16 October 2008
Mercantile agents can provide loans for a vast number of uses, from personal loans and car loans to home loans and mortgages... read full story
If you wish to get in touch with any of the countless Mercantile Agents of the country, take a breath, and read this article first. What or who exactly is a Mercantile agent: this is one authorized by the principal to sell/buy goods, or to raise loans via the goods as a form of collateral.
As far as NSW is concerned, a lot of job openings exists for those wishing to barge in in the line of Mercantile Agents. Some of the openings are: repossession agent, process server, investigator, collector, among others.
If you wish to become one of those anytime soon, there are many prerequisites you should bear in mind. You have to be licensed under the Commercial Agents & Private Inquiry Agents Act 2004.
The licenses are put in two categories- the licenses for the Mercantile agents, and master licenses for the employers. The bearer of an Operator lcense could only work for a Master license bearer, unless he also owns one himself.
The operator licenses could be given over a time frame of one to five years, and the Master license could be given for half a decade. This, unless cancelled or suspended by the NSW Plice Commissioner. For example, the licensee commits a serious transgression.
Just like many licenses in other fields, the licenses of this industry are subject to various conditions, and it is the duty of bearers to be aware of them.
Are you familiar with the AMAA or the Australian Mercantile Agents Association? These congregations of Mercantile Agents meet yearly, as part of IMA's National Conference. Members would gather to talk about issues of concern, like repossessions or process serving. Every once in a while, the members of this big entity meet by phone conference to study and brainstorm on issues such as trading obligations, credit laws, privacy, training, and others.
If you want to get in touch with them for whatever reason, the President is Mr Nick Wright, and I am sure, if you'll just visit their website just once, you would be able to get all the pertinent numbers. If you or somebody close to you wishes to become a member of AMAA, you could send your communication to admin@imal.com.au.
One part of the world of the Mercantile Agents is the position of the Process Server. A lot of those entering these posts come from law enforcement or credit management, but if you are asking me if there is one ideal career that would promise success as a process server, there is none. You could even come from Hollywood or theater and succeed as a Process server, I should know. Somebody in my family did exactly that. What is crucial is that one should be (among others)- honest, with integrity, with good communication abilities and patient.
