The Three Types of Skips

Greetings from the great State of Alabama! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

2013 is here and for many of us it brings great excitement I am going to start my year off with the basics and with skip-tracing it always starts with what type of skip am I looking at? With my travels all across this nation I have a unique opportunity to work with and train people from every walk of life—from the auto finance industry, to the bail bondsman, to the recovery agent. No matter their line of work, the most common question I am asked is: “When should we start working a skip?” How far past-due should someone be before we start skipping them?

The answer may surprise you: “At the point of sale.” Early recognition at the beginning will save you in the end. Asking the right questions so that your file is equipped with the right information up front lays the foundation for getting what you need later on.

Because I am no longer competing within the industry, I can now afford to share some of my hard-won knowledge on skip-tracing and what has brought me success.

Allow me to explain how I have used my experiences to develop a method to be able to recognize and respond to skips with a level of accuracy and success, that will not only aid you in your pursuit, but will also bring you insight into the universal truths of human nature. Understanding human nature is my science, and knowing how to use that understanding is my profession.

Forming the Methodology

Several years ago I was watching a movie (my favorite past-time) about the first group of FBI Profilers, and how they studied and caught criminals. As I watched the pros work, I was curious if this method of profiling could be applied to my world. So I decided to profile and categorize the various types of skips, and from there, I knew that I could form the appropriate response for each skip type.

That is how I developed “The Three Types of Skips”. Over the next several years I was able to prove the functionality of my theory, because I was able to successfully fit each and every skip that I worked into one of these categories. The theory here is that once you know what type of skip you are looking for, you can immediately know what direction to take your investigation without wasting time on leads that don’t fit the profile.

Three Types of Skips Defined

Out of Pocket:

This skip can sometimes be difficult to locate, but they usually are not intentionally hiding. He / She might have had to relocate to a new area for a job, marriage, divorce, etc. They had to use all of their available cash on hand for the relocate. Once this skip is located they are surprised anyone was looking for them.

Intentional Skip:

This skip knows you are looking for them, and will go to any length to hide from you. They tend to remain in the same local area, and family and friends are helping them to hide. They are almost always hiding from something other than you: an ex-spouse, law enforcement, or child support are common motivations for them to hide. Determine the reason for fleeing, and you will find the skip.

Fraud Account:

This is by far the most challenging skip. They never had any intension of paying their debt from the inception. All information on the credit application is false, and your trail will have long since gone cold. Most commonly, only three or less payments have been made on this type of loan. The most well-known fraud group is the Gypsies/Travelers. Feel free to contact me for more information about this group.

Until Next Time…. Follow me down the path to better skip-tracing!