$1m in late video fines

By Sean Inguanzo
CASEY video stores are tipped to install webcams in a bid to combat late-return fee debt that stands at almost $1 million.
Debt collection agency Legal and Commercial Recoveries this week said it had taken just 5994 Casey residents to rack up $940,819 in late-return fee debts in the past 10 years.
Current figures on the National Default Registry show there are 3033 residents still on the registry who collectively owe more than $490,000.
The National Default Registry contains names and details of video store customers who fail to pay late-return fees.
Legal and Commercial Recoveries managing director Andrew Wall said the database was used by video stores to prevent customers who owed money at one store from signing up and creating more debt at another.
Beginning this year, the company is beginning a rollout of webcams to stores who sign a deal to access the National Default Registry.
Mr Wall said webcams would revolutionise the industry by taking a snapshot, with consent, of each member when transactions are made, to help quash the often used argument ‘it wasn’t me, it was someone else’.
Mr Wall said the webcams would function like a third umpire in cricket. The company would send a snapshot of the customer along with a debt letter in order to prove they made the transaction that led to a late fee.
“What people don’t realise is, for the poor guy running the video shop, it’s his livelihood,” he said.
Mr Wall said people returned videos late because they felt it was ‘only a video’.
“But we liken the story to be no different to renting a motor vehicle for three days and returning it after 14 days,” he said.
“You would expect to pay 11 days additional rental on the vehicle if returned 11 days late and there is absolutely no difference whatsoever between renting a video and motor vehicle.”