Week by week: what a debt collection agency does
| When | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Free consultation: we read the invoice, proof of delivery and the buyer’s messages | Send documents on WhatsApp or email |
| Day 1 | Your advocate sends the legal notice as an e-notice and by registered post (within 24 hours) | Nothing |
| Weeks 1–2 | The buyer replies; the advocate negotiates full payment or a dated plan | Approve or reject the offer |
| Weeks 2–8 | Settlement signed, backed by post-dated cheques or an e-mandate; payments start | Confirm money received |
| If ignored | MSME Samadhaan before the West Bengal Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, Section 138 or a summary suit in Kolkata | Sign the filing; your advocate appears |
Times are typical, not promised; the free consultation gives a realistic estimate for your buyer.
What a debt collection agency may and may not do
A lawful agency demands payment in writing, calls the buyer’s business at reasonable times, negotiates and takes the dispute to a court or Council. It may not threaten, abuse, contact the buyer’s family, or misstate the law. Pressure tactics hand the buyer a defence and can expose you to a complaint, so FundRaksha works only through notices, negotiation and filings by advocates.
Recovering B2B dues in Kolkata: what is specific here
Kolkata’s trade in Burrabazar, Posta and Howrah still runs on relationships and post-dated cheques, so Section 138 and old-fashioned negotiation both matter. Jute mills, foundries and engineering units supply across eastern India and Bangladesh, and distributors here often carry dues for FMCG brands with slow reconciliation.
Main industries: jute and textiles, tea trading, engineering and foundry, leather and FMCG distribution.
Courts: Metropolitan Magistrate courts at Bankshall Court, Calcutta, and Alipore for Section 138; City Civil Court and the Calcutta High Court Commercial Division for recovery suits.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Kolkata file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the West Bengal Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Directorate of MSME, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Kolkata supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
What it costs
Nothing upfront and no retainer. The fee is 30% of what is actually recovered; if nothing is recovered, you pay nothing. Court fees, if a case is filed, are paid by you at actuals and told to you first. Work out your numbers with the recovery fee calculator.