Perfumed Steamrollers: Meet The Female Debt Collectors

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday December 6, 2008

Jessica Irvine Economics Writer

THEY'RE not overweight men with baseball bats, but these women want your money.

Specialising in what they call the "female approach", business is booming for this all-female debt collection agency in Bankstown.

"I believe females have got different qualities than men and women show more empathy towards sensitive situations," says Sonia Ferlauto, who founded Accelerated Collection Services 13 years ago. "You certainly would not expect a female to turn up on your doorstep asking for money. People are more open with women."

According to Ms Ferlauto, the lead-up to Christmas has seen an increase in people refusing to pay debts and instead splurging on presents.

"Anything goes at this time of the year. People have definitely got problems out there financially. At this stage of the year and the way the economy is, they're just not able to come up with the $10,000 cheque.

"Debtors are requesting to pay off their debts by instalment agreements."

Overdue hospital bills and credit cards are only some of the types of debt that ACS collect.

"The building trades is probably one of the worst industries," Ms Ferlauto says, pointing in particular to builders not being able to pay their suppliers. "They don't have the cash flow."

Most people try hard to pay off their debts, but Ms Ferlauto says there are still some people "who think the world owes it to them and why should I pay?"

She tells the story of arriving on a woman's doorstep to serve a summons.

"She was trying to tell me that she wasn't the person and I knew it was her . . . you know if someone's lying."

Ms Ferlauto, who is also the president of the Institute of Mercantile Agents, the NSW division of the industry group for debt collectors, process servers and investigators, says the industry has changed dramatically over the past decade.

"People perceive debt collectors as heavyweights with baseball bats. [But] I definitely think our industry has been cleaned especially with our new licensing laws."

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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