International debt collection sees a wide range of challenges, which is why it is important for companies to use an international debt collector when needed. There are many challenges faced in international debt collection, which is why it is good to have experience working for you when the situation calls for it. For a business, it can be difficult to collect money from foreign debtors without knowing how debt collection works in their country. This is why a debt collector should be involved if you are having no success at collecting the debt.
The difficulties can be many and very timeconsuming. Many businesses deal with a court system that doesn’t want to help them, little to no regulations, and insolvent debtors. Some creditors simply give up instead of facing these challenges.
Taking on Foreign Court Systems
A World Bank white paper called “Economic Outlook no. 1213” took a look at the challenges with collecting international debts. The study, which took place in 2014, showed that there are some countries easier to do business with than others. The paper also looks at how easily insolvency can be resolved in every country.
Furthermore, it listed the countries from easiest to hardest to do business with. Germany and Japan came out on top, but Saudi Arabia and India were at the bottom because of procedural issues and corruption. The top issue with international debt collection was uncooperative court systems.
Not All Countries Have Good Regulations
A lack of regulations is another problem that some countries have. If there are no regulations in place, there is a huge problem. When collecting a debt, the absence of rules can make it impossible to collect the debt, so it may as well be written off before too much effort is put into the process. Many creditors find themselves giving up because of regulatory issues. Other businesses stop doing business in those countries completely.
One way businesses make up for collections issues is to raise interest. However, the New York Times said that there is an argument about how much interest collectors should collect when combatting nonexistent international regulations. Some opponents in the financial sector say that an interest rate cap would cause consumer lending issues. They believe the impact could be so profound that student loans and credit cards could be affected. People in other countries say that they can’t deal with the high fees anyway.
Even if a country has good regulations, they aren’t necessarily singing the same tune as companies trying to collect debts internationally. The good news is that strict contracts can help. This is especially true when the country has a court system that holds debtors accountable for breaking contracts. In countries that don’t have strict regulations, creating a contract based on the regulations they do have can make it easier to receive a satisfactory outcome when collecting a debt.
As you can see, it all comes down to the court system. When a company chooses to do business in a country that doesn’t have a solid court system, contract enforcement can be very difficult. This can cause a debt to turn into a loss. As dire as this sounds, there is still hope for collecting an international debt, but it comes down to the amount of risk the business wants to take.
Fighting Insolvency
Insolvency is the third issue when it comes to collecting international debts. When a debtor has no money to pay itsdebt, the chance of collecting any amount of money for that debt is low. In the U.S., a creditor can have a person’s assets seized so that they are liquidated to resolve the debt. In other countries, the process is not as simple, especially when the court system isn’t cooperative.
In countries with structured court systems, insolvency can be fought. It is possible to receive a partial repayment. An international debt collector may even be able to get a debtor in a foreign country to restructure debts so at least some of the debts can be repaid. The rules of the country determine the resolution.
International Debt Collection Does Work
In the end, a business has a major decision to make when dealing with the potential to do business internationally. When that’s the case, there are international debt collectors that can help. It’s a good option to have. However, the successful collection of the debt means knowing how to work with that country’s court system and itsregulations. Then again, it can start from the very beginning by deciding only to do business in countries that have regulations and court systems that increase the chances of collecting a debt.
