History of debt collection companies in Germany

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The history of debt collection companies in Germany begins after the first credit agencies were founded in the 19th century . Collection companies have been appearing independently on the market since the 1920s , although their activities were increasingly regulated in the 20th century . In the years after the turn of the millennium , there was liberalization , the framework of which was significantly readjusted a few years later.

From the beginning to the end of the First World War

Debt collection agencies have their origins in the credit bureaus. The first information offices in Germany came into being in the second half of the 19th century, based on the English and American models. The focus was on preventive credit protection and business reports, although the first debt collection departments have been dealing with the collection of overdue receivables since the turn of the century .

Around 1880, with the Association of Rhenish-Westphalian Legal Consulents, a professional interest group was founded, which was also active in other federal states from the turn of the century and was therefore renamed the Association of German Legal Consulents.

Collection services were originally subject to Section 35 Paragraph 1, 3 Clause 1, Paragraph 4 GewO ( RGBl. 1883 pp. 159, 161). Your activity had to be registered and to this extent a prohibition was possible , at least if the activity was unreliable . The appearance before higher courts , however, was by § 74 Abs. 1 ZPO (RGBl. 1877 S. 83, 96) and later by § 78 Abs. 1 ZPO (1898 S. 410th RGBl, 424) is not possible and before local courts was part of the court an exclusion possibility from the oral hearing through § 143 Abs. 2, 4 ZPO (RGBl. 1877 S. 83, 108), later through the change of Abs. 4 (RGBl. 1898 S. 256, 263) a permission as Process agent and later this possibility of exclusion referred to Section 157 Paragraph 2, 4 ZPO (RGBl. 1898 p. 410, 439).

From the Weimar Republic to the fall of the Third Reich

German Empire

Economically independent debt collection companies, as they appear on the market today, did not emerge until the 1920s. Whose main activity has been the recovery of enforceable claims.

After 1933, the Association of German Legal Advisors was brought into line and renamed the Reich Professional Group Legal Advisers in the German Right Front .

From 1934 onwards, non-lawyers / litigation agents are no longer able to represent them on a business basis in the oral hearing due to the new version of Section 157 ZPO, specifically Paragraphs 1, 3 (RGBl. 1933 I pp. 522, 523). In accordance with the amended Section 35 Paragraph 3 Clause 1 GewO i. V. m. Art. 1, Paragraph 1, Paragraph 1 of the RBerMG (RGBl. 1935 I p. 1478 ff.) From 1935/36 a license is required if no permission as a litigation agent in accordance with Art. 1935 I pp. 1478, 1481) was available. From 1938 onwards, the business-like purchase of receivables was also subject to the aforementioned license obligation according to Section 1, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, 5th AVO RBerMG (RGBl. 1938 I p. 359).

Saar area

For the with into force of the kick Versailles Treaty in trust management by the League of Nations standing Saar , 50 Appendix 1 VV was in 1920 by Art. 49 § 23 para. (RGBl. 1919 S. 687, 788) determines that the existing laws and Regulations continue to apply.

With the return of the Saar region to the German Reich in 1935, the date of reintegration was determined in accordance with Art. 2 § 1 Clause 1 No. 1 of the ordinance on civil litigation and foreclosure in Saarland (RGBl. 1935 I p. 248), that the exclusion of non-lawyers / litigation agents as business legal representatives from the hearing will come into force in 1935 with a seven-month transition period.

From the end of the war to reunification

FRG

After the end of the war, the Reichsberufsgruppe Rechtsbeistände in the German Right Front was renamed several times. Initially in the Association of Legal Advisers , a little later in the Bundesverband der Rechtsbeistände e. V. and finally in Bundesverband Deutscher Rechtsbeistände e. V. ( BDR )

In 1956, the Federal Association of German Debt Collection Companies and Credit Bureaus e. V. founded an industry association for credit agencies and debt collection companies, in 1958 the RBerMG was included under the new name RBerG in the collection of federal law ( Federal Law Gazette  III pp. 303-312) and with the partially comprehensive changes to the GewO, which were decided in 1960, did not apply in § 35 the reference to the RBer (M) G (the paragraph has been fundamentally changed), however, the change in § 6 paragraph 1 in sentence 1 stipulates that the essential parts of the GewO for legal advisers no longer apply ( BGBl. 1960 I No. 6 ).

The Federal Association of German Debt Collection Companies and Credit Agencies e. V. concentrated its association activities from 1966 on the debt collection company, and subsequently called itself Bundesverband Deutscher Inkasso-Unternehmen e. V. ( BDIU ). The main activity of the debt collection agency has shifted over time to the extrajudicial collection of commercially warned, but not yet titled, claims.

From 1980 the profession of legal counsel has been closed, so that new concessions conform to the regulation of the with the sentences 2, 3 supplemented Art. 1 § 1 Abs. 1 RBerG ( BGBl. 1980 I S. 1503, 1507 ) exclusively and only for the out-of-court representation as well as in some areas are awarded, which limits the range of services accordingly. The permits issued up to then are subject to grandfathering . From now on, previous full license holders can also represent the court in the oral hearing in accordance with the amendments to Section 157 Paragraph 1 Clause 1, Paragraph 2 Clause 1 ZPO and the new version of Section 209 BRAO (Federal Law Gazette 1980 I p . 1503, 1507). In terms of fees, there is an equality according to the new version of Art. IX KostÄndG (Federal Law Gazette 1980 I p. 1503, 1506) takes place between lawyer and legal adviser , which, however, according to paragraph 2 expressly does not apply to debt collection companies.

Saarland

According to the Saarland Constitution, which came into force in 1947 , Art. 132 SVerf ( OJ  1947 p. 1077, 1092) stipulates that the previous laws and ordinances remain in force, unless French law was in force.

With the declaration of accession of the Saarland in accordance with the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany in 1956 (OJ 1957 p. 1645), accession in 1957 according to § 1 Paragraph 1 Clause 1 and Paragraph 2 Clause 1, § 20 SaarEinglG ( Federal Law Gazette 1956 I P. 1011 ) completed. According to Section 3, it was determined that Saarland law continues to apply as long as it does not contradict the Basic Law. With the end of the transition period, federal law has also been in effect in Saarland since 1959 in accordance with Section 1 of the Law on the Introduction of Federal Law in Saarland ( Federal Law Gazette 1959 I p. 313 ).

GDR

At the beginning of the 1950s , the GDR Ministry of Justice decided not to grant any new concessions. In 1953 it was granted to the previous license holders in accordance with Section 4 (2) i. V. m. 3 Para. 2 Clause 1, 2 of the model status for the colleges of lawyers (Annex to the Ordinance on the Formation of Colleges of Lawyers; Journal of Laws of 1953, I p. 725) makes it possible to join the newly created lawyers' colleges and thus to become one Attorney to take. Almost all legal advisers use this, so that the number of those who remained was reduced to less than 200.

In 1968, a separate offense outside of the RBMG was created by Section 11, Paragraph 1 of the Ordinance on Administrative Offenses (Journal of Laws of 1968 II, p. 359), which provided for appropriate regulatory means for business legal advice without permission . In 1984, this regulation was relaxed, in which the focus was on commercial legal advice against payment (Journal of Laws of 1984 I p. 173).

After the fall of the Berlin Wall , the West German licensees were allowed to work in the GDR in accordance with Section 2 of the Ordinance on Activities in the German Democratic Republic (GBl. 1990 I p. 1261) . With the entry into force of Annex I, Chapter III, Subject A, Section III, No. 8a EVertrG (Journal of Laws 1990 I p. 1627 and Federal Law Gazette 1990 II, p. 885, 931 ), only the RBerG applied in the acceding area . At the time of reunification, there were only seven legal advisers left in the new federal states.

Current situation

The focus of activities has shifted further, so that debt collection companies are now primarily collecting directly from the due date.

The Federal Administrative Court ruled in 2003 that Section 1 Paragraph 1 Clause 1 5th AVO RBerG (j) , which made the purchase of receivables subject to the concession obligation according to Article 1 Paragraph 1 Paragraph 1 RBerG (h) , was no longer applicable (BVerwG, Judgment of July 16, 2003 - 6 C 27.02 ; VG Lüneburg).

In 2008 the RBerG was replaced by the RDG and the legal advice right was reorganized in essential parts ( Federal Law Gazette 2008 I p. 2829, 2840 ). Collection services according to Section 2 Paragraph 2 Clause 1 RDG now require registration in accordance with Section 10 Paragraph 1 No. 1 RDG and are therefore still subject to a license. The purchase of receivables is still not a collection service and does not require registration. Previous license holders were registered after submitting their permit according to § 1 Paragraph 1 RDGEG.

Comprehensive liberalization took place with the new regulation . According to Section 79 (2) No. 4 of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO), the debt collection service provider can, as an authorized representative, carry out the judicial dunning procedure up to the point of submission to the court of dispute and, in the case of titled monetary claims, make the enforcement applications on the debtor's movable property . In addition, in insolvency proceedings there is the registration of claims and representation at the examination date according to Section 174 (1) sentence 3 and Section 305 (4) sentence 2 InsO .

Regarding the reimbursement of the service provider's remuneration by the debtor, regulations pursuant to Section 4 (4) RDGEG were issued for the dunning and enforcement proceedings. The ability to reimburse the collection fee in the dunning procedure is based on Section 91 (1) ZPO, with a cap of 25 euros. For the foreclosure procedure, the refundability is based on § 788 ZPO.

With the new legal term “legal service provider” introduced by the RDG, the BDR also changed its name to the Bundesverband Deutscher Rechtsbeistände / Legal Service Provider e. V. (BDR).

In 2010 the Federal Association for Collection and Receivables Management e. V. ( BFIF ) another industry association.

In 2013, in accordance with § 13a and § 20 RDG ( law against dubious business practices. From October 1, 2013 ), the supervisory measures were specified and the regulations on fines tightened.

At the same time, the reimbursement of the costs incurred for out-of-court debt collection services for non-titled claims has been capped by § 4 (5) RDGEG to the amount of the lawyers' fees according to the RVG . The Ministry of Justice is empowered by a statutory ordinance - although it has not yet been passed - to set maximum rates that are to be reimbursed by consumers .

Since 2014, debt collection companies have been obliged to provide comprehensive information in accordance with Section 11a RDG (Federal Law Gazette 2013 I p. 3713, 3714) when providing collection services aimed at consumers .

Remarks

  1. ↑ Paragraph 1: The giving of dance, gymnastics and swimming lessons as a trade, as well as the operation of bathing establishments is to be forbidden if there are facts which show the unreliability of the trader in relation to this trade.
    Paragraph 3 sentence 1: The same applies to the commercial handling of third-party legal matters and business to be carried out with authorities, in particular the drafting of the related written articles, the business of commercial brokerage agents for real estate contracts, loans and marriages, the business of a servant tenant and a job broker , as well as from the business of an auctioneer.
    Para. 4: Persons who start the trades described in this paragraph must notify the competent authority of this when their business is opened.
  2. ↑ a b Paragraph 1: Before the regional courts and before all courts of higher instance, the parties must be represented by an attorney who is authorized by the trial court (lawyer process).
  3. ↑ a b para. 2: The court can reject authorized representatives and advisers who conduct the oral negotiations before the court on a business basis.
  4. ↑ Paragraph 4: The provisions of this section do not apply to lawyers.
  5. ↑ a b Paragraph 4 (new version): The provisions of Paragraphs 1 and 2 apply to lawyers, the provision of Paragraph 2 applies to persons who are permitted to hear before a court by an order issued by the judicial administration , no use.
  6. ↑ Paragraph 1: With the exception of lawyers, persons who deal with third-party legal matters in court are excluded as agents and advisors in the oral hearing. They are also excluded if they assert a claim assigned to them as a party and, in the opinion of the court, the claim has been assigned in order to avoid their exclusion from the oral hearing.
    Paragraph 3: The provision of Paragraph 1 does not apply to persons who are permitted to negotiate in court by order of the administration of justice. In making its resolution, the judicial administration should take into account both the suitability of the person and whether there is a need for admission in view of the number of lawyers admitted to the court.
  7. ↑ Para. 3 Clause 1: The same applies - unless otherwise stipulated in the Law for the Prevention of Abuses in the Field of Legal Advice of December 13, 1935 (Reichsgesetzbl. I p. 1478) or in other regulations under Reich law - of the commercial Handling of foreign legal matters and business to be carried out with authorities, in particular the preparation of the related written articles, business of commercial brokerage agents for real estate contracts, loans and marriages, business of a servant landlord and a job broker, as well as business of an auctioneer.
  8. ↑ Paragraph 1: The handling of third-party legal matters, including legal advice and the collection of third-party claims or claims assigned for collection purposes, may only be carried out on a business basis - regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time, or paid and unpaid - by persons who are responsible for this Authority permission is granted.
  9. ↑ Sentence 1 No. 2, 3: This law does not affect:
    2. the professional activities of notaries and other persons who exercise a public office, as well as lawyers, administrative lawyers and patent attorneys;
    3. the professional activity of the litigation agents (Section 157 (2) of the Code of Civil Procedure);
  10. ↑ Paragraph 1 Clause 1: The license according to Article 1 § 1 of the Act is also required for the commercial acquisition of claims for the purpose of collection on one's own account.
  11. ↑ Paragraph 1: French Les lois et règlements en vigueur sur le territoire du Bassin de la Sarre on November 11, 1918 (réserve faite des dispositions édictées en vue de l'état de guerre) continueront à y être applicables. "The laws and ordinances that were in force in the Saar Basin area on November 11, 1918 remain in force (apart from the provisions made with regard to the state of war)."
  12. ↑ § 1 Clause 1 No. 1: On March 1, 1935,
    the Code of Civil Procedure (Reichsgesetzbl. 1933 I p. 821, 1020; 1934 I p. 1070) and
    the announcement to discharge the courts (Reichsgesetzbl. 1924 I p. 522, 722; 1925 I p. 88; 1931 I p. 564)
    in the version applicable in the rest of the Reich with the following stipulations in force:
    1. On the admission and rejection of authorized representatives and advisers who conduct oral negotiations in court on a business basis, the local courts decide until September 30, 1935 in accordance with Section 157 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Reichsgesetzbl. 1934 I p. 437).
  13. ↑ Paragraph 1 Clause 1: With the exception of Sections 24 to 24d, this Act does not apply to fishing, the establishment and relocation of pharmacies, the upbringing of children for a fee, education, the activities of lawyers and notaries, legal advisers, auditors and auditing companies, sworn accountants and auditing companies, tax advisors and tax consultancy companies as well as helpers in tax matters, on the business operations of emigration entrepreneurs and emigration agents and railway companies, the authority to hold public ferries, the sea pilotage and the legal relationships of the captains and of the crew members on the seagoing vessels.
  14. ↑ Para. 1 Clause 2, 3: The handling of third-party legal matters, including legal advice and the collection of third-party claims or claims assigned for collection purposes, may only be carried out on a business basis - without a distinction between full-time and part-time or paid and unpaid activity - only by persons to whom permission has been given by the competent authority. Permission is granted for one subject area:
    1. Pension advisors,
    2. Freight auditors for checking freight invoices and pursuing the resulting freight reimbursement claims,
    3. Sworn auctioneers, insofar as it is necessary for the performance of the auctioneer's duties,
    4. Collection agents for the extrajudicial collection of claims (debt collection agencies),
    5. Legal experts in a foreign law for obtaining legal advice in the field of this law and the law of the European Communities.
    It may only be exercised under the professional title corresponding to the permit.
  15. ↑ Paragraph 1 Clause 1: With the exception of the members of a bar association, persons who deal with third-party legal matters in court are excluded from the oral hearing as agents and advisors.
    Paragraph 2, sentence 1: The court can prohibit parties, authorized representatives and advisers who are not members of a bar association from making further presentations if they lack the ability to make a suitable presentation.
  16. ↑ § 209: Chamber membership of other persons
    Natural persons who are in possession of an unrestricted or with the exception of only social or social security law license to obtain legal services on a commercial basis are to be admitted to the bar association responsible for their place of business upon application. The second part applies mutatis mutandis to the decision on the application, the legal status after admission to the bar, and the revocation or expiry of the license, with the exception of Sections 4 to 6, 12 and 18 to 36, the third, fourth, sixth and seventh and parts tenth to twelfth of this law.
  17. ↑ a b Paragraph 1: The federal fee schedule for lawyers applies accordingly to the remuneration of persons who have been given permission to handle third-party legal matters. An agreement by which the amount of the remuneration is made dependent on the outcome of the matter or otherwise on the success of the activity is void. For the reimbursement of the remuneration, the provisions of the rules of procedure on the reimbursement of the remuneration of a lawyer apply accordingly.
    Paragraph 2: Paragraph 1 sentences 1 and 2 do not apply to freight auditors and collection agencies.
  18. ↑ Art. 132: All previous laws and ordinances that require adaptation to the principles of this constitution remain in force until then.
  19. ↑ In execution of the will of the population expressed in the referendum of October 23, 1955 and after taking note of the treaty signed on October 27, 1956 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic to regulate the Saar question, the Saarland state parliament declares the accession of the Saarland in accordance with Article 23 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.
  20. ↑ Paragraph 1 Clause 1: The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany will also apply in Saarland from the date this law comes into force.
    Paragraph 2 sentence 1: With the entry into force of this law, Saarland becomes a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.
    Section 20: This law comes into force on January 1, 1957.
  21. ↑ § 3: The law applicable in Saarland continues to apply, provided it does not contradict the Basic Law.
  22. ↑ Paragraph 1: At the end of the transition period under Article 3 of the Saar Treaty of October 27, 1956 (Federal Law Gazette II, p. 1587), unless otherwise specified, the federal law applicable in the entire rest of Germany comes into force in the Saarland.
    Paragraph 2: The federal law set for the Saarland during the transition period and the special regulations at the end of the transition period remain unaffected.
    Paragraph 3: Conflicting law expires.
  23. ↑ According to Section 4 (2), admission as a lawyer was associated with admission to the college of lawyers.
    According to § 3 Paragraph 2 Clause 1, the prerequisite for membership in the College of Lawyers was the possession of a degree in legal training.
    According to Section 3 (2), sentence 2, there was an exception for those who had practical experience in the context of a legal activity.
  24. ↑ Paragraph 1: Anyone who deliberately, without being in possession of the state permit, deals with third-party legal matters in a commercial manner, can be subject to reprimand or a fine of 10 to 300 M.
  25. ↑ Paragraph 1: Anyone who deliberately, without being in possession of the state permit, takes care of foreign legal matters for a fee, can be subject to reprimand or a fine of up to 500 marks.
  26. ↑ Paragraph 1: License holders under the Legal Advice Act of the Federal Republic of Germany can work in the German Democratic Republic if they maintain or open an office in the German Democratic Republic.
    Paragraph 2: The activity of license holders under the Legal Advice Act of the Federal Republic of Germany in the German Democratic Republic requires the approval of the Minister of Justice.
  27. ↑ Section III: Federal law comes into force, unless a different area of ​​application results from the following provisions and subject to the special regulations for the State of Berlin in Section IV, in the area named in Article 3 of the contract with the following provisions:
    No. 8a: Legal Advice Act in the revised version published in the Federal Law Gazette Part III, structure number 303-12, last amended by Article 3 of the law of December 13, 1989 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 2135), with the following provisions:
    a) Persons who on the day of the coming into force of Upon joining, they may carry out an activity that requires a permit under the Legal Advice Act without having the required permit, may continue issued orders for the following six months, provided that they apply for a permit within two weeks of the entry into force. New orders may not be accepted.
    b) Insofar as the statutory ordinances issued for the implementation of the Legal Advice Act provide for the jurisdiction of the President of the Regional Court or the District Court, the director of the District Court at the seat of the district court in whose district the legal agency is to be exercised or is being exercised is responsible for these tasks. If the place belongs to the district of a district court whose director is equal to the president of a district court, the director of this district court decides.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Timo Raffael Beck: Debt collection companies and the success of debt collection . With a foreword by Prof. Dr. Werner Neus. 1st edition. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden 2014, ISBN 978-3-658-05465-6 , 2.3.1 Historical development, p. 23 ff ., Doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-658-05466-3 ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed November 30, 2016]).
  2. ↑ Waldemar Koch : The installment business . Julius Springer publishing house , Berlin 1931, ISBN 978-3-642-91816-2 , 6th auxiliary equipment, p. 118–138 , doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-642-91816-2 , urn : nbn: de: 1111-201201063095 ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed November 25, 2016]).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i history. In: inkasso.de. BDIU, accessed on November 25, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b c d Thomas Weber: The order of legal advice in Germany after 1945 (=  Thomas Duve , Hans-Peter Haferkamp , Joachim Rückert and Christoph Schönberger [Hrsg.]: Contributions to the legal history of the 20th century . No. 64 ). 1st edition. Mohr Siebeck , 2010, ISBN 978-3-16-150378-8 , ISSN  0934-0955 , p. 99 ( full text in Google Book Search [accessed December 14, 2016]). About us. In: rechtsbeistand.de. BDR, accessed December 14, 2016 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Wolf Bernhard von Schweinitz: Legal advice from lawyers and non-lawyers, in particular from auditors (=  publications on commercial law . No. 16 ). Duncker & Humblot , Berlin 1975, ISBN 3-428-03270-5 , pp. 32 ff . ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed November 27, 2016]).
  6. ↑ a b c Legal Advice Act (RBerG). (PDF; 172 kB) Fifth ordinance for the implementation of the Legal Advice Act. In: rechtsbeistand.de. BDR, p. 12 , accessed on December 2, 2016 .
  7. ↑ Frank G. Becker: "Deutsch die Saar, immerdar!": The Saar Propaganda of the Federation of Saar Associations: 1919–1935 (=  publications of the Commission for Saarland State History and Folk Research . No. No. 40 ). Commission for Saarland State History e. V. , Saarbrücken 2007, ISBN 978-3-939150-01-5 , pp. 61 ff . ( Full text [PDF; 14.8 MB ; accessed on December 11, 2016]).
  8. ↑ Thomas Clement: Law on the provisional administration of the Saarland of January 30, 1935. In: verfassungen.de. Thomas Clement, April 15, 2004, accessed on December 11, 2016 (The ordinance refers to Section 7 Paragraph 1 Clause 1 Letters a – c, Clause 2 of the Act).
  9. ↑ a b Simone Rücker: Legal advice (= Thomas Duve, Hans-Peter Haferkamp, ​​Joachim Rückert and Christoph Schönberger [eds.]: Contributions to the legal history of the 20th century . No. 54 ). 1st edition. Mohr Siebeck, 2007, ISBN 978-3-16-149339-3 , ISSN  0934-0955 , p. 480 ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed December 1, 2016]).
  10. ↑ a b c Stefan Graumann: Legal advice in transition . Diplomica Verlag , Hamburg 2004, ISBN 978-3-8324-8366-1 , 2.1 History of the Legal Advice Act, p. 3 ff . ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed December 1, 2016]). Hubert Rottleuthner in collaboration with Alexander Klose: On the further development of the RBerG after 1945. (PDF; 120 kB) In: Rechtsberatungsgesetz.info. Free University of Berlin , August 27, 2004, archived from the original on May 7, 2006 ; accessed on December 1, 2016 .
  11. ^ A b Hans Dieter Baier: Legal adjustment in the Saarland. In: archiv.jura.uni-saarland.de. Legal internet project Saarbrücken , accessed on December 13, 2016 .
  12. ↑ a b c Thomas Weber: The order of legal advice in Germany after 1945 (= Thomas Duve, Hans-Peter Haferkamp, ​​Joachim Rückert and Christoph Schönberger [eds.]: Contributions to the legal history of the 20th century . No. 64 ). 1st edition. Mohr Siebeck, 2010, ISBN 978-3-16-150378-8 , ISSN  0934-0955 , p. 7 u. 8 ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed December 7, 2016]). Hiroki Kawamura: The history of legal advice assistance in Germany (= Huber Rottleuthner [Hrsg.]: Series of publications on justice research and legal sociology . No.
     10 ). 1st edition. BWV , Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-8305-3397-9 , II. The regulations against the abuse of legal advice in the Soviet Zone and in the GDR, p. 353 ff . ( Limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed December 7, 2016]).
  13. ↑ Welcome to the Bundesverband BFIF e. V. In: bfif.de. BFIF, accessed on December 14, 2016 : "The Federal Association for Debt Collection and Receivables Management eV (BFIF eV) was founded in April 2010."
  14. ↑ a b c Dieter Zimmermann: Information on the law against dubious business practices. (PDF; 104 kB) In: infodienst-schuldnerberatung.de. Caritas Freiburg, Diakonie Baden, Diakonie Württemberg , Zentrale Schuldnerberatung Stuttgart, October 2013, accessed on December 14, 2016 .