According to a ruling made on Wednesday, April 11th, 2021 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, debt collectors who use a third-party vendor to process debt collection letters violate Section 1692c(b) of the FDCPA. It was held that transmitting this private data to outsourced mail houses that prepare demand letters “in connection with the collection of any debt” violates the law.
Despite the Eleventh Circuit ruling being binding only in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, it sets a clear precedent as a “first impression” case as the first court to directly address this question of consumer privacy. This opinion by a federal appeals court was published, making it citable for most future cases.
Broader Impact on Law Firms
In many instances, the ripple effect of this ruling will reach far beyond debt collectors and extend to any organization that collects consumer debt. If your law firm uses a mailroom services vendor to prepare and send any correspondence to clients to collect debts or overdue payments, you may encounter the same fate as official debt collectors in forthcoming rulings.
How to Prepare: Acquiring In-House Mailing Equipment
To ensure your law firm is prepared to tackle mailing this and other confidential or private information through an in-house mailroom, you must first have the right tools in place. When it comes to the hardware needed to process your mail, there are specific, high-quality devices designed to handle all of your mailing needs. From postage meters to print the appropriate postage directly onto your letters and envelopes to folder/inserter machines that do the manual labor for you to cut back on payroll expenses, mailing equipment offerings are available to small law practices and large firms alike. Competitive leasing options that include maintenance plans are also available to ensure that this new equipment matches both your needs and your budget while keeping your mailroom workflows moving forward.
As Houston’s largest independent mailing equipment dealer, On Demand can help your firm acquire the right mailroom equipment to fit your mailing requirements. Contact us today to make sure you’re prepared for the fallout of this ruling.