Collection Point
So you've received a letter of demand from Collection Point Pty Ltd? Collection Point is a debt collection service used by Australian National Car Parks and other private parking companies. Whilst ANCP is based in Sydney, Collection Point is a Melbourne company.
Should I be worried about receiving a demand from Collection Point? Companies engage debt collectors when the person they believe owes them money is not likely to pay. For a company to engage a debt collection agency, it is effectively a last ditch try at getting some money. Be aware though, that debt collectors have no more ability to extract money from you than the parking company itself. That is, close to zilch, especially if you have not told them who was driving.
Australian National Car Parks used to use a company called "Australian Recoveries & Collections" to collect its debts. However, word got out that ARC as owned by the directors of ANCP and so people simply ignored the letters of demand from ARC. So it appears that ANCP's use of Collection Point is an attempt at making the demands look more legitimate than the ones from ARC. However, make no mistake. The demands from Collection Point are just that - demands.
If you have a copy of a letter of demand from Collection Point I would like to see it. Can you please email it to https://sites.google.com/site/unfairfines/contact-us
Your options in dealing with demands from Collection Point are explained on the FAQ pages of this website.
Collection Point are a little different to most collection agencies in that as well as performing debt collection they also provide a money tracing service whereby they locate money that has been unclaimed at a financial institution and is currently being held by the government. Collection point goes through the various government websites to find money that has not been claimed, then goes about finding the person to whom the money is owed, and contacts them and asks them for a free to forward them the money.
According to their website, Collection Point "acknowledge that some debtors are in extreme hardship and simply cannot pay their debts". It goes on to say that "when this occurs, Collection Point always encourages these people to liaise directly with the creditor". Then their website says: "those debtors that have a desire to pay, but are finding it difficult to pay are treated with respect. We work with them, not against them".
How to contact Collection point
Level 3, 221 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9642 8400
admin@collectionpoint.com.au
Director: Dominic Crupi
https://twitter.com/dominiccrupi