Common FAQs

Get Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Debt Collection Services, Collection Attorneys for Commercial Debt Collections, and Legal services.

FAQ-circle-question markOur customer service manager, Gina Scott, works closely with the attorneys and collectors and will provide account statuses as your case progresses towards payment. Feel free to contact Gina for updates at any time. Gina’s email is

FAQ – Do you collect in all 50 states?

  • Yes. And select international locations also. We have collection attorney partners and private investigators in all 50 states in addition to collectors, negotiators, and para-legals at our corporate offices in Tucson, Arizona. Email or speak to one of our representatives for an assessment of your specific situation.

What balances do you accept for collections?

  • We don’t use the dollar amount of a receivable as an acceptance factor. What our triage department looks at are factors like: are they still in business?, do we have good working phone numbers?, is your claim disputed?, the debtor’s profile, and pressure points. We have never been known to turn down the opportunity to earn a collection fee and establish a new client relationship.

How do I assign an account for collections?

Choose from the following:

  1. Online Form: Click this link to place an account, then fill out the sections for Your Information and Debtor Information, and attach your supporting documents as per list.
  2. Manual Placement: print our Account Placement Form then email, fax, or mail along with supporting documents to:

Email to:
Fax to: 520-546-1062
Mail to: Stevens & Ricci, Inc, 7739 E Broadway Blvd Suite 220, Tucson AZ 85710
Call Customer Service at 888-722-1611

Do we sign a contract to start using your collection and legal services?

  • No contract. We have a standard Collection Agreement which allows us to represent you in the collection of your receivables on a contingent basis. It has the legal equivalent of a Purchase Order. It defines our relationship, confirms the contingent rate, guarantees you will receive a statement within 30 days following the month in which we collect, spells out our cancellation policy, states that a debtor suit will not be filed without client authorization, and that we will comply with all federal, state, local or foreign laws and statutes. You will receive this agreement to review, sign and return before we begin collections on your first.

Are there any costs, fees, or minimums?

  • None. Just the contingent percentage AFTER we collect. If for some reason we can’t collect, there is no cost or fee whatsoever. Even if we use one of our collection attorneys to assist with pre-legal collections. If we recommend a lawsuit, there is no charge for the analysis and our litigation attorneys charge only a small fee for filing costs as they all earn their money on the contingent percentage AFTER collecting.

What are your rates?

  • Our fees are only due after we collect (No Collection – No Fee) and are as follows:

20% – U.S. accounts > $1,000 assigned up to 120 days from oldest invoice date

25% – U.S. accounts > $1,000 assigned 121 – 180 days from oldest invoice date

30% – U.S. accounts > $1,000 assigned 181 – 730 days from oldest invoice date

35% – Accounts less than $1,000 and accounts located outside of the U.S.

Note: We pursue fees and interest from the debtor also – and often collect them for our clients. This will either lower your rate or eliminate the fee altogether. Learn more about debt collection attorney fees.

Legal Services

FAQ – What are my options if you are unable to collect?

  • In most cases, we are able to obtain payment either in full (with fees and interest in many cases) or on an interest bearing short-term payment plan. If not, we will provide you with a suit analysis report and legal recommendation if it makes economic sense. You then have the option to close the account with us or continue with our Commercial Claims Filing Division to sue the debtor. Each attorney is hand selected from our elite partner list to ensure maximum recovery. Up front suit costs vary and are very minimal as our attorneys make their money on the contingent legal rate, which is 33% to 35%.

Once We Get Started

FAQ – What is your process used to collect?

  • We use a specialized approach to commercial debt collections combining both advanced agency processes and attorney involvement. Here is our basic process which may vary:
  1. The first step is an Attorney Demand Letter to the debtor followed by a phone call(s) from the collection attorney.
  2. If no positive response, back to strategy desk to identify and apply pressure points.
  3. When debtor responds, attorney arranges for payment and confirms with Release Agreement.
  4. If debtor doesn’t respond, we can prepare suit analysis and offer our recommendation to you.
  5. If suit is viable and you wish to proceed, we select an attorney for you in the debtor’s jurisdiction from our elite  inventory. We’ll take care of everything all the way to final payment and release.

What if the debtor makes contact with us after we have placed it with you?

  • It’s not uncommon for a debtor to contact the client directly instead of the agency collector or attorney. If this happens, do not make any arrangements with the debtor. Costs will be expended and we may lose our right to collect them from debtor if you re-enter the process. In addition, an acceptance of a payment may result in giving the debtor a free pass on paying fees and interest. We suggest you say something like: “The matter is out of our hands at this point, please call Stevens & Ricci directly”. If you receive a check from the debtor, email or fax a copy of the check to our office for electronic processing.

Payments, Client Updates & Reports

When can I expect my payment after our debtor remits payment to you?

  • We pay clients once a month on the 15th for the prior months collection receipts. If you want to get paid sooner, simply request a manual check and we’ll remit funds to you immediately after verifying that funds have cleared the debtors bank.

How do I receive updates on our accounts placed with you for collection?

  • We keep you updated at every step along the way. Here is a typical scenario:
  1. Account confirmation emailed to you after receiving a new account for collections.
  2. Notice emailed to you that investigator contact is underway on your debtor.
  3. Phone call to you from our collection attorney or negotiator to obtain approval on a payment offer.
  4. Email payment notification after we have received payment on your account.
  5. Payment Detail Report via email along with your remittance check.
  6. If an account is un-collectible, you will receive a final report via email with our professional recommendation to either write-off to bad debts or pursue legally.

If we have left out a FAQ or you have any other questions please feel free to contact us by phone or email.