FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28th 2014 –Allied Finance Adjusters announced at their Midyear meeting, their new and improved Member search functions. Lenders can now search by their debtors home or employment zip code and locate an AFA Bonded member’s physical office location within a 100 miles radius. The search results page show each AFA Member by miles to your debtors location. For those who prefer a more visual perspective use the AFA Interactive map by searching their debtors address and zooming in on the closest AFA Bonded member’s physical office location. This is an industry first brought to you by Allied Finance Adjusters!
The AFA website and printed membership directory only list its members by physical office locations. AFA Members cannot buy additional city or state listings if they do not have a physical presence. You can be assured if you send out an assignment to an AFA Member they have an inspected physical office location. With over 315 members nationwide Allied is truly the largest Not-For-Profit trade association to the repossession industry.
Wait, There’s More!
Go Green with AFA Compliance Document Checkmark System!
Allied Finance Adjusters has implemented a CFPB Compliance check mark system. Clients when searching the www.AFArepo.com website by their debtors zip code, the results page will not only display the closest member by miles but also show a series of Green check marks. Hovering over the green check marks indicates what specific CFPB Compliant document they uploaded. Clicking on the AFA Members Company name will bring you to their profile page where the documents are located. Here you can view, print and assign work directly to the member by simply clicking the “Send Assignment” button. Clients now have instant access to each member’s documents, no email, fax or phone request needed and a secure compliant portal to send assignments directly to the member, not a third party software. Not to worry all time limited documents are automatically removed from the system on the expiration date.
Allied Finance Adjusters believes it is up to the lien holder, based on their CFPB requirements, to decide which repossession companies are CFPB Compliant. As we all know there is no official industry standard at this time. What we can and did accomplish is streamlining the process of obtaining the documents that are generally required by lien holders.
Allied Finance Adjusters Service Stars!
On the search results page and on each members profile page, you may see a gold star. By hovering over the star you will see the members achievements within the association. Since Allied Finance Adjusters is a true Not-For-Profit trade association and 100% led by member volunteers we would like to recognize these member for their hard work and dedication that drives this association in a forward thinking direction.
Give it a test drive today! www.AFArepo.com
Mr. Christensen, The Allied Website Member Search Engine is the first and only national repossession trade association website to display the actual mileage from the debtor’s home or employment zip code to the Allied Members actual physical location zip code on its search results page which is an Industry first! Sorry to correct you, the Allied zip code search function was first built in 2007. In 2010 we added the actual mileage function that displays on the search results page. Last month we added the “Interactive Map Search Function” hence the press release. The most amazing part of the interactive map is you can switch it to satellite view, zoom in and see the members actual physical office location. Another industry first! You should take it for a test drive! http://www.AFArepo.com
“Truth in advertising” Allied members can only list their actual physical location and cannot advertise in other cities where they do not have a physical presence. , otherwise known in the industry as ghost or phantom offices. Again another industry first! Ghost offices gives the clients an illusion of more member offices for that association. The problem with that business model is when a lender chooses an agency that advertises in a specific location they expect the vehicle and the personal effects to be stored in that location, close to the debtor for possible redemption. Also when attempting to recover the collateral it may cause the lender to incur additional mileage charges. With Allied it is WYSIWYG! Allied is an open book, when we publish attendance numbers for our events the data is true and accurate. Other associations are stating on advertising materials and their websites they are the largest, well Allied is and has been for some time the “Largest National Trade Association to the Repossession Industry”, with over 315 members and physical locations nationwide (as of Nov 2014).
The statement you made ” what it doesn’t show is ALL repossessors, or who is the best one nearest their debtors location. IMHO” The fact is ALL of Allied members are listed and I feel IMHO it is up to the clients to decide who the best agency is, and from what trade association they feel most comfortable using to locate a repossession agency with an actual physical location. I would use the trade association that offers the most transparency and does not support ghost offices. When it comes to the “Truth in advertising” Allied Finance Adjusters has it hands down! Just say’n. Thank you for your comments. “Professionals only hire Professionals”
Allied Marketing Chairperson http://www.AFArepo.com
Dear Mhoganp, Sorry to correct you publicly but the Allied website zip code search function was first built in 2007. In 2010 we added the actual mileage function that displays on the search results page. Last month we added the “Interactive Map Search Function” hence the press release, and an industry first! We would like to thank you for joining the club last year. You should take it for a test drive at http://www.AFArepo.com
ARA’s Green light Program. Yes you are true and correct that ARA was the first trade to offer a compliance system on its website, congratulations on a job well done! Yes it would seem Allied’s compliance green check mark system is a close representation, but that is where the similarity ends. Allied’s Members Compliance system is very different. First, it is member driven, Allied’s members choose to upload their basic compliance documents to their Allied Member Profile page. Second, Allied members allow the clients instant accesses to those documents. Third, Allied understands there is no industry standard regarding compliance at this time and therefore impossible to claim that someone is “in compliance”. Allied does make the documents most clients need in order to evaluate compliance available instantly. Allied’s system allows the clients to review and choose what member they feel is compliant to their specific CFPB Compliance program. Another industry first!
On speaking of close representation…. Allied updated and released their new website look and feel back in December 2012. About 9 months or so later the ARA released their new updated website, looks like a close match to me! All in all mhoganp yes you are correct anyone trying to help the recovery industry should be applauded. I feel all the trades are doing great things for their members. Allied Finance Adjusters has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years and I am very proud to be a member. Thank you for your comments.
Allied Marketing Chairperson http://www.AFArepo.com
“The search results page show each AFA Member by miles to your debtors location.”
Congratulations, but AFA is not the first; and what it doesn’t show is ALL repossessors, or who is the best one nearest their debtors location. IMHO, what lenders are really waiting for as a “First” is some truth in advertising. However, let me give a little credit where credit is due…
The real message here for lenders and repossessors is, (regardless of which trade association member you choose from, ARA, AFA, TFA), the lending community needs to know the best way to assign repossession a work is to deal directly with the professional repossession agent who is actually going to make contact with your customer. Just say’n,
“This is an industry first brought to you by Allied Finance Adjusters!”
Thanks guys for joining the club, the ARA has had the ability for lenders to search by zip codes on our website for more than a year and I also think the green check mark system is a great representation of our green light program. The clients using the ARA’s website report back that they find this tool very useful.
Congratulations, anyone trying to help the recovery industry should be applauded and that can only be a good thing for all true professionals.