Blog

A Member of Parliament wants to ban the no-cure-no-pay method for amicable debt collection. Is this a useful proposition? Who will benefit, who will suffer?

Is the state, which imposes very strict rules upon creditors in matters of debt collection, itself acting in such an ethical manner?

The law on securities (Pledge Act; 2013, applicable from 2018) revolutionizes retention of title and makes it more easily applicable.

What were and are the biggest challenges in your new job? Is your experience useful for unpaid bills? What do you think could be improved?

Vera’s friendly attitude is one of the reasons we wanted to welcome her to TCM, but that is of course not her sole asset.

The Constitutional Court rendered a judgment about debt collection in 2014. Worrisome for confidence in the way laws are made.

Dialogue is more productive than injunction! Visiting your debtors is a decisive tool, which has many advantages.

We don’t have to look far from home to see the benefits of a local international collection network. Even in Europe, there is no shortage of differences and complexities

1616.be has built up a nice network of qualified Belgian entrepreneurs specialized in renovation and construction works.

How have covid measures affected the payment behaviour of individuals and businesses in 2020 compared to previous years?

How has the lockdown, entailing the closure of entire sectors of activity impacted trade in 2020? We analyse the volume of business.

The bankruptcy moratorium led to a 33% drop in bankruptcies in 2020. What to expect from the Judicial Reorganization Procedure?

IMPACT OF THE BREXIT AGREEMENT ON LEGAL PROCEDURES FOR CROSS-BORDER DISPUTES Despite the fear of a "No-deal Brexit", a Brexit agreement on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union was reached on 24 December 2020. As the report was...

FAKE DEBT COLLECTORSThe press regularly reports about “fake debt collectors”. This is what the type of criminals who try to deceive you are called. How to avoid the being caught?     Fake police officers and other bogus professionals of all walks of life try...

SECOND PART OF THE INTERVIEW OF JOLIEN, YOUNG LAWYER AS CREDIT CONTROLLER (2)Jolien Caes, young law graduate recently hired by TCM Belgium, gave us her first impressions in the previous interview. In this second part, she talks about her feelings towards debt, the...

TCM WELCOMES A YOUNG LAWYER AS CREDIT CONTROLLER (1)Recently, the few TCM Belgium colleagues present at the office received homemade cakes and soup from a new colleague. But of course, that wasn't the (main) reason she got hired. Today, we meet Jolien Caes, our most...

THE CORONA INVOICE. A few points to consider in your collection process to limit unpaid invoices during covid-19. De Tijd (a Belgian economic newspaper) published that the corona bill has risen to over 20 billion EUR for the government. How can you make sure your...

5 MOTIVATIONS FOR CALLING A COLLECTION AGENCYDo you spend too much time chasing debtors, checking your cash flow and defending your reputation? Do you have too little time left to devote to your core business? Are you inhibited by the exportation risks? These are...

AUTOMATED ELECTRONIC DEBT COLLECTION   In debt collection, as in other professions, it is tempting to believe that electronics and automation can replace humans. Is it so? How did IT invade our businesses and homes, what can it achieve and what are its limits?  ...

CAN DEBT COLLECTION BE FREE OF CHARGE?"How much will it cost me?" This is probably one of the first questions you will ask yourself when considering collecting your unpaid bills. There are many “free” debt collection offers on the market. But if it's free, how do...

UNPAID INVOICES DURING A PANDEMIC The measures announced by the governments following the pandemic were brutal and severe. The economic consequences will be felt for several years. What do we see for the first few months regarding unpaid invoices? What can we...

THE BILL AGAINST THE DEBT INDUSTRY ACTUALLY CALLS FOR DEBT COLLECTION Many politicians are happy to use the expression “debt industry” (see for example our article on the bill amending the law of 20 December 2002 on amicable collection of consumer debts, in order to...

UNFAIR PROVISIONS IN GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS What would be the problem caused by unfair provisions in your general terms & conditions? In a previous post, we talked about provisions that can turn your terms and conditions into an effective weapon and shield....

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT FOR DEBT COLLECTION Many creditors use public procurement to select a debt collection provider. Does this system offer all the guarantees it is supposed to offer? Let's see this in practice.   Why a public tender?   Public administrations...

COSTS AND INTERESTS IN CASE OF DEFAULT: IS LEGAL ALSO JUST? Posted 1 June 2020 For at least one of our ‘battle-hardened’ credit controllers costs and interests hold no more mystery, no more terror. After all, she had to pay enough back in her student days and, in...

FACILITATE INVOICE RECOVERY BY INSERTING A QR CODE Posted on 19 May 2020 In about 95% of cases, your customer pays you on time. All you need to do is to send them the invoice. But technical measures, like inserting a QR code on your invoice, can improve this score....

CAPITAL, DIVIDEND, SOLVENCY: THE NEW COMPANY CODE Published on 5 May 2020 The new Company and Associations Code (CSA-code des sociétés et des associations), published on 23 March 2019), has extensively reshaped the legal landscape in Belgium. The solvency of a company...