How to handle an objection
When the debtor says no, it is no longer a collection case — it is a dispute, and it has to be handled differently.
You know when an objection is genuine, what to do straight away — and when the case has to be brought as court proceedings.
Step by step
- 01
Stop the process immediately
No further reminder may be sent on top of a dispute. It is not merely poor form — it weakens your case and can be contrary to proper debt collection practice (god inkassoskik). The first move is to press pause, not to press harder.
This is where it goes wrongA case with a genuine objection cannot be run through the simplified debt collection procedure. Press on regardless and you waste time and money — and the bailiff's court will send you home.
- 02
Establish whether the objection is genuine
"I simply do not have the money" is not an objection — it is a lack of ability to pay. "The goods were defective", "I never ordered it" or "we agreed a different price" ARE objections, and they have to be dealt with.
- 03
Put the documentation on the table
Order, agreement, confirmation of delivery, correspondence. Most objections fall away once the paperwork is on the table — and the ones that do not should never have been sent to collection in the first place.
- 04
Reply in writing, and reply specifically
Address the objection point by point. A standard reply that does not engage with what the debtor actually wrote is petrol on the fire — and it will be read aloud in court.
- 05
Decide whether the case is to be pursued
If the objection does not hold, the claim is taken onward as ordinary court proceedings. If it holds in whole or in part, it is cheaper to settle now than to be proved right eighteen months from now.
This is where it most often goes wrong
Not because anyone is careless, but because the mistakes are easy to make and only surface once it is too late.
You ignore the objection and carry on with reminders
It is the most expensive reaction there is. The case does not become stronger from more letters — it only becomes harder to win.
You treat an inability to pay as an objection
"I cannot pay" is not a dispute. It is an instalment plan or a case for monitoring, and the process should continue — simply on a different track.
You settle without putting it in writing
A settlement that is not in writing is a fresh dispute six months from now. Set down the amount, the payment date — and what happens if it is not honoured.