Do I Pay or Ignore Insurance Collections Bureau Debt?

Did you just get a letter about the money you owe and are you wondering what it’s about? You may even be asked; do I pay or ignore Insurance Collections Bureau debt recovery straight away?

If so, this post could help you get through a stressful situation to achieve a better and more positive outcome. Read on to find out more!

Do you have to pay Insurance Collections Bureau?

You might not have to pay Insurance Collections Bureau.

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 is Insurance Collections Bureau Ltd?

Also known as ICB Debt Collection, Insurance Collections Bureau is a debt recovery business based in the UK. The company claims to be the only debt collection agency dedicated to recovering insurance debts.

In short, ICB works with insurance brokers, insurance providers and credit hire businesses to recover what’s owed.

Is ICB Debt Collections legit?

Yes. Insurance Collection Bureau is a legitimate debt recovery company that’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The business is also a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA).

You can find information about the business on the Companies House website and their head office is based in Hertfordshire.

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

What are Credit Hire Companies?

Credit hire companies typically work on a no-win no fee basis so they only charge clients when they recover any costs claimed by another driver’s insurance provider.

Check out what happened to one unfortunate person:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Why Would the Insurance Collections Bureau contact you?

Chances are the Insurance Collections Bureau has contacted you over something you owe another company. So, although you don’t recognise the name on the letterhead, the amount is owed to another creditor!

Do you have an outstanding invoice to an insurance provider? An insurance broker, or may a Credit Hire company? If so, ICB debt collectors may have been asked to recover what you owe!

Can you ignore the Insurance Collections Bureau?

No. It’s never a good idea to ignore the Insurance Collections Bureau because they are persistent. They won’t stop chasing you even if you continue to ignore them. In fact, things just get more expensive and complicated when you do.

For example, ignoring a letter and other correspondence from ICB could mean:

• They are chasing the wrong person because the debt isn’t yours, or
• The debt is far too old to enforce and therefore, statute barred (conditions apply), or
• You already paid and therefore nothing is owed

It also means you could not know that:

• Court proceedings have begun against you, and
• A County Court Judgement (CCJ) is registered on your credit file, and
• Enforcement agents (bailiffs) intend to visit you at home to seize some of your possessions

How should you respond to debt collection agencies?

The first thing you should do is check if the letter is genuine because there are lots of scammers out there. Once you’ve established the letter is from ICB Debt Collectors, the next step is to find out how old it is.

For example, is it too old to enforce? If so, you may not have to fork out anything but some conditions apply to statute-barred debts.

Next, is it really yours or is the debt recovery agency chasing the wrong person?

You should always respond to a debt recovery company even if the above applies. Why? Because even if the debt is statute-barred or it’s not yours, you still need to let ICB know!

So, write to them and inform them of the situation and at the same time, ask them to only communicate with you in writing! This way you have a record of all their communications!

What can debt recovery agencies do?

There are things that debt recovery companies can do and then there are things they can’t legally do.

For example, ICB can:

• Visit you at home, contact you by phone, email, text or letter
• Discuss things with you politely and discreetly
• Ask you to settle what’s owed to them directly

What debt collection services cannot do?

Debt collectors cannot legally do any of the following:

• Harass you with constant phone calls
• Threaten you in any way
• Force their way into your home, seize possessions or clamp your vehicle
• Encourage you to take out another loan
• Infer they have the same powers as court-appointed enforcement officers (bailiffs)
• Show you documents that seem to be issued by the courts
• Talk to your family, neighbours, friends or employer about things
• Discuss things with you using legal jargon just to confuse you

When is a debt statute-barred?

A debt is statute-barred and therefore, too old to enforce if:

• You didn’t admit owing the money in the last six years
• You didn’t do anything towards the amount owed in the last six years
• There isn’t a County Court Judgement in existence

When none of the above applies, ICB Debt Collections can’t force you to settle! Moreover, a court won’t take on cases involving statute-barred debts so you can’t get a CCJ on your credit history!

Is the debt really yours?

Debt collection agencies must prove you owe the money. As such, it’s your right to ask the Insurance Collections Bureau to prove the debt is yours.

Don’t just take their word for it. The evidence must be provided in writing in the form of a Credit Agreement or contract you signed. Plus all copies of agreements or contracts must be authenticated by the original creditor or an authorised person!

What happens if debt collection services can’t prove the debt?

When a debt collection agency can’t provide evidence the debt is yours, they can’t make you pay! Without hard evidence, a court would find it difficult to rule in ICB’s favour.

In short, you could get off paying the debt if a debt recovery company can’t provide an authenticated copy of an agreement you signed!

What if ICB Debt Collectors prove the debt is yours?

You’ll have no choice but to pay the debt recovery company if they prove things and the debt isn’t statute barred!

But before you admit, agree, or sign anything to ICB you should seek advice from a debt expert. You could contact one of the leading UK charities or an independent debt adviser.

Debt recovery companies must give you enough time to assess your situation, seek debt advice and establish which debt solution is best for you!

How do you contact the Insurance Collections Bureau?

As mentioned, it’s best to keep in touch with a debt recovery company even if the debt is old and not yours. Let them know what you’re doing and when you’re seeking debt advice.

I’ve listed how to contact Insurance Collections Bureau below:

Is there any debt help out there?

Yes. There is debt help available. You could contact one of the major charities or an independent expert. Charities provide free debt advice whereas you’d have to pay a private independent debt adviser.

The advice provided could be essential when negotiating a fair settlement plan with the Insurance Collections Bureau.

I’ve listed some of the main UK charities here:

• Money Advice Service
• National Debtline 
• Citizens Advice
• My Money Steps
• 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

Can you complain about the Insurance Collection Bureau?

Yes. It’s your right to complain about the Insurance Collection Bureau if they threaten or harass you over a debt.

This gives the debt collection company the chance to put things right. But if they don’t you can then file a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope I’ve answered the question: do I pay or ignore Insurance Collection debt recovery or not so it saves you time and stress.