts placed. If the account has previously been placed with another agency we charge 50%.

You will be charged if a debtor pays us or pays you directly. If the debtor pays CBSC, we keep our commission and send you the balance. Payments are retained for 30 days to allow for any retuned checks, remittances are then sent out monthly. If the debtor pays you, You must advise us IMMEDIATELY and we will invoice you for the commission. Reporting direct payments is required by law to avoid legal issues. Returned merchandise/equipment as payment of claim: 50% of normal fee.

Payment’s made directly to you will be invoiced subject to the standard rates. The terms on invoiced payments, are “Payable upon receipt.”

Do you belong to a local Chamber of Commerce?

Yes, the Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce (Ohio).

Do you have any estimates of average recovery rates that we can expect?

This would depend on the number of accounts placed, the average dollar amount, the age and if they are first or second placements. If, for example, the accounts are all 90 days old and you have good addresses and phone numbers, the chances of recovery are high. We have a high recovery rate and have been told by some of our clients that we have collected money for them that other agencies could not. (See STATS for CBSC below for more information.)

Do you purchase the debts outright from us or do you charge a percentage of the debt collected?

A percentage of the debt collected. No charge if nothing is collected.

What documents do we need to give you for you to support the debt?

We would need a copy of a contract if you have one, an invoice or statement that has the amount owed, and the debtor contact information on it, such as address, phone, work phone, email, anything you have.

What is your Process for collection?

Once you place an account with us, we send an initial collection letter to the debtor letting them know the account has been placed with us, who the creditor is (you) and how much is owed. By law we must also let them know that they have 30 days to dispute the debt or request verification. We wait a few days to be sure they have received this letter, and then we begin to call them. We cannot demand payment in full or report the debt to the credit bureaus within this 30-day period. We make 2-3 calls and send out 2 letters in this time frame. After 30 days, if there has not been a payment or response, we send a demand for payment and a notice that the debt will be reported if payment or arrangements are not made within 5 days. Phone calls become more frequent and are also made in the evenings and on weekends.

Do you have any requirements for us?

The most important requirement we have is that you report to us if a debtor pays you directly. It is illegal for us to try to continue to collect once they have paid either you or us. Also, once you place the account with us, you must stop all in-house collection activity, do not send out monthly statements or continue to add any interest.

We have a customer who’s no longer using our services. He’s simply not paying us. His balance is just over $100. Can we use your services for this account?

Yes, you can.

I was wondering how long should I wait before I turn my accounts over for collection?

You can turn them over whenever you like. It’s totally up to you. But once again, we would recommend placement after 90 days of non-payment.

How many accounts may be sent to collections at once?

You can send as many as you have.

What software does your company use for its collection process?

We use our own propritary software, written especially for us. This is an industrial strength database capable of millions of transactions.

CBSC STATS

  1. The first thing we do when we receive accounts is to send them a letter letting them know the account has been placed with Credit Bureau of Stark County, Inc. who the creditor is, and what the amount due is. We are also obligated by law to let them know their rights, which are that they have 30 days to request verification of the debt or to dispute it. We wait a few days so we are sure they have received this notice and we begin to call them. We do not call every day, so that they cannot say we are harassing them. If we get them on the phone we try to obtain payment right then and there with payment by credit card or check by phone. If we get an answering machine, we will call every other day until we reach them. If we cannot get a return call from them, we will call them at work and send out more notices. We also report to the credit bureaus so we use that as a tool to try to expedite payment. We follow the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act very closely.
  2. The average collection time to completion is within 60 days on most accounts. It is longer when we have to skip trace; we have even cleared up accounts within the first 30 days. Then we do have others that have taken over 6 months! We try VERY hard to get you as much money as we can as fast as we can.