The 7 Best Debt Collection Services in the UK

We’ve researched the top debt collection services in the UK and found Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd to be the best overall, beating the competition with its speed and value for money. However, depending on your needs, other companies might be a better fit.

Unpaid invoices can have very real implications for your business, limiting your profit and investment power. This is especially for small businesses, which work with fewer clients and smaller budgets than large corporations, and so have less of a cushion to fall back on.

Debt collection services and teams can help with this. They will pursue your customers for payments, helping to maintain your business’s cash flow and freeing you up to continue running your venture.

Read on for our top seven picks, or use our free quote tool to receive tailored quotes from trusted debt collection providers – you can then compare these quotes to make the right decision for your business.

1. Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd: Best Overall Debt Collection Agency

DCBL has over 24 years’ experience in the debt collection industry, winning several awards along the way. While its Trustpilot score could be better (2.9/5), it does boast over 2,000 reviews (much more than most of the companies we’ve evaluated), which is a testament to its efficiency.

What we like about Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd

Each debt recovery case needs to be approached differently, and that’s exactly what DCBL does – all for a fixed price, with no hidden costs (as we cover more in-depth in our DCBL review).

Experience has shown DCBL that a phone call will often only get you so far; person-to-person contact improves its success rate, and its staff aren’t afraid of this approach. If it’s quick results and a professional service you’re after, you’d be hard pushed to find a better service.

DCBL’s main service is debt recovery, but the company also offers services such as debtor tracing, letter-driven debt recovery, high court enforcement, rent arrears recovery, and residential possession.

DCBL focuses on UK debt recovery, so if you need a debt recovered internationally, it may be a better choice to go with a company such as Access Credit Management, which offers international services.

Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd pricing

Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd’s prices are custom and only available upon quoting. That said, we can help you find out exactly how much your business would pay for their services by using our free comparison tool to get no-obligation quotes tailored to your needs.

2. Safe Collections: Best For a Personalised Approach

Safe Collections is one of the longest-established debt collection agencies in the UK, providing debt collection services since 1984. They have an industry reputation for their personalised, honest, and straightforward approach.

What we like about Safe Collections

On Trustpilot, Safe Collections has an excellent score of 4.9/5 from over 300 reviews.

Safe Collection operates both UK and international debt collection on a “no commission, no collection” guarantee. In addition to tracking down elusive debtors and enforcing court orders, Safe Collections can help you improve your cash flow with its outsourced credit control solution. It also offers consultancy services, helping you to run your credit control more efficiently.

However, Safe Collection doesn’t offer sales ledger recovery as a service. If you need this type of service, we’d recommend looking at an agency like Hilton-Baird, which does offer this.

For more advice on steps you can take to ease your debt collection, see our guide on how to avoid debt collection scams.

Safe Collections pricing

Safe Collections works on commission per every collection, and therefore does not charge advanced or fixed fees. The commission itself is bespoke, but crucially, it’s only charged if the collection is successful.

3. DLC: Best for Large, Corporate Companies

DLC is part of a wider credit management business called Cabot Credit Management – a European market leader in credit management services – which was founded as Cabot Financial in 1998. DLC joined in 2015.

What we like about DLC

While DLC doesn’t have any presence on Trustpilot, its parent company does, scoring an impressive 4/5. The most common theme in these reviews is the high-quality customer experience the company offers, with customers praising the interactions they’ve had with individual staff members.

DLC focuses solely on servicing large corporate clients, specialising in credit control management and receivables management. It works with each individual client to ensure that the best options for their needs are met. Other services offered include a fully hosted collections system capability, covering early arrears, post-default, and litigation.

The company has received accreditation from the UK’s Credit Services Association, as well as a number of respected credit and trading standards organisations. It aims to help clients recover debts successfully and to ensure fairness for debtors.

If you run a small business, however, DLC may not be the most suitable debt collector for you, as it focuses on blue-chip companies. For a debt collector that specifically works with small businesses, take a look at the next option on our list, Darcey Quigley & Co.

DLC pricing

DLC’s pricing is bespoke, with costs depending on the services you require.

4. Darcey Quigley & Co: Best For Small Businesses and Individuals

Darcey Quigley & Co has close to 15 years of experience in debt collection, specialising in offering a personalised and dedicated approach to its debt collection. The company assigns each debt collection or credit management case to a dedicated consultant, who handles it and reports to you. This approach is sure to give small business owners and individuals extra peace of mind.

What we like about Darcey Quigley & Co

On Trustpilot, the Glasgow-based collection agency currently scores an impressive 4.9/5 from over 400 reviews. The common consensus from each review is that the service is fast and efficient, with a positive customer experience overall.

Darcey Quigley & Co prides itself on a quick, efficient service, and claims that each debt collection case will be actioned within one hour, with a total turnaround time of 48 hours. It offers international debt collection services as well as those within the UK. In addition to debt collection, the company also provides credit control management and sales ledger recovery solutions.

As we’ve seen, Scotland-based Darcey Quigley & Co is best for smaller businesses, so if you need an England-based debt collection service with tools to help bigger businesses recover debts, take a look at DLC or Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd.

Darcey Quigley & Co pricing

Darcey Quigley & Co’s fees start from 3% for its debt collection services, while the precise percentage you’ll pay will be disclosed in your quotation. However, its fees will only be applicable if the collection is successful.

5. Access Credit Management: Best For Businesses With International Clients

Access Credit Management has been in business for over 20 years, and is known for its “no win, no fee” policy, meaning if they don’t collect, you don’t pay.

What we like about Access Credit Management

Access Credit Management specialises in dealing with both UK and international debt, and serves a wide range of business sizes, making it a good option for dealing with overseas clients. The company’s core services include debt recovery, outsourced credit collection, and insolvency options.

While Access Credit Management is an established debt collection service, it doesn’t have a strong presence on user review sites and there’s a lack of customer reviews to compare out there, so if you’d prefer to be sure of customer sentiment, we’d recommend Safe Collections, which has a score of 5/5 on Trustpilot.

Access Credit Management pricing

Operating on a contingency basis, you won’t need to pay anything to use this debt collection service. If the debt is recovered, a percentage will be taken by Access Credit Management.

6. Hilton-Baird: Best For Outsourcing All Your Debt Recovery Needs

Hilton-Baird was established in 2001, meaning it’s one of the longest-operating debt collection services on our list. It has a positive reputation in the industry, having won Third Party Debt Collection team of the year at the CICM British Credit Awards in 2018 and 2019. Hilton-Baird favours mediation first over court proceedings, but is on hand to support you if this happens.

What we like about Hilton-Baird

Like Access Credit Management, Hilton-Baird doesn’t have a strong online review presence as of our latest round of research. Its score of 4.5/5 on Google Reviews comes from just 16 reviews written about the company so far.

Hilton-Baird’s services include debt recovery, receivables management, debt purchase, and credit control services. It also caters to multiple industries across the UK, such as the financial and retail sectors.

A reliable collection agency that can deliver effective results, Hilton-Baird is well-suited to business owners who are looking to free themselves up completely from the ins and outs of debt management.

But again, if you require international debt collection, Hilton-Baird isn’t the best option. For international debt collection, look at an agency like Access Credit Management.

Hilton-Baird pricing

Hilton-Baird doesn’t provide any general pricing information, so you’ll need to contact the agency to receive a quote.

7. Legal for Landlords: Best For Landlords

Legal for Landlords has been in operation for a few years and offers free advice to landlords starting their debt collection process. Previous customers have reported that Legal for Landlords offers efficient and great service that makes the process easier, which earned the company a 4.8/5 score on Trustpilot, with over 6,500 reviews.

What we like about Legal for Landlords

Legal for Landlord’s debt recovery services include debtor tracing, pre-court action letters, and small claims representation. The debtor tracing, which can take between seven and 14 days, costs £130.80, with an employment check also available for a bespoke fee.

For small court representation, possible for debts up to £10,000, the company charges £658.80 plus court fees, which will depend on the amount you’re claiming. If you win, you’re able to enforce this payment for up to six years.

Legal for Landlords also offers two enforcement services for cases where you’ve already won a legal case against the debtor. The Attachment of Earnings Order (AOE), which instructs the debtor’s employer to deduct money from their wages to pay you back, costs £634.80. Alternatively, a Writ allows the seizure of the debtor’s assets to pay their debt, and starts at £634.80.

Legal for Landlords, as the name suggests, is a collection agency for rental agents and landlords. If you require a more general debt collection service, we’d recommend our top choice DCBL.

Legal for Landlords pricing

Legal for Landlords pricing will depend on which of the services you’ll require it to perform. These services include (all prices are exclusive of VAT):

• Residential debtor tracing: £130.80
• Attachment of Earnings Order: £634.80
• Writ: From £634.80
• Small claims representation: £658.80

What Should I Look for In a Debt Collection Agency?

Looking for the right debt collection agency for your business needs can seem like a challenge at first, especially if you haven’t engaged with one before. Therefore, we’ve listed some essential attributes you should consider when shopping around for the best debt collection service for your business.

Professionalism

Debt collection causes conflict and stress, so it’s essential that the debt collection agency you choose is professional in its manner when chasing up debtors. While you want your issue solved and the debt collected, it’s important this is done properly and not in a way that tarnishes your reputation. Read up on previous customer testimonials and reviews before making a decision.

Communication skills

Good communication is essential in the debt collection process. You’ve already experienced a frustrating lack of communication chasing debts on your own, so the last thing you want is to experience a lack of information from your debt collection agency. Many companies claim quick turnaround times and a personalised approach, but the best barometer of this is to look into the experiences of previous customers, and enquire with potential agencies about what their preferred methods of communication are, how often they provide updates, and the ways in which you will be able to contact them.

Persistence

The main reason you may engage with a debt collection agency is their ability to stay persistent in the pursuit of a claim, putting the time and energy in that you don’t have capacity for. When choosing a debt collection agency, make sure they have a track record of exhausting every channel possible, in a legal and professional way. Asking for potential agencies’ rate of success in a percentage is a good way to gauge this, as is questioning how many steps they’ll take before giving a debt up as lost.

Ethical conduct

Debt collection can be messy, and unfortunately, cases occur where debt collectors can overstep the mark and engage in overly aggressive and sometimes illegal methods (more on those in the section below) to reclaim a debt, which can damage the reputation of the business they’re acting on behalf of. Ask potential debt collection agencies to explain the methods they use to pursue claims, and if something doesn’t sound right, take it away and research whether it’s ethical.

What Legal Regulations Do Debt Collectors Have to Follow?

In the UK, debt collection practices are governed by several laws and regulatory bodies. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates companies that offer financial services to consumers and protects consumers from unscrupulous debt collectors.

The Fair Trading Act 1973 and the Consumer Credit Act 1974 also lay out legal regulations around debt collection, covering communication, harassment, and unfair business practices. There are also trade associations like the Credit Services Association (CSA) that set out ethical guidelines that trade associations should follow.

Debt collectors are subject to several legislative restrictions. For example:

• They can’t contact debtors at unreasonable hours, or show up at their place of residence or employment to demand payment
• If a debtor refuses to pay, debt collectors can’t resort to intimidation or harassment to reclaim the debt
• They can’t provide any information that’s not transparent and clear to the debtor, or assign any deadlines that are difficult for the debtor to meet
• They can’t contact the debtor on social media or contact them outside of the hours of 8 am to 9 pm on working days
• They can’t contact the debtor’s employer, family members, or acquaintances without permission

What’s the Difference Between a Bailiff and a Debt Collector?

Knowing the difference between a bailiff and a debt collector will ensure you have the right expectations of your debt collection service.

A bailiff, also known as an enforcement agent, has been given legal authority to collect debt (usually on behalf of a public entity). They have usually been given these powers by a court order, and can legally come to a debtor’s house or business, remove items they own, and sell them to pay off the debt.

A debt collector, on the other hand, has not been given legal powers of enforcement and is hired by both public and private entities to speed up debt collection. They will rarely visit a debtor’s home or business, and don’t have the power to remove and sell any of the debtor’s possessions. They typically only contact debtors via phone calls and letters.