Should I Pay or Ignore Arc Debt Collectors?

Have you been contacted by a company you don’t recognise about a debt? Are you wondering, ‘should I pay or ignore Arc Debt Collectors’ even though you don’t owe them anything?

Check out my post to find out who they are, why they could be contacting you about owed money and whether you should pay ARC Europe Limited or not!

Do you have to pay Arc debt collectors?

You might not have to pay Arc debt collectors.

If you genuinely can’t afford your debt repayments then looking into whether you could have your written off might be just what you need. 

If you want to find out whether you qualify for having debt written off or payments lowered then fill out the short form below.

Is Arc a debt collection agency?

Yes. Arc is a debt collection agency with offices in Walton-on-Thames. They’ve been working as debt collectors since 2001 and registered as a private limited company.

They’re among the many debt collectors that operate throughout the UK. The company details can be found on the Companies House website.

Is the debt collector regulated?

Yes. Like all recognised debt collection businesses, ARC Europe Limited is regulated. The business is authorised to collect debts by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

They are also recognised by the Credit Services Association (CSA). It means ARC agrees to abide by the CSA Code of Conduct when they collect debts for clients or for themselves.

Can you lower your repayments?

If you’re struggling to pay back your debt, then you might qualify for a debt solution.

Some solutions lower your monthly payments while others write off a portion of your debt. 

To find out whether they could work in your situation, hit the button below.

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Does ARC purchase third-party debts?

Yes. ARC Europe Limited does buy third-party debts. They purchase debt portfolios from other businesses for a fraction of their value.

Moreover, ARC is known to buy debts from other agencies which include the Arrow Group.

Many of the debts ARC purchases are older with some being statute barred!

In short, when they successfully recoup money owed on a debt, ARC makes a very tidy profit!

Who uses ARC Europe Limited?

Many businesses and organisations use ARC Europe Limited services. I’ve listed just a few of them below:

• LV Insurance providerQuickquid
• David Lloyd
• LA Fitness
• Healthcare providers
• Leisure sector
• Financial services
• Credit card providers

Why would ARC Europe Limited Contact you?

ARC may be chasing you for payment on behalf of another company. It could be one of their clients who passed your details on to them.

Maybe, ARC purchased the debt and is chasing you for payment themselves!

Either way, when you get a letter, phone call, or text from debt collectors, it’s about an alleged owed debt!

Should you ignore a debt collection agency?

No. It’s not a wise move to ignore a debt collection company. Even when you know ARC Europe debt collectors are chasing the wrong debtor!

Just because you know the debt isn’t yours, it won’t stop ARC from contacting you. Debt collectors will text you and could bombard you with constant phone calls!

When you ignore letters from debt collection agencies, you could be missing out on the following:

• Discovering the amount owed is statute-barred and therefore the debt is enforceable provided specific criteria are met
• Finding out the debt isn’t yours and that ARC has contacted the wrong person or sent the letter to the wrong address
• You already settled things

Mistakes happen and ARC Europe debt collectors are known to purchase old debts which are often not enforceable!

Take a look at what happened to one unfortunate person that ARC Europe Limited contacted:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

What happens when you ignore ARC Europe Limited?

Things can get complicated and messier when you ignore ARC Ltd. Debt collectors are persistent and will keep contacting you.

First, you’ll get threatening letters demanding payment even if you don’t owe money to anyone that you know of! In short, you don’t know why the debt collector is getting in touch with you.

Next, you could receive a Letter Before Action (LBA) which is a notification that you could face court proceedings.

If you keep ignoring an ARC debt collector, a field agent could visit you at home to discuss things.

Do you have to open the door to a debt collection agent?

No. You definitely don’t have to open the door to a debt collection agent. In fact, you should keep your doors locked.

You can ask a debt collection agent to leave and they must respect your request. If you decide to talk to a field agent, it’s best to speak to them from an upstairs window or through a letterbox!

How should you respond to ARC Europe Limited?

Rather than bin letters from ARC, you should respond to them whether you owe money or not!

However, you should first check all the details on a debt letter and that the amount of money owed is correct.

If necessary, seek advice from an independent debt adviser before you respond to ARC. But don’t wait too long because they might escalate the matter.

Should ARC let you seek independent advice?

Yes. All debt recovery companies must allow you sufficient time to seek independent advice.

Like this, an adviser would let you know which debt solutions are best for you. It’s essential that you opt for the right debt management plan or it could land you in more financial trouble.

Is the money owed statute-barred?

A statute-barred debt can’t be enforced because it falls under the UK’s limitation act. Courts won’t take on cases where debts are six years old so you won’t face legal action.

Nor will you be given a County Court Judgement for non-payment of debt whether you owe the money or not!

When is a debt statute-barred?

For a debt to be statute barred, the following must apply:

• It’s at least six years old
• Nobody admitted owing the money in six years whether it’s the debtor or a representative
• No money was paid towards the debt in six years
• A County Court Judgement (CCJ) isn’t registered against the debt

You can’t be made to pay a statute-barred debt if all of the above apply to it. In short, you should write back to ARC Europe Limited to inform them the debt is not enforceable.

Moreover, tell them in your letter to stop contacting you which they must respect and send the letter by registered mail. Like this you know they got it!

If a debt recovery company still insists on pursuing you with constant phone calls, texts and emails, you have the right to report them to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and The Office for Fair Trading (OFT).

Should you sign the letters you send to ARC Europe Ltd?

No. You shouldn’t sign any letters you send to debt recovery companies. Why? Because not all of them are ethical and some could use your signature on other documents.

It’s unlawful, but it’s a tactic some recovery agencies could use in an attempt to get you to pay. Not all debt recovery companies act ethically or lawfully. Some are known to use deceitful and misleading tactics which are illegal!

As an example, they could use your signature fraudulently on a payment plan you never agreed to!

Is the debt actually yours?

You should always check if the debt is yours! Mistakes happen and debt recovery agencies send out hundreds of letters to people about a single debt.

It’s their way of finding the person who owes money either to them or to one of their clients. 

So, you should write back to ARC Europe Ltd asking them to ‘prove’ you owe money on a debt. They must respond to your letter in a timely manner.

Also, the proof they provide can’t just be something they claim whether verbally or in writing.

Debt recovery agencies must provide an authenticated copy of a credit agreement or other contract you signed. You should NOT sign a ‘prove it letter’ and you should send it by registered post!

Can debt collectors authenticate a copy of a credit agreement?

No. Debt collectors can’t authenticate copies of credit agreements or other contacts.

Only the original creditor or an authorised person can authenticate the copies!

So, don’t accept a verbal confirmation or written confirmation from ARC that you owe the money. You should always insist on having authenticated copies of Credit Agreements or other contracts you signed.

What can ARC Europe Ltd do?

ARC Europe Ltd have the right to get in touch with you whether on behalf of a client or because they bought the debt.

However, they must remain within the law when they get in touch.

ARC Europe Ltd can:

• Contact you about an alleged debt whether it’s by letter, email, text, phone or in person. That said, a representative would only usually visit your home if all other ways of getting in touch have failed
• Talk to you civilly about an alleged debt. A field agent should show empathy and understanding about your personal circumstances when discussing money owed by you
• Request that you settle money owed to them directly rather than to their client

What can’t debt collection agencies legally do?

Not all debt collection agencies act lawfully and some use deceitful tactics to get you to settle.

They cannot lawfully say or do any of the following when they contact you about an alleged debt:

• They can’t force their way into your home, seize your possessions or clamp vehicles
• Tell you they have the same powers as a court-appointed bailiff (now known as enforcement officers)
• Show you papers and other documents which look like they’ve been issued by the courts
• Visit you at work
• Discuss an alleged debt with your boss in an attempt to embarrass you
• Talk to your neighbours, friends or a family member about the money you allegedly owe
• Pressure you to apply for further credit to pay the money owed to them
• Harass you with constant phone calls, texts, emails etc

ARC Europe Ltd must respect the UK’s privacy laws and your rights as a consumer when they get in touch.

If one of their debt collection agents acts inappropriately or unlawfully, you have the right to report them to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

But you must file a complaint with ARC first.

Can a debt collection agent just turn up at your home?

No. A field agent can’t just turn up at your home unannounced. They must inform you of an impending visit so you can prepare for their arrival.

The notice should give you enough time to either sort out your finances and to:

• Seek independent debt advice
• Work out how much you can afford on a monthly on an agreed payment plan

You should not ignore a letter notifying you that a field agent will visit you because it can get extremely stressful when you do!

It’s far better to get in touch with ARC and try to negotiate a payment plan if they can prove you owe money.

Can you ask a debt collection agent to leave your property?

Yes. You can ask a debt collection field agent to leave your property if they visit you at home.

The field agent must respect your wishes and if they don’t, you have the right to file a complaint against them with their head office!

If a debt collection agency continues to act unlawfully in a deceitful manner, you can report them to The Financial Conduct Authority and The Office for Fair Trading.

Debt collection companies stand to lose their licences when they don’t abide by the law when collecting debts. Moreover, you could receive compensation when you’re caused stress and anxiety due to their unlawful actions.

Should you offer ARC a partial payment?

There are things you can do when you owe the money and ARC has proved it. You should seek advice from an independent debt adviser and then offer to make a partial payment to resolve the money outstanding.

It’s worth noting that ARC has no obligation to accept offers of partial payments whether they own the debt or not.

Would ARC Europe Ltd accept a debt settlement offer?

ARC Europe Ltd may accept a debt settlement offer but it’d depend on several things.

For example, whether they accept your offer could depend on the following:

• Did ARC buy the debt and they’re chasing you themselves?
• Is the debt collection agency acting on behalf of a client?
• Are you offering enough money to settle the debt?

What is a fair settlement offer?

Most debt collection agencies will accept a debt settlement offer of around 75% of its value.

For example, if the debt is £2,000, a fair settlement offer would be in the region of £1,500.

However, if ARC purchased the debt, they probably only paid a fraction of its true value.

In short, it’s worth finding out if they bought the debt or whether they’re acting on behalf of a client beforehand. If the debt is purchased, you may be able to offer a lower settlement amount.

However, there’s never any guarantee that Arc will accept it!

What are the laws that govern debt collection agencies?

A debt collection agency must abide by UK laws and regulations. This includes the Credit Services Association Code of Conduct.

There are specific guidelines published by The Office for Fair Trading (OFT 2012). I’ve listed a summary of these guidelines below:

• To treat you fairly, avoid aggressive tactics, deceit, coercion or act unfairly or improperly
• To remain transparent and to provide clear information that is neither misleading or confusing
• To show empathy if you’re experiencing financial hardship
• To act proportionately by taking into account your personal circumstances

 Can you complain about ARC Europe Ltd?

If you feel Arc Europe Ltd Debt Collection is acting unlawfully or against the Credit Services Association guidelines, you can report them to The Office for Fair Trading.

Debt collection companies could lose their licence to operate in the UK.

You can also report deceitful behaviour to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

How do you contact ARC Europe Ltd?

You can contact ARC Europe Ltd in various ways which I’ve listed in the table below:

What free debt advice is there in the UK?

You could seek free debt advice from one of the charities. Or you could contact an independent debt adviser who charges for the advice they provide.

If you’re struggling with your finances, contacting a debt charity could be the better option and I’ve listed three of the leading UK charities below:

• National Debtline 
• Citizens Advice
• Step Change Debt Charity

“It will only get worse” 😩

It’s cliché to say, but with debt it’s true; the longer you leave it, the worse the problem gets. 

There are straightforward and effective ways to deal with debt, but you have to know your options. 

Fill out the short form to find out about the debt solutions that could reduce your monthly payments or even write off some of your debt.

Get Started

Finally, Should you pay or ignore ARC?

Should you pay or ignore ARC? The one thing you shouldn’t do is bin a debt letter and ignore ARC!

The problem won’t disappear. In fact, things just spiral out of control and get more stressful when you ignore a debt problem.

It’s far better to respond to ARC Limited and ask them to prove the debt is yours! You should also make sure the debt is not too old to enforce because if it is, chances are you won’t have to pay it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I hope the information helps you decide whether you’d have to pay the money owed and how ignoring things would just make matters worse.