How to Beat BW Legal and Not Pay?

Are you getting letters from BW Legal? Are they asking you for money? You’re not alone. Each month, over 12,000 people visit our site seeking advice on money matters, just like this one.

In this easy-to-understand guide, we will explain:

•  Who BW Legal are, and what they do
•  How to figure out if you really owe them money
•  The steps you can take to deal with them
•  How to stop them from bothering you
•  What to do if they say they will take you to court

We know how upsetting it can be to owe money; our team has been there too. Don’t worry; we’re here to help you learn more about how to deal with BW Legal.

Let’s get started!

Do you have to pay BW Legal?

You might not have to pay BW Legal.

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.

Who are BW Legal Debt Collectors?

BW Legal is a debt recovery agency that’s also a law firm. They’re based in Leeds and have been chasing debtors since 2009.

As a law firm and debt recovery business, BW Legal provides clients with litigation options when chasing people for money they owe.

The debt collectors have earned a reputation over the years. This includes phoning debtors and starting proceedings in court which results in CCJs being issued against people.

Is BW Legal regulated?

Yes. BW Legal is regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They must also follow the Credit Association Services (CSA) Code of Practice!

Although regulated, like other debt recovery agencies, BW Legal doesn’t always abide by the ‘rules’. Check out what happened to one unfortunate person they got in touch with:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

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.

Get Started

Will BW Legal Issue a County Court Claim against you?                        

Yes. As illustrated above. BW Legal has a reputation for issuing County Court claims against people who allegedly owe money!

That said, you should keep in touch with BW Legal when they contact you to avoid things from escalating to the courts!

Is the County Court Business Centre a real court?

Yes. The County Court Business Centre (CCBC) is a real court. It was created to handle claims by way of electronic means. So unlike other County Courts, hearings don’t take place physically.

Who uses BW Legal debt recovery services?

BW Legal has a number of clients which includes the following:

• HMRC
• N Power
• O2
• Credit card providers
• Loan providers
• EE
• Energy providers
• Virgin Media
• Private car park management companies

Why would BW legal contact you?

Chances are you owe one of BW Legal clients money when the debt collector contacts you. All the details should be on the letter you get which includes who is chasing you, and the amount owed.

Even the first letter you get from BW Legal would be quite threatening. In short, you’ll be asked to pay or face court action!

You should check how old the debt is after the initial shock of getting a letter from a debt recovery agency. After this, you should contact BW Legal without too much delay to prevent things from escalating.

Is the debt too old to enforce?

When a debt is too old to enforce, it’s considered statute barred. A court won’t hear a case that involves a debt that’s at least six years old.

It means you can be given a County Court Judgement (CCJ) which is worth knowing!

When is a debt too old to enforce?

There are specific criteria attached to statute-barred debts which I’ve listed here:

• You haven’t admitted owing the money in the last six years
• You didn’t pay anything towards paying off the debt in that same period
• There isn’t a County Court Judgement relating to the debt against you

When any of the above apply to the debt BW Legal is chasing you for, write back to them. Inform the debt recovery company the debt has passed its sell-by date! In short, it’s passed the limitation period and can’t be enforced.

This should stop BW Legal from contacting you!

Is the debt yours?

If the debt is still current and therefore, enforceable, the next step is to ask BW Legal to ‘prove’ the debt is actually yours and not someone else’s!

All debt collection agencies must provide hard proof you owe the money. This could be a copy of a Credit Agreement or other form of contract. All copies you’re sent must be authenticated.

Never accept a verbal confirmation you owe the money!

Moreover, it’s not up to you to prove the debt isn’t yours. It’s up to BW Legal to do!

What happens if a debt can’t be proven?

When debts can’t be proven, they can’t be enforced. So, if BW Legal fail to provide solid, written proof you owe money, they can’t force you to pay or take you to court.

A judge would find it hard to rule in a debt collector’s favour when they can’t show evidence you owe money on a debt!

What if BW Legal proves the debt is yours?

If BW Legal can prove it’s your debt, you’d have no choice but to pay. That said, you should never agree, admit, sign or pay any money to a debt collection company before seeking independent advice.

Debt recovery companies must allow you time to assess your situation. They must let you discuss a debt solution with an independent adviser or a debt charity.

Should you ignore BW Legal?

No. Even when you know the debt isn’t yours and that it’s a clerical error. Why? Because if you ignore things, it won’t stop a debt collector from chasing you, having a CCJ issued against you, and basically ruining your credit file!

In short, stay in touch with BW Legal and tell them they’ve got the wrong person. Ask them to prove you owe the money which should stop them in their tracks if the debt isn’t yours!

Also when you ignore a debt collector and the debt is yours, you’d miss out on:

• Being offered a debt repayment schedule you can afford
• Having part of the debt wiped off would make it easier to settle
• Not knowing a CCJ is registered on your credit report
• Dealing with enforcement agents/bailiffs showing up at your home and seizing possessions
• Having an attachment placed on your earnings or bank account

Can you stop BW Legal from contacting you?

BW Legal have the right to contact you over an alleged debt owed to one of their clients. In short, you can’t prevent a debt recovery company from contacting you.

However, you have the right to tell them how and when to contact you!

You could ask them to only contact you by letter. It means you always have a record for future reference if needed. Something you wouldn’t have if a debt collection agent only speaks to you on the phone!

What can debt collectors do?

A debt collector must abide by the law and the CSA Code of Practice when they chase you over a debt. As such, there are things, BW Legal may do and things they cannot!

A debt collector can legally do the following:

• Contact you whether in writing, by phone, email, text or in person
• Discuss a debt with you showing empathy and understanding
• Ask that you pay the amount owed to the debt collector directly

What can’t debt collectors do?

Debt collectors would be breaking the law and their Code of Practice if they do any of the following:

• Force their way into your home
• Seize your possessions or clamp your car
• Speak to you in a threatening or harassing manner
• Infer they have the same powers as court-appointed officials like enforcement officers (bailiffs)
• Show you documents that seem to be official court-issued papers
• Talk to your family, friends, neighbours, or employer about an alleged debt
• Visit you where you work

Will BW Legal take you to court?

There’s a good chance BW Legal will take you to court as many people have discovered. Because they are also a law firm, they handle the litigation side of things for their clients!

So, you could get a CCJ levied against you when you ignore them or refuse to pay!

Moreover, you may have to deal with Enforcement Agents which can be stressful! They could seize some of your possessions and sell them at auction to recover some or all of the debt.

You could also get an attachment placed on your earnings or even your bank account!

How do you contact BW Legal?

You should try to stay in touch with BW Legal when they contact you. Even when you know the debt isn’t yours. It’s wiser to let them know and ask them to prove the debt rather than ignore things.

I’ve listed ways to contact them here:

What debt help and advice is there?

Trying to cope with debt on your own is never a good plan. It’s wiser to seek advice from a professional who’d point you in the right direction. Their advice could help you get back on track with your finances!

I’ve listed some of the leading debt charities here:

• Money Advice Service
• National Debtline 
• Citizens Advice
• My Money Steps
• Step Change Debt Charity

You should always keep BW Legal informed of what you’re doing by writing to them. Make sure all the mail you send to the debt collector goes by registered post. Like that you know they received your letters!

Not all debt recovery companies abide by the Code of Practice or the rules!

“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

So, how can you beat BW Legal and not pay?

You can beat BW Legal and not pay but only if the debt collector threatens or harasses you over an alleged debt. Dealing with an aggressive debt collector could get you out of paying. 

You can report them to the Office for Fair Trading and the Financial Ombudsman Services (FOS).

However, you must file a complaint with BW Legal first!

Other ways to get out of paying BW Legal debt collectors include:

• When a debt collector can’t prove the debt is yours which they must do within 30 days of receiving a ‘prove the debt’ letter from you!
• When the debt is statute-barred and therefore unenforceable!

Thanks for reading this post. I hope the information helps save you time and money over an alleged debt. Moreover, I hope it explains how to beat BW Legal debt collectors and not pay!