Professional B2B debt collection follows a structured escalation sequence. Each step increases pressure while giving the debtor opportunities to resolve the obligation before the next escalation point.
Before any contact is made, the agency verifies the claim's validity — confirming the debtor's corporate status, checking the statute of limitations in the relevant jurisdiction, and assessing the debtor's financial position through commercial credit reports.
A demand letter in the debtor's language, citing the local legal framework and specific enforcement mechanisms available. In Germany, this references the Mahnverfahren. In France, the mise en demeure. In Singapore, statutory demand provisions. The demand must demonstrate local enforcement capability.
Phone calls, emails, and negotiation with the debtor's accounts payable department. The objective: agree on payment terms without court proceedings. Professional agencies achieve 50-70% resolution at this stage for claims under 12 months old.
If amicable collection fails, most jurisdictions offer expedited payment order procedures: Germany's Mahnverfahren (€36, 4 weeks), Belgium's IOS procedure (30-45 days), Poland's EPU (electronic, 2-4 weeks), France's injonction de payer (no hearing required).
Full court proceedings for disputed claims. Timeline varies dramatically by jurisdiction — 6 months in the Netherlands to 36+ months in Italy.
Converting the judgment into cash through bank account seizure, salary garnishment, property attachment, or insolvency proceedings. This step requires enforcement expertise separate from litigation expertise.
Our debt recovery agency with over 21 years of experience provides: Business to Business Collections Services, Legal Debt Collections and worldwide Skip Tracing services.
