When debt collectors send out letters, every single piece of mail matters. But what happens when those letters go to the wrong address or get lost? The answer might surprise you – it costs way more money than you’d think.
Let’s discuss why getting mail right is crucial and the significant costs that arise when things go wrong.
When Mail Goes Wrong, Everything Gets Expensive
Think about it this way: when a debt collection letter doesn’t reach the person who owes money, that’s a big problem. The person can’t pay for what they don’t know about. This means the debt collector loses money right away.mail
But that’s just the beginning. When mail comes back as undeliverable, someone has to:
- Figure out what went wrong
- Find the correct address
- Send the letter again
- Update computer records
All of this takes time, and time costs money. Workers who could be doing other necessary tasks are now fixing mail problems instead.
Breaking the Rules Can Be Expensive
Debt collectors have to follow strict rules about how they contact people. These rules are set by laws like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). When mail goes to the wrong place, it can break these rules.
For example:
- Sending someone’s private debt information to the wrong address
- Including wrong information in letters
- Not following proper procedures
Breaking these rules can cost up to $1,000 per mistake, plus other damages. Some companies have had to pay millions in fines. That’s a lot of money that could have been avoided with better mailing practices.
Why Returned Mail Hurts More Than You Think
The true impact of mailing mistakes is bigger than most realize:
Undeliverable Mail: When mail doesn’t reach its destination, companies lose not just postage, but valuable opportunities to collect payments and communicate with customers.
Processing Returned Mail: Every returned piece requires extra handling, reprocessing, and often re-sending—costs that quickly multiply for organizations sending thousands of letters.
Lost Revenue: Missed bills, statements, or customer notices often mean money left uncollected and services delayed, which can add up to millions in lost revenue over time.
Legal Penalties: Undeliverable mail also creates compliance risks. In regulated industries like finance and healthcare, failing to deliver required communications can open the door to audits, fines, or even legal challenges.
There’s Good News: Technology Can Fix This
There’s Good News: Technology Can Fix ThisThe best part is that most of these problems can be prevented. New technology enables debt collectors to track their mail from start to finish, similar to tracking a package from Amazon.
How VariTrack Solves These Problems
VariVerge created a system called VariTrack that helps debt collectors avoid these costly mistakes. Here’s what it does:
Real-Time Tracking: You can see exactly where every letter is at any time. You’ll know when it’s printed, mailed, and delivered – or if there’s a problem.
Staying Legal: VariTrack keeps detailed records of every letter sent. This helps prove that companies are following the rules if questions come up later.
Saving Money: With fewer returned letters and less time spent fixing problems, companies save money and get better results.
Faster Collections: Knowing exactly when someone received your letter allows you to follow up at the right time. This often leads to faster payments.
The Bottom Line
Mailing mistakes cost debt collectors way more than just the price of a stamp. They lose money, waste time, break rules, and hurt their reputation. In a business where every dollar counts, these hidden costs can really add up.
Companies like VariVerge understand this problem and have created solutions to fix it. Their VariTrack system helps debt collectors send mail the right way every time. This approach saves money, adheres to the rules, and facilitates the collection of more debts successfully.
In today’s competitive world, getting mail right isn’t just nice to have – it’s absolutely necessary for making money and staying in business.