Snitching vs. Standing on Principle: Calling Out Bad Actors in the Repossession Industry

“This industry has standards. If you can’t meet them, you don’t belong here.”

GUEST EDITORIAL

I came up street smart. And anyone who grew up that way knows there’s a heavy stigma attached to being a “snitch” or a “tattletale.” Where I come from, you handle your own business. You don’t run your mouth. And you don’t call authorities over petty nonsense.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth we need to address as an industry:

There is a massive difference between snitching—and protecting the integrity of our profession.

Snitching Is Personal. Accountability Is Professional.

Snitching is about self-preservation, personal beef, or trying to gain advantage by throwing someone under the bus. Calling out bad actors is something else entirely. It’s about: public safety, consumer rights, lender trust and industry survival

When someone cuts corners, falsifies paperwork, violates the peace, lies to lenders, or repeatedly puts the industry in a bad light, that’s not “their business” anymore. That behavior impacts all of us. Every bad headline, every viral video and every lawsuit. Those things don’t just hurt the offender, they raise scrutiny, regulation, and pressure on everyone else doing it the right way.

Silence Is Not Neutral

There’s a myth that staying quiet makes you loyal, it doesn’t.

Silence allows bad actors to:

Underbid ethical operators
Burn lenders and forwarders
Create legal exposure for clients
Normalize sloppy or dangerous behavior

At some point, silence becomes complicity. Professional accountability is not betrayal. It’s stewardship. If we want to be treated like professionals instead of cowboys, we have to start policing our own house.

Integrity Is the Cost of Entry

This industry already operates under a microscope. Law enforcement, regulators, lenders, attorneys, and the public are watching. We don’t get the luxury of pretending bad behavior doesn’t exist. Calling out bad actors—through proper reporting channels, documentation, and professional processes—is not about ego or revenge.

It’s about drawing a hard line that says:

“This industry has standards. If you can’t meet them, you don’t belong here.”

That’s not street soft. That’s street-smart.

A Message to Lien holders Forwarders: Choose Your Vendors Better

This responsibility doesn’t just fall on agents. Clients play a massive role in shaping industry behavior.

One practical approach is what I call the A, B, and C Method, this method is something I use with employees:

A Vendors
These are your gold standard. They do things the right way, communicate proactively, document properly, and go the extra mile when needed.
B Vendors
Solid and reliable. They meet requirements, follow instructions, and get the job done without drama.
C Vendors
These are the time sinks. You chase them for updates. They don’t answer the phone. Paperwork is late or incomplete. Excuses are constant.

Here’s the hard truth: C vendors cost you more than they make you.

They create risk, waste time, frustrate clients, and expose you to liability. Clients need to stop tolerating C vendors just because they’re cheap or familiar. Drop them. Invest more time and trust in your A and B vendors. Hold them accountable—and reward them for professionalism.

Raising the Bar Isn’t Snitching—It’s Leadership

If we want better margins, better relationships with lenders, fewer lawsuits, and a stronger public image, we have to stop confusing loyalty with silence. Calling out bad actors is not about tearing people down. It’s about protecting those who do it right.

That’s not snitching, That’s leadership.

Dominic Clegg

Executive Vice President

Benchmark Asset Resolution, inc.