Debt collection companies - recommendations
Debt collection companies - recommendations
Author
Discussion

sagarich

Original Poster:

1,273 posts

170 months

Yesterday (13:47)
quotequote all
In a frustrating position with £2k now 121 days overdue from one client.

We have a valid purchase order.

Twice weekly calls and emails, but always get told it's with the FD and it's his decision to release funds.

We work in the education sector and I've never had an invoice past 50 days in 12 years of trading.

I think it's time to outsource it. Any recommendations?

Simpo Two

90,841 posts

286 months

Yesterday (15:19)
quotequote all
Not going Small Claims?

v8notbrave

170 posts

34 months

Yesterday (15:31)
quotequote all
Good shout, I have no direct experience but debt collectors just send letters and sound tough but actually I think have little bite. I'd get AI to draft a small claims letter and send this and self manage. Debt collectors will take a healthy chunk so try DIY?

FlyVintage

315 posts

12 months

Yesterday (15:35)
quotequote all
v8notbrave said:
Good shout, I have no direct experience but debt collectors just send letters and sound tough but actually I think have little bite. I'd get AI to draft a small claims letter and send this and self manage. Debt collectors will take a healthy chunk so try DIY?
I think you are over complicating it; I’ve successfully used money claim online to retrieve money from curry’s when they were being needlessly difficult:

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money

Dixy

3,430 posts

226 months

Yesterday (16:06)
quotequote all
Go and knock on their door and demand to see the FD.

sagarich

Original Poster:

1,273 posts

170 months

Yesterday (16:15)
quotequote all
Dixy said:
Go and knock on their door and demand to see the FD.
6 hour round trip to the campus likely wasted as most non teaching staff WFH.


Countdown

46,824 posts

217 months

Yesterday (16:24)
quotequote all
sagarich said:
In a frustrating position with £2k now 121 days overdue from one client.

We have a valid purchase order.

Twice weekly calls and emails, but always get told it's with the FD and it's his decision to release funds.

We work in the education sector and I've never had an invoice past 50 days in 12 years of trading.

I think it's time to outsource it. Any recommendations?
It's not worth outsourcing for £2k. The company we use charges £750 for issuing a Letter of Claim. As suggested above I'd go down the MCOL route.

Dixy

3,430 posts

226 months

Yesterday (18:12)
quotequote all
Have you spoken to the FD on the phone at least. Debt collection companies don't do anything clever. You just have to make a damn nuisance of yourself.

sagarich

Original Poster:

1,273 posts

170 months

Yesterday (18:21)
quotequote all
Dixy said:
Have you spoken to the FD on the phone at least. Debt collection companies don't do anything clever. You just have to make a damn nuisance of yourself.
No, I ask every time. He’s either “in a meeting” or WFH an doesn’t pickup routed call.

Tried CC’ing everyone important to no avail.

andy_ran

841 posts

214 months

Yesterday (18:30)
quotequote all
Issue a LBA (letter before action) - send it recorded delivery and via email, enough is enough a make it clear your giving 14 days for cleared funds our your going to issue court proceedings

Small claims as under 10k limit - Its all done online and takes 30 mins

Dixy

3,430 posts

226 months

Yesterday (22:22)
quotequote all
sagarich said:
No, I ask every time. He s either in a meeting or WFH an doesn t pickup routed call.

Tried CC ing everyone important to no avail.
Start at 9am when they say he is in a meeting phone back 15 minutes later, rinse and repeat,etc etc etc, staff get weary of protecting bosses, if you want the money give them pain.
If they can pay they will pay the ones that they want off their back.

Terminator X

19,293 posts

225 months

Yesterday (22:27)
quotequote all
sagarich said:
Dixy said:
Have you spoken to the FD on the phone at least. Debt collection companies don't do anything clever. You just have to make a damn nuisance of yourself.
No, I ask every time. He s either in a meeting or WFH an doesn t pickup routed call.

Tried CC ing everyone important to no avail.
If you have his mobile number, call from someone else's phone. Or call and pretend you have new work for him (to get past reception) using a pseudonym.

TX.

Simpo Two

90,841 posts

286 months

Yesterday (23:13)
quotequote all
andy_ran said:
Issue a LBA (letter before action) - send it recorded delivery and via email, enough is enough a make it clear your giving 14 days for cleared funds our your going to issue court proceedings

Small claims as under 10k limit - Its all done online and takes 30 mins
And if you win and he doesn't pay, you escalate to the High Court (simple and cheap) and then they start taking stuff away.

As you've been calling and e-mailing twice a week for 121 days they won't suddenly pay if you call from a different number. They're taking you for a mug; get stuck in the official way.

Dixy

3,430 posts

226 months

The official way is good but takes time and they will play the game, you are saying to them I will wait but get it eventually. Being a pain says I WANT MY MONEY NOW.

FlyVintage

315 posts

12 months

Dixy said:
you are saying to them I will wait but get it eventually
Yes, it takes 30 days before it goes to judgement, but you also get to add interest from the date the debt was originally due. Few organisations want (or could afford) a CCJ against them for non-payment of debts so it’s pretty likely payment will be made soon after proceedings are served. Being a constant pain takes time and effort, but each to their own.

Simpo Two

90,841 posts

286 months

Dixy said:
The official way is good but takes time and they will play the game, you are saying to them I will wait but get it eventually. Being a pain says I WANT MY MONEY NOW.
OK, we have a plan:

1) ABC Debt Collectors with no powers, just to see if they can get a quick result through intimidation. Hopefully on a no-win no-fee basis.
2) The official way.

Both methods can be gameplayed but (2) has a finite ending when their computers and office furniture are about to be removed, entirely legally. That tends to open wallets.