The 7 Best Debt Collection Services in the UK in 2023

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From our extensive period of research, we know that the best debt collection agency in the UK is Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd, beating the competition with its speed and value for money.

In this review, though, we’ve included six alternative UK debt collection agencies that might better suit your specific needs.

With the rising cost of living and a shaky economy, we understand the difficulties you may be facing if you haven't been paid money your business is owed. That's why we've created this guide, to help you find an agency best suited to collecting the debt you're owed.

For an even quicker and easier route to finding the right debt collection service, you can use our free quote-finding tool. Simply answer a few quick questions about what you need, and we’ll match you with the most suitable agency. They’ll then offer you more information and no-obligation quotes. Simple.

What are the top 7 debt collection agencies in the UK?

These are recommended providers based on our research. Use our cost comparison tool to find the best service for your business

  1. Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited – Best overall
  2. Cabot Financial – Best for a compassionate approach
  3. DLC – Best for large corporate companies
  4. P&J Consumer Debt Services – Best for small businesses or individuals
  5. Access Credit Management – Best for businesses with international clients
  6. Hilton-Baird – Best for outsourcing all your debt recovery needs
  7. Rossendales – Best for landlords

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Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited

Cabot Financial

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Access Credit Management

Hilton-Baird

Rossendales

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The top 7 debt collection agencies in the UK 2023

The best debt collection agencies in the UK are: Debt Collection Services UK, Cabot Financial, DLC, P&J Consumer Debt Services, Access Credit Management, Hilton-Baird and Rossendales.

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Explore the best debt collection agencies in the UK below

1. Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited: Best overall debt collection agency in the UK

There aren’t many debt collection services that can claim to star in their very own TV show; Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited (DCBL) is the exception. And if you’ve ever caught its Channel 5 show Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away! then you’ll know that the DCBL team mean business.

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. 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 to do just that. If it’s quick results and a professional service you’re after, you’d be hard pushed to find a better service.

Prices are available on a quote by quote basis.

Trustpilot score: 4.1/5

2. Cabot Financial: Best for a compassionate approach

Cabot Financial is one of the leading debt collection agencies in the UK. It offers a fair and ethical approach to debtors whilst ensuring results for creditors. 

This agency's range of businesses services includes debt recovery and debt purchase, as well as locate services – which can be crucial for recovering difficult debts.

Whether you’re looking for one-off collections on a case-by-case basis, or to completely outsource your credit management, Cabot Financial can probably help you out. It also has a large customer service team sporting trained, friendly staff who should be on hand to advise you throughout each step of the process.

With limited general pricing information available, we recommend seeking out a tailored quote from Cabot Financial to find out exactly how much it'll cost for you

Trustpilot score: 4.5/5

3. DLC: Best for large, corporate companies

DLC is one of the largest privately owned debt collection services in the UK. It offers a range of collection services including debt purchase, outsourced collections, litigation as well as tracing. DLC is extremely professional and works with each individual client to ensure that the best options for their needs are met.

DLC solely focuses on servicing large corporate clients. It has received accreditation from a number of respected credit and trading standards organisations. It aims both to help clients recover debts successfully, and to ensure fairness for debtors.

DLC's pricing is bespoke and pricing will depend on what you require.

Trustpilot score: N/A

4. P&J Consumer Debt Services: Best for small businesses or individuals

P&J is a UK-wide debt collection agency with more than 25 years’ experience and over 25,000 clients. P&J provides innovative and affordable services aimed at individuals, small businesses and large organisations. It offers a number of incentives for their clients including ‘no recovery, no fee’ policies as well as offering no tie in options.

Working quickly to ensure that your debts are collected, P&J offers a range of services including tracing debtors as well as other recovery services. It’s a reliable and affordable service which provides effective results.

P&J's services are free to use but if they're successful in recovering the debt owed, they'll take a percentage of this fee. The percentage varies according to the size of the debt.

Trustpilot score: 3.6/5

5. Access Credit Management: Best for businesses with international clients

Access Credit Management specialises in dealing with both UK and international debt, meaning it’s the perfect option for businesses who deal with overseas clients. The agency has accreditation from Association of Credit and Collection Professionals, and is also fully licensed under both the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and the Data Protection Act 2018. The company's core services include debt recovery, outsourced credit collection and insolvency options.

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

Trustpilot score: N/A

6. Hilton-Baird: Best for outsourcing all your debt recovery needs

Hilton-Baird is a professional and award-winning service provider which can help businesses with everything from singular collection to managing your entire debt recovery activities.

Hilton-Baird's services include debt recovery, receivables management, debt purchase, and credit control services –among others – and it caters to multiple industries across the UK, such as the financial and retail sectors. A reliable, friendly collection agency which can deliver effective results, Hilton-Baird is well-suited to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Hilton-Baird doesn't provide general pricing information, so you'll need to contact the agency to receive a quote that's been tailored to you.

Trustpilot score: N/A

7. Rossendales: Best for landlords

Rossendales is an independent debt collection agency that services businesses throughout England and Wales. Rossendales has over 300 clients is especially popular with landlords, as well as both public and private sector enterprises. It uses innovative practices such as SMS messaging to encourage better response rates, and offers dependable online services to help both creditors and debtors manage their balances.

A reliable and professional organisation, Rossendales will work out the best value services for your businesses’ individual requirements. Rossendales takes commission from the debt collected on your behalf, but it's unclear whether the agency works on a contingency basis or not.

For more agencies like Rossendales, explore our list of the best debt collection agencies for landlords in 2023.

Trustpilot score: N/A

Next steps

If you’re a UK business that’s finding it difficult to recover unpaid debt, why not let a debt collection agency take the pressure off? Better yet, why not let a leading B2B comparison website (that's us) match you with a debt collection agency that's the right fit for your requirements?

Simply provide us with a few details about your business to get started. We'll just ask a couple of questions about the amount of debt you're chasing, as well as where your debtors are based – and whether they're businesses or individuals. Once you're done, the agencies we match you with will be in touch with quotes and advice tailored to your business' unique circumstances and needs. It's that simple!

Oh, and remember – writing off unpaid debt needn’t be an inevitable part of doing business! Leave it to the professionals, and start recouping what you’re owed today.

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Best UK Debt Collection Agencies FAQs

Why hire a debt collection agency?
Hiring a debt collection agency can be a quick and hassle-free of getting paid if this is proving difficult. A good debt collection can help you receiving your money while also keeping the relationship with your customer, avoiding a contentious legal scenario.
What's the best debt collection in the UK?
According to our independent research, Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd is the best debt collection in the UK. Its speed and value for money were among the factors that contributed to this result. Unsurprisingly, it scores a high 4.4/5 on Trustpilot.
How do I choose a debt collection agency?
  1. Find out how the agency tracks debtors and collects
  2. Check reviews of the agency online
  3. Find out how they'll charge you (some agencies operate on a no win no fee or a commission bases)
  4. Check to see if any complaints have been brought against the agency
Written by:

Dan’s a Senior Writer at Expert Market, specialising in digital marketing, web design, and photocopiers, amongst other topics.