A debt collection company at your service

A debt collection company operating in France and internationally

Since 1999, Paris Contentieux has been assisting companies in minimizing their payment delays. Our expertise in the French and international markets, both in amicable and/or legal debt recovery, has allowed us to establish a relationship of trust with our clients.

We operate throughout France, whether you are in Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille, Boulogne-Billancourt, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier or Rennes. Our experts are available to help you maximize your chances of debt recovery while respecting current regulations and your clients.

Paris Contentieux also extends its expertise internationally to help companies recover their debts abroad. Our teams are familiar with the legal and cultural specificities of numerous countries, thus facilitating the settlement of your unpaid invoices, regardless of the debtor. We also rely on a network of correspondents directly in your debtor's country.

The economic crisis that has been hitting France hard for several years is not sparing businesses: payment delays are lengthening, which can weaken their cash flow. Indeed, to cope with unpaid invoices and thus avoid financial difficulties, access to cash flow becomes essential.

Fortunately, there are solutions for recovering debts more quickly. For example, it is possible to use a debt collection agency specializing in amicable and legal debt recovery, such as Paris Contentieux, which has been assisting businesses since 1999.

What is the mission of a debt collection company?

When a creditor encounters difficulties with a debtor, they can choose to send their own reminders, but for optimal recovery, it is recommended to contact a company specializing in debt management.

Obtain payment of outstanding debts

The primary mission of a debt collection agency is to help creditors obtain payment of their outstanding invoices. Indeed, debtors sometimes fall behind on their payments, which inevitably has a negative impact on the creditor's cash flow. The goal is then to obtain payment of these unpaid invoices as quickly as possible, initially through amicable means, and then through legal proceedings if the pre-litigation phase has not yielded the desired results.

The debt collection agency acts on behalf of its client. This preserves the business relationship between the creditor and the debtor. And because the collection process is streamlined, obtaining payment of outstanding invoices is much easier and faster than if the creditor had sent reminders directly to the debtor.

A mission that goes beyond debt collection

Debt  collection companies often offer additional services to their clients. 

This is the case with Paris Contentieux, which provides the following services to companies:

• Client post management
• Bottom of portfolio management
• Audit and Training

By outsourcing accounts receivable and portfolio management, companies gain efficiency, which has a positive impact on their finances. Auditing is a highly valued service, as it allows companies to assess what works and, more importantly, what needs improvement in debt collection. Finally, the training program is very relevant for companies that want to enhance their understanding of credit management, risk management, and the prevention of payment defaults.

What does the debt recovery procedure consist of?

The recovery procedure consists of 2 phases:

• The amicable way
• The legal route

Amicable recovery

If a creditor is faced with a debtor whose invoices have become overdue, they can initiate an amicable debt recovery. In most cases, recovering unpaid invoices without resorting to legal action works: sending reminders is often enough to bring the debtor back into compliance.

The following should then be sent:

• A first reminder by mail: a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt;
• A formal notice by way of a bailiff or by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt.

It is essential to keep proof of sending and receipt, because if the amicable debt recovery process fails, you will need to provide evidence to the court that reminders were indeed sent and received. Without this proof, the legal proceedings will be dismissed by the judge.

Judicial recovery

Is the debtor ignoring reminders or refusing to pay late invoices? When amicable solutions have been exhausted, legal proceedings can be initiated.

A payment order must then be requested from the court. After reviewing the case, if the request is deemed valid, a payment order with an enforceable title will be issued.

However, if the request is rejected, the creditor will have to find another way to recover the outstanding payments. Legal recovery can then take other forms, such as a standard summons or an interim injunction.

Warning: legal debt recovery proceedings can be lengthy and expensive. Therefore, this process should only be initiated for substantial debts. For small amounts, it is not necessarily worthwhile.

Why outsource debt collection?

For companies that use a debt collection agency, the benefits are numerous:

• Since debt collection is managed by experts, the settlement of outstanding payments is faster, which helps to maintain strong cash flow and therefore consolidate finances;
• Internally, employees can focus on their core business: this saves time and money, as there is no need to train them and assign them the task of debt collection;
• The customer relationship is preserved, because the debt collection company is not emotionally involved: the risk of conflict is therefore minimized.

Is your company facing numerous unpaid invoices and are you looking for a solution to limit uncollectible debts? Contact our debt collection company !

At Paris Contentieux, we have been supporting our clients in all their debt recovery procedures since 1999. Whether amicable or judicial, we will find an approach that allows you to recover the sums owed to you while preserving the business relationship with your clients.

Do you want to learn more about the services offered by our debt collection company ? Are you interested in our methods for recovering unpaid invoices? Whatever your questions, contact one of our advisors: we will explain how the Paris Contentieux team can support you on a daily basis.