Companies hire business entities or debt collection/ mercantile agents to get back the payments that the outside parties owed to them. Most collection agencies or agencies act on behalf of the creditor and collect their debts for a fee or a certain percentage of the amount collected. There is a stringent rule prescribed by various countries to govern and maintain some integrity regarding such agents. Once the punishment of debtors prison were removed, creditors had no strong recourse against such defaulters and in cases where there were no collateral involved, this was the only way they could retrieve back their payments.