Debt recovery.

drew35 · Apr 2, 2012

Sadly we've all been there.

I've been chasing a debt for three months, I've sent several invoices, knocked on the door, left phone messages, text messages, nothing.

I've never used a debt recovery firm before but I looked them up on Yell. com, picked one close by that looked professional, and gave them a ring. They advised me to make one last phone call advising the customer that a debt collection firm had agreed to take on the debt, if I still had no contact, or no money then they would take over. I called the customer and left a polite message, nothing. Back to the debt firm, one letter from them and I get my money via the debt firm less their ten percent. Well worth it I thought.

Next time I get a non payer their getting one warning advising them that its going over to a debt firm then I'll happily let them fight the case for me for their ten percent cost. It made me chuckle, the person I dealt with over the phone advised me that in 95% of cases all it took was one phone call, or one letter to get the money, and it did!

telectrix · Apr 2, 2012

nice one. surprising how the tightwads will cough up when you get a debt collection firm on the case.

Amp David · Apr 2, 2012

I've just used Money Claim Online, and although the idiot who owed me the cash waited until the last date possible before sending in the bailiffs, he paid up in the end

Guest111 · Apr 2, 2012

the trick is to do what big firms do if they dont pay,eg you owe me £150 and dont pay so I work out what agents fee will be add that and a bit more,so say their fee is 10% =£15 then call it £30 for the hassle and you end up £15 better off just send the letter saying that due to costs incurred due to non payment the fee is now £180 and will be collected by agent, easy.

Octopus · Apr 2, 2012

Moneyclaim on line is the best - and the icing on the cake is that the costs you incur are automatically added to the customers debt.

One word of warning, if you don't go through the steps of polite reminders, then a final "warning" including the following "if you do not pay the outstanding invoice by the xx xxxx 2012 I will refer the matter to the small claims cout without further reference to you" - you may have a hard time from the Judge when he assesses the step you have gone through.