The Real First Forwarder Dedicated to Repossession Safety

“The only thing that I know, is that I know nothing.” Socrates

EDITORIAL

Last week I wrote an article proclaiming that American Recovery Service (ARS) was the first repossession forwarder to take “the Next Step in Dedication to Repossession Safety.” Well, that turned out to be outright wrong. Sometimes profound gestures done by the humble can be easily overlooked.

As previously written about, Credit Acceptance Corporation (CAC) was the first to take the bold move to do what they could to help prevent violent and often deadly confrontations during repossessions by agreeing to pay full, involuntary repossession fees to agents for leaving the scene of a repo to avoid the potential for violence or physical confrontations. I asked who would step up next only to find myself pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t a lender but a forwarder.

I congratulated their bold and noble move and inquired as to who would follow their lead and hoped to see another lender hollow their lead. I wasn’t expecting a forwarder. And that forwarder turned out to be American Recovery Service (ARS). But I was wrong.

While still awesome and very commendable, I was in error when I proclaimed them the first forwarder to make the gesture toward agent safety. A few days later I found a major national repossession forwarding company who made this policy decision back in August of 2023!

Unfortunately, I never got the memo.

On August 24, 2023, Resolvion sent the below memo.

Dear Agent Partners,

I trust this email finds you well. We would like to take a moment to revisit and reinforce the Breach of Peace protocol here at Resolvion. It is of utmost importance that, while conducting your services, your agency refrains from engaging in any activities that could potentially be interpreted as a “breach of peace.”

In the event that a situation arises where there is even a possibility of a breach of peace, we kindly request that your driver immediately disengages from the situation and safely drops the unit. This proactive step is essential in preventing any further escalation of the circumstances.

Furthermore, we kindly ask that you promptly provide a statement of facts to your dedicated vendor management team detailing the situation that occurred. Additionally, placing a note on the respective account would be greatly appreciated.

I want to emphasize that Resolvion is committed to supporting you in these instances. Should the decision be made to drop the unit due to the potential breach of peace, Resolvion will ensure that the repossession fee is honored.

Please remember that your safety is of paramount concern to us. If you have any inquiries, concerns, or require any clarifications regarding the Breach of Peace protocol, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to provide the necessary guidance and support.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and safety in all your operations.

Best regards,

Resolvion Vendor Management

VendorMgt@resolvion.com

Tel: 866-606-7007 X 578

As we’re all aware, 2023 was the deadliest year in the repossession industries history. By August 24^th, when this memo went out, stabbing shootings and armed encounters on repossession agents were on the rise and we had already seen two of the eventual seven agents killed that year. Resolvion was clearly reading the room.

Who knows how many agents’ lives were saved injury or death. It’s unmeasurable. You don’t know what you don’t know.

No car is worth getting killed over and I congratulate Resolvion for taking proactive changes in protocol in response evolving circumstances. I would be more surprised if it wasn’t them. There are some great people there.

Belated congratulations Resolvion for being the pioneer in recognizing the inherent dangers posed by the pressure of contingent repossession assignments. Your humility is the source of your oversight. But humility is a virtue.

You started something without even knowing it. Two forwarders and one lender. This will become the industry standard eventually. Who is next?

Kevin Armstrong

Publisher