Credit Bureau of Albert Lea
If you are a consumer, the content on this website was produced by a debt collection agency and any information obtained could be used for the collection of a debt.
The information contained on this website should not be interpreted as legal advice. If you have questions regarding any interpretation of the law, contact your attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions from Creditors
click on a question to reveal the answer
Why use a collection agency?
Many
times
consumers
will
pay
a
collection
agency
even
though
they
did
not
cooperate
with
the
original
creditor.
Once
the
account
is
placed
with
us,
debtors
realize
that
it
is
a
serious
situation
and
that
their
credit/credit
score
will
be
compromised.
It
also
allows
your
staff
to
do
the
job
you
hired
them
to
do,
rather
than
spending
precious
time
contacting
consumers
trying
to
collect
past
due accounts.
When is a good time to employ
a collection agency?
We
have
found
that
the
best
time
to
turn
debt
over
to
a
collection
agency
is
when
any
one of the following has occurred...
•
The
debt
has
become
more
than
60
days past due
•
You
have
lost
contact
with
the
consumer
•
The
consumer
expresses
financial
issues
•
The
consumer
demonstrates
bad
faith
and
loses
credibility,
i.e.
has
broken
a
promise
to
pay
you
by
an
agreed
upon
date.
There
are
no
upfront
charges
or
fees
to
turn
an
account
over
to
us.
We
get
paid
on
a
commission
basis.
If
we
don’t
collect,
we
don’t get paid.
We
do
have
a
Collection
Service
Agreement
prepared
for
your
signature.
This
is
a
brief
explanation
of
our
processes
and
responsibilities.
This
is
to
protect
your
interests as well as ours.
The CBAL collects all types of debt.
• Medical / Health Care
• Retail / Service
• NSF / Returned Checks
• Commercial
• Government
• Educational Institutions
• Financial / Loans
• Telecom / Utilities
• Judgments
• Credit Card
We
will
accept
an
account
from
the
earliest
date
you
have
determined
it
to
be
delinquent
to
as
late
as
it
would
still
be
reasonable
to
expect
payment
from
the
consumer.
You
should
know,
the
sooner
an
unpaid
account
is
turned
over
to
us
the
higher
our
chances
of
success
are.
The
best
time
is
usually
from
60
to
90
days
delinquent.
But,
if
your
account
is
already
older
than
that,
don’t
be
afraid
to
place
it
with
us.
We
work
all
accounts
with
the
same
processes
and
effort
and
have
a
higher
than
industry
average
on
collecting
those
accounts.
There
are
no
dollar
limit
minimums
that
we
will
try
to
collect
for
you.
Each
account
is
given
the
same
processes
and
collection
effort.
Each
month
if
we
have
received
a
payment
for
your
account,
you
will
receive
a
statement
after
our
end
of
month
process
is
complete
showing
who
paid,
how
much
was
paid,
the
balance
owed,
how
much
was
due
the
CBAL
for
collections
and
a
check
for
the
amount
owed
you.
Additional
reports
are
available per your request.
The
more
information
we
receive
on
an
account
past
due,
the
more
likely
we
are
to
make
contact
with
the
consumer
and
secure
payment.
Of
course
name,
most
current
address,
phone
and/or
cell
number
and
what
goods
or
services
were
provided,
the
date
provided
and
the
current
total
balance
owed
are
a
must.
Additional
information
could
be
a
signed
contract,
social
security
number,
date
of
birth,
spouse,
place
of
work,
maiden
name
or
other
names
previously
used.
This
additional
information
is
not
needed
to
place
an
account
with
us
but
becomes
very
useful
if
contact
has
been
lost
with
a
consumer
or
it is decided to litigate the account.
The
CBAL
has
a
litigation
team
that
reviews
all
accounts
that
have
been
determined
intentionally
deceptive
(someone
that
has
the
means
to
pay
but
chooses
not
to
pay).
Once
it
has
been
determined
the
account
is
collectable
through
a
judgment,
a
request
will
be
sent
to
you
for
your
approval.
We
may
also
need
additional
information
at
this
time.
We
then
proceed
through
the
entire
process
as
needed
from
the
first
claim
and
summons
filing
to
the
final
stages
of
collection.
There
is
no
cost
to
you
for
litigation. It is paid for entirely by the CBAL.
Yes,
we
can
collect
your
judgment.
As
you
are
probably
already
aware,
getting
the
judgment
is
just
the
first
step
of
collecting
a
debt
through
litigation.
Collecting
a
judgment
is
both
costly
and
time
consuming.
The
CBAL
has
the
experience
and
knowledge
to
process
your
judgment
from
start
to
finish
and
the
best
part
is
you
won’t
have
to
spend
another dime.
We
accept
accounts
(placements)
by
mail,
fax
or
email.
If
you
are
near
our
immediate
location
you
may
also
drop
off
your
placement
or
call
us
and
we
will
pick
up
the
information.
There
are
occasions
when
a
consumer
will
make
a
settlement
offer
on
an
account.
If
it
is
a
reasonable
offer
we
will
contact
you
and
let
you
know
what
has
been
offered,
we
will
also
at
this
time
offer
you
guidance
if
you
so
desire.
The
final
say
on
whether
or
not
to
accept
the
offer
is
entirely
yours
and
we
will
proceed, as you wish.
Skip
tracing
is
utilized
when
we
have
lost
contact
with
the
consumer
that
owes
you
money.
We
have
a
special
team
that
will
access
large
databases
to
try
to
find
information
on
a
consumer
such
as
current
address,
phone
number,
aliases
they
may
be
using,
work
place
and
property
and
assets
they
may
own.
This
information
is
also
used
when
preparing
for
litigation.
Some
of
these
databases
are
subscribed
to
and
some
are
available to us as a collection agency.