Physical Danger
Ever been shot at or punched in the face? No? Well, get used the possibility.
This job is dangerous, and there's no sugarcoating this fact. If you're not willing to put your life or your good looks on the line, don't even consider getting into this business. You'll be working in the wee hours of the morning, more often than not in less-than-stellar neighborhoods, and you'll be encountering some shady people.
You have to be the kind of person who has her/his own sense of justice and that you're doing work that should be done.
Worst-case scenario: You're fatally shot. Over a vehicle. And not even a nice one. Shouldn't you have died saving a kid from falling from a burning building or saving the country from terrorists? You'll have died over a bank loan short balance of $1,873.
Second worst-case scenario: You're shot, and survive, but you're seriously wounded. In a few weeks or months, you'll be back in the game…maybe. Right around the time your health insurance runs out. Oh, and the bill to continue it will be… higher.
Third worst-case scenario: You're shot, but not seriously. You get treated at the ER and the next night, you're out repo-ing cars again.
From every angle, there's a hefty risk of being hurt when you're doing this job. Things can certainly go wrong, and they sometimes do. While most repossessions go off without a hitch, one or two bad experiences are often enough to make some repo agents find another line of work.