Questions people actually ask

A $120 set-up fee to open the file, then 20% of what we actually receive, plus disbursements. There is no joining fee and no per-letter charge. If we recover nothing, no commission is payable — the set-up fee and any disbursements already incurred still apply. Every number is confirmed in writing before we start.

Costs on your file beyond the collection work itself. Court filing fees and bailiff service are passed on at cost with no markup. Attending an address is charged at a set rate plus mileage, quoted before we go. Everything is itemised and approved by you in advance where the amount is material.

Often, yes — if your terms of trade contain a collection costs clause. That is what makes the cost recoverable. If your terms do not have one, we are happy to point out what a good clause looks like so the next debt is cheaper to chase.

Usually around 60 to 90 days overdue, once your own reminders have stopped working. Hand it over immediately if the debtor has gone quiet, changed their number, broken a payment arrangement, or you have heard they are in trouble. Recovery rates drop sharply with age.

Most contract debts carry a six-year limitation period running from when the debt fell due, under the Limitation Act 2010. So an old debt is not necessarily a dead one — but it does get harder. Note that a debtor acknowledging the debt or making a part payment can restart that clock.

We stop and come back to you. A genuine dispute is a commercial matter between you and your customer and a collector should not steamroll it. We will help you document the position, and disputes are frequently resolved once someone neutral sets out both sides.

Usually not. The first steps are a formal letter of demand and direct professional contact, and most debts are paid at that point. Plenty of our clients keep trading with the customer afterwards. We escalate only on your instruction.

Yes, where the debt is undisputed and the correct process has been followed. A default listing has real consequences for anyone who needs finance or credit terms, and the prospect of one often prompts payment on its own.

Almost never. The large majority of files settle without proceedings. If legal action becomes the sensible option we will set out the likely cost and prospects, and you decide. We never commit you to legal expense without written approval.

Contact the debtor at reasonable hours, state the debt and the consequences of not paying, and pursue lawful enforcement. What a collector cannot do is misrepresent their authority, claim powers they do not have, threaten consequences they cannot deliver, harass, or discuss the debt with people unconnected to it. Those limits come from the Fair Trading Act, the Harassment Act and the Privacy Act.

Debt collection is not a licensed activity in New Zealand — the PSPLA has confirmed it sits outside its jurisdiction. Repossession agents and private investigators do need licences. Anyone claiming a debt collection licence is describing something that does not exist.

No. Establishing a person's whereabouts for reward is private investigator work under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 and requires a PSPLA licence, which we do not hold. If your debtor's address has gone stale we will say so and you can instruct a licensed investigator.

Yes. Our in-person coverage runs from Auckland north, and we handle correspondence-based recovery nationally. If a file will clearly need attendance well outside our area we will tell you upfront rather than take it on and stall.

Tell us immediately so we can close the file. Commission is payable on amounts recovered while the file is with us, including direct payments prompted by our involvement — which is standard across the industry and is set out in our terms.