Good news for debtors: In the future, debt collection agencies that collect money from defaulting customers should be allowed to charge less. Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) presented a corresponding bill.
"Anyone who gets into debt collection with his debt has to pay for it anyway," Lambrecht told the "Bild" newspaper. "It is a great annoyance that often even excessive fees are required, which are out of all proportion to the actual effort." Consumers are often ripped off.
At present, debt collection agencies are allowed to charge a fee of up to € 70.20 even for low debts - even if they do not make much effort and only send one letter. "We will put a stop to such debt collection cases in the future," said Lambrecht.
Falling revenue expected
Debtors who are willing to pay and therefore do not do much work for collection agencies should be protected. For them, the maximum fee limit for claims up to 500 euros to 37.80 euros. According to the bill, this affects 83 percent of all debt collection procedures.
The Ministry therefore expects that the majority of the approximately 2,000 debt collection agencies will have to be prepared for declining revenues. Around 55 percent of companies currently calculate maximum rates.
Debtors who postpone payments or try to escape trickery by tricks should not benefit: they continue to be charged the higher fees because the burden on the collection companies is greater.
Video: Unscrupulous debt collectors in Russia
MIRROR TV
