Loans and Debt Collection

Customer Information about the Debt Collection Service

In the last three years, over 4,000 items have been borrowed and have not been returned to the City of Joondalup’s libraries.  Not only has this cost the City over $60,000 it has, more importantly, meant that there are less resources available for people to borrow.

As a courtesy, the City of Joondalup provides the following reminders to borrowers for when items are due for return:

• To assist in the timely return of library items a date due slip is issued at the time an item is borrowed.
• Customers who have registered an email address with the Libraries receive an email notice three days before the due date to remind them to renew or return the item.
• Customers who receive email notices are notified by email the day the item becomes overdue.
• Three days after the item was due back, a printed notice is generated and posted to the home address provided to the Libraries by the customer.
• Twenty eight days after the due date an invoice will be posted.  The invoice also includes the information that if the item is not returned or the outstanding amount paid, then the account will be passed to a collection agency.
• Twenty eight days after issue of the invoice, i.e. 56 days after the due date, the account is referred to the debt collector whereby an additional fee is applied to cover the costs of the debt collection.
• The debt collector will then send a letter to the customer requesting the return of overdue items and the payment of outstanding charges.

Should any items be located by the customer after payment of the account within two years of payment, they will be entitled to a refund, less the debt collector’s retrieval fee.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to protect the customer’s privacy, no details of the overdue items are sent to the debt collector.