My Trip to the ACA Annual Convention

Last week Barry Jennings, Greg DeSana, and I were fortunate enough to attend the ACA’s annual convention in Washington, DC.  The convention was held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center along the Potomac.  We also got the chance to take in a ballgame at Nationals Park, and got to see the San Francisco Giants (my adopted team from my years in California) defeat the Washington Nationals.  More importantly, we got a chance to see what challenges and issues are facing our industry. 

There were meetings on many compliance-related topics, question and answer sessions with industry savvy attorneys, as well as a trade show featuring many new technologies.  Perhaps the most eye-opening for me was a speech from the Commissioner of the FTC, Julie Brill.  She discussed a recent report to Congress focusing on debt collection litigation, which was titled “Repairing a Broken System.”  Her speech dealt primarily with identifying improper practices in litigation against consumers by debt collectors, but it took the tone of an admonishment of the entire debt collection industry.  Her speech became for me a reinforcement of how vital it is for us as debt collectors to stay proactive when it comes to compliance with collection law.  The public (and so it seems the government’s) perception of our industry is mostly negative, and the few debt collectors and agencies that do not comply to the laws have damaged the reputation of our industry and it’s vital economic role.  

Now more than ever, it is essential that debt collectors understand and properly interpret the law.  The debt collection industry is still governed by laws that sometimes refer specifically to out-of-date practices such as “collect calls” and “telegrams.”  The FDCPA has simply not adapted as fast as technology, and that has left for wide interpretations of current collection practices.  Those companies that resist change, and are not willing to alter their collection practices based on up to date court rulings are exposing themselves to litigation, as are the companies and collectors who practice unethical and unlawful collection tactics.  This helps foster a negative impression of the industry as a whole.

I believe our attendance at these conferences, and our continual education in compliance is vital.  Equally important is our continuing to update and practice policies and procedures that strictly follow the laws set forth in the FDCPA, and in some instances even exceed them.  I came home encouraged by the fact that American Profit Recovery is already an example of what is right with the debt collection industry, and am proud that we continue to take our responsibilities as legitimate debt collectors as seriously as we do.  I also believe that APR has made it a normal business practice to welcome and adapt to change when it comes to technology and legal compliance.  My thanks to Barry for inviting me to this year’s conference.  It was a great experience, and a lot of fun!