We have a strong reputation for compliant and ethical practices.
Collection House sets the compliance benchmark in ethical debt collection. Compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and ethical standards is essential. We, and our business partners, demand and expect mutual brand name and reputation protection through a strong culture of compliance.
Our compliance practices
Our reputation can be evidenced in the calibre of our client base, who entrust us on a daily basis to act as an extension of their business – including major Australian and international financial institutions, companies, and all levels of government. It can also be evidenced in reports undertaken by external bodies – for example, the ACCC’s 2015 research showing Collection House had the lowest number of complaints in the industry with 0.05 complaints per collection staff;1 or the industry Ombudsman’s annual report into External Dispute Resolution complaints showing the Group had just under 40 complaints per 100,000 active accounts.2
Code of Conduct
We are committed to, and have incorporated, the ACCC and ASIC Debt collection guideline for collectors and creditors into our internal Code of Conduct. Adherence to this Code and our company’s policies and procedures forms part of our employment contracts and key performance indicators for our people.
As of January 2020, the Collection House Group adopted the Australian Collectors & Debt Buyers Association (ACDBA) Code of Practice.
We are committed to, and have incorporated, the ACCC and ASIC Debt collection guideline for collectors and creditors into our internal Code of Conduct. Adherence to this Code and our company’s policies and procedures forms part of our employment contracts and key performance indicators for our people.
As of January 2020, the Collection House Group adopted the Australian Collectors & Debt Buyers Association (ACDBA) Code of Practice.
Workflow-based actioning and account level reviews ensure consistency in service delivery, in addition to call recording and monitoring of call outcomes for compliance and training purposes.
Oversight of all account actioning
Workflow-based actioning and account level reviews ensure consistency in service delivery, in addition to call recording and monitoring of call outcomes for compliance and training purposes.
Detailed dispute resolution processes
Collection House has detailed complaints and disputes resolution processes based on AS4369.
Detailed dispute resolution processes
Collection House has detailed complaints and disputes resolution processes based on AS4369.
External dispute resolution
We provide our customers with independent external complaint and dispute resolution facilities, as a non-bank member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is a new external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme delivering a free and impartial adjudication service of our business activities and conduct. AFCA replaces the three existing EDR schemes of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) and Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT) so that consumers have access to a single EDR scheme.
External dispute resolution
We provide our customers with independent external complaint and dispute resolution facilities, as a non-bank member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is a new external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme delivering a free and impartial adjudication service of our business activities and conduct. AFCA replaces the three existing EDR schemes of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) and Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT) so that consumers have access to a single EDR scheme.
ISO 9001 Accreditation
Collection House is accredited under ISO 9001, the international standard for quality management systems in our Brisbane head office. Recertification is conducted annually with the quality management principles forming part of our culture and commitment to quality processes, continuous improvement and service delivery.
ISO 9001 Accreditation
Collection House is accredited under ISO 9001, the international standard for quality management systems in our Brisbane head office. Recertification is conducted annually with the quality management principles forming part of our culture and commitment to quality processes, continuous improvement and service delivery.
PCI Compliant
Collection House has been certified as PCI compliant as per an assessment against the PCI DSS Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures v3.2, conducted by an external PCI assessor. This means that within our merchant processing operations, cardholder data is not stored in any of our systems and that when a debtor pays using their payment card, the payment is processed using a PCI compliant payment gateway and IVR solution. Our certificate of compliance can be viewed here.
PCI Compliant
Collection House has been certified as PCI compliant as per an assessment against the PCI DSS Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures v3.2, conducted by an external PCI assessor. This means that within our merchant processing operations, cardholder data is not stored in any of our systems and that when a debtor pays using their payment card, the payment is processed using a PCI compliant payment gateway and IVR solution. Our certificate of compliance can be viewed here.
Risk management and compliance processes
The Group’s internal Risk Management and Compliance teams operate on a “three lines of defence” framework to align with APRA guidelines and ISO 31000.
In line with our commitment to open and transparent business practices, we encourage our business partners to regularly audit our collection operations and complaints handling processes.
Risk management and compliance processes
The Group’s internal Risk Management and Compliance teams operate on a “three lines of defence” framework to align with APRA guidelines and ISO 31000.
In line with our commitment to open and transparent business practices, we encourage our business partners to regularly audit our collection operations and complaints handling processes.
Technology to support compliance
Our customised proprietary C5 system allows us to fully customise the collection system for our clients in an agile manner, ensuring contractual compliance and a high quality customer experience.
The C5 system, and our contact centre technology ‘Interactive Intelligence’, allows us to embed compliant processes as part of our employees’ daily activities, as well as providing superior monitoring capability.
Technology to support compliance
Our customised proprietary C5 system allows us to fully customise the collection system for our clients in an agile manner, ensuring contractual compliance and a high quality customer experience.
The C5 system, and our contact centre technology ‘Interactive Intelligence’, allows us to embed compliant processes as part of our employees’ daily activities, as well as providing superior monitoring capability.
RegTech Association
Collection House is proud to be a member of the Australian RegTech Association, a united community of organisations who share a vision to innovate, advance and influence the future of Regulatory Technology (RegTech) in Australia.
RegTech Association
Collection House is proud to be a member of the Australian RegTech Association, a united community of organisations who share a vision to innovate, advance and influence the future of Regulatory Technology (RegTech) in Australia.
Financial Hardship
Collection House has a dedicated financial hardship team who are experienced and skilled at dealing with customers in this challenging position. The Group allows its customers who are experiencing genuine financial difficulty the opportunity to vary or amend their contract so that they can continue to meet their credit obligations, in accordance with section 72 of the National Credit Code.
Collection House is also a founding supporter of the National Hardship Register, a voluntary register of vulnerable customers in long term and severe financial hardship.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact our Customer Assist Team on 1800 051 753. You may also wish to visit the National Debt Helpline website (ndh.org.au), which has easy to use, step-by-step guides on how to tackle debts. You can also call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 to talk to a financial counsellor and get free, independent advice about your situation.
Financial Hardship
Collection House has a dedicated financial hardship team who are experienced and skilled at dealing with customers in this challenging position. The Group allows its customers who are experiencing genuine financial difficulty the opportunity to vary or amend their contract so that they can continue to meet their credit obligations, in accordance with section 72 of the National Credit Code.
Collection House is also a founding supporter of the National Hardship Register, a voluntary register of vulnerable customers in long term and severe financial hardship.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact our Customer Assist Team on 1800 051 753. You may also wish to visit the National Debt Helpline website (ndh.org.au), which has easy to use, step-by-step guides on how to tackle debts. You can also call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 to talk to a financial counsellor and get free, independent advice about your situation.
Privacy, Statement of Notifiable Matters and Compliance
Your personal information will be securely stored within the Collection House network in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and other applicable legislation.
Statement of Notifiable Matters
Our Statement of Notifiable Matters compliments our Credit Reporting Policy and provides information on the entities to whom we may disclose your credit information as well as information on certain rights you have in relation to your credit information.
Credit reporting bodies and your personal information
Credit reporting bodies are allowed under the Privacy Act and the Privacy Credit Reporting Code to handle personal information relating to credit.
Credit reporting bodies may include your personal information in reports that they provide to credit providers to assist those providers in assessing your credit worthiness (such as when you have applied for a loan from the provider).
Credit reporting bodies that Collection House deals with
Credit reporting bodies are allowed under the Privacy Act and the Privacy Credit Reporting Code to handle personal information relating to credit.
Credit reporting bodies may include your personal information in reports that they provide to credit providers to assist those providers in assessing your credit worthiness (such as when you have applied for a loan from the provider).
For contact details and information on how credit reporting bodies manage credit related personal information, please see their privacy policies available at the links above.
Credit reporting bodies offer a service to credit providers wishing to send direct marketing material about credit services to individuals. This is called “credit pre-screening”. You have the right to request that the credit reporting bodies do not use your information for this purpose. To opt out of credit pre-screening, contact the credit reporting body, using the contact details on their websites noted above.
You can also ask a credit reporting body not to use or disclose your personal information for a period if you believe on reasonable grounds that you have been or are likely to be a victim of fraud.
The Privacy Act and the Credit Reporting Code limit what we can do with the information we obtain from a credit reporting body. Generally, it can only be used in relation to the consumer credit products you hold through us. For example, if you fail to meet your payment obligations in relation to consumer credit, or commit a serious credit infringement, we may be entitled to disclose this to a credit reporting body.
You may request a copy of your personal information that we hold on file at any time using the Personal Information Request form.
Resolutions Team
Collection House Limited PO Box 2247 Fortitude Valley BC 4006 Australia
PO Box 2247 Fortitude Valley BC 4006 Australia Fax: +61 7 3831 6655
Your rights and responsibilities
If you are not satisfied about something we’ve done, or perhaps haven’t done, we want to know about it. We treat every complaint seriously and aim to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible.
We aim to resolve your concerns in the first instance, so we ask that you contact our Resolutions Team in a stepped approach if you are still unsatisfied with the outcome.
Step 1
Contact our Resolutions Team
If you have a complaint regarding Collection House or one of our subsidiaries, please contact our Resolutions Team.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 1800 173 355 or +61 7 3017 3355 if outside Australia Mail: Resolutions Team PO Box 2247, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Step 2
Ask for an internal review
In most cases, complaints handled by our Resolutions Team are resolved without the need for further escalation. In circumstances where you remain dissatisfied with our internal dispute resolution process, you are entitled to raise your complaint to a higher level within the management structure of the Collection House Group, by contacting the Resolutions Team and asking for a review.
Step 3
Seek an independent review
If, despite our best efforts, you are still unsatisfied, you are entitled to lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA provides fair and independent financial services complaint resolution that is free to consumers.
Collection House will endeavour to resolve all complaints in a manner fair to all parties and in accordance with the company’s Complaints Procedure.
We treat any such complaints seriously, and will take whatever time is necessary to complete investigations into complaints and will keep you informed of their progress.
