Who do Lantern Debt Recovery work for? Should You Pay?

Getting a letter from Lantern Debt Recovery might be a worry for you. You might feel tense about how to deal with this debt collector.

You’re not alone. Every month, more than 12,000 people visit this site looking for guidance on debt-related topics.

In this article, we’ll learn about:

•  Who Lantern Debt Recovery is, and who they work for
•  If you need to pay Lantern Debt Recovery and ways to lower your payments
•  What happens when your debt is proven or not proven
•  The actions Lantern Debt Recovery can take against you
•  How to get in touch with Lantern Debt Recovery and the free debt help available

We know how hard it can be when you owe money; some of us have been in your place. Don’t worry: we’re here to help you find out more about how to deal with Lantern Debt Recovery.

Do you have to pay Lantern Debt Recovery?

You might not have to pay Lantern Debt Recovery.

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 Lantern Debt Recovery?

Lantern UK is a Leeds-based debt recovery company that operates in the UK. Just to confuse things, the company was at one time called Motormile Finance. Their core business centred around car finance at the time and not chasing people for owed debts!

However, the company rebranded itself and now the core business deals with chasing people for alleged debts!

Interestingly, Lantern’s online reviews are positive, unlike many other UK debt collection companies!

Is Lantern Legit?

Yes. Lantern Debt Recovery is a legitimate debt recovery company that’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). They are also members of the Credit Services Association (CSA) and must abide by the Code of Practice.

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 Lantern buy debts?

Yes. Lantern does buy debts from other businesses and creditors on top of chasing debtors on behalf of companies.

The profits on purchased debts are far more interesting to debt recovery companies because they pay pennies in the pound for them. Hence, Lantern’s profit margins are enormous!

Check out what happened to one person who had dealings with Lantern Debt Recovery:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Why would Lantern debt recovery contact you?

Lantern debt recovery may contact you over a debt you owe to another company. Or because they purchased the debt from the company and are chasing you themselves.

It’s worth noting that many debt collection companies buy older debts, some of which have passed their ‘sell by’ date. To clarify, these older debts may be statute barred and therefore, unenforceable!

So, who does Lantern debt recovery work for?

Lantern’s client list is varied and includes many well-known brands and companies. Here are just some of them:

• O2
• EE
• Virgin Media

They also collect debts on the following:

• Payday loans
• Council tax
• Defaults on court fines
• Unpaid private parking tickets
• Outstanding catalogue payments

Should you pay Lantern debt recovery?

Not before you check the debt is yours and that it’s not statute-barred. Only pay the debt when Lantern has provided written proof you owe the money.

Don’t agree, sign, admit or pay anything on the alleged debt until you’ve received written confirmation from Lantern.

Do NOT just accept their word for it!

What is a statute-barred debt?

Before you ask Lantern to prove an owed debt, you should first establish whether it’s too old to enforce. For instance, a debt that’s at least 6 years old is deemed statute barred.

It means a court won’t entertain a case that involves a debt this old. Moreover, you can’t get a County Court Judgement (CCJ) for not paying. And you can’t be made to pay either.

However, it’s worth noting that statute-barred debts don’t just vanish into thin air and could remain on your credit report!

Plus, it must meet specific criteria to be statute barred which I’ve listed here:

• No money was paid towards the debt in the last six years
• Nobody admitted owing the money in the last six years
• There isn’t an existing CCJ regarding the debt

Is the debt yours?

Next, you should ask Lantern to prove the debt is yours if it’s not statute-barred. Debt recovery companies must respect this request and provide authenticated proof. It could be a credit agreement or another contract you signed!

A debt is only enforceable when an authenticated copy of an original Consumer Credit Agreement can be produced!

It’s not good enough for Lantern to simply tell you about an owed debt!

What happens if the debt isn’t proven?

If Lantern can’t provide hard evidence you owe on a debt, they should stop contacting you. In short, without proof, you can’t be made to pay!

You should write to the debt recovery company informing them the debt has passed its limitation period!

What happens when the debt is proven?

If, on the other hand, Lantern proves you owe the money, the next step is to:

• Seek free debt advice from one of the charities
• Provide Lantern with a debt settlement offer

A debt recovery company doesn’t have to accept your offer but they must consider it. Also, Lantern must allow you enough time to assess all your options. This includes what debt solutions are available.

What action can Lantern take against you?

Things get complicated when you don’t respond to Lantern. First, you’d receive lots of messages about an owed debt. This could be followed by a Letter Before Action (LBA) which might be an empty threat. But it may not be too!

Debt recovery companies have the right to take you to court over an owed debt. They could advise their clients to do so if they’re acting on their behalf.

Sometimes the threat is just a tactic to scare you into paying. Other times, it’s not and a CCJ could be registered against you.

Moreover, enforcement agents could visit you and seize possessions to cover what’s owed! You may even end up with a court-issued attachment on your earnings!

How do you contact Lantern Debt Recovery?

You can contact Lantern Debt Recovery in several ways which I’ve listed here:

What free debt help is there?

You should contact one of the UK’s charities if you’re struggling with debt and finding it hard to pay an owed debt to Lantern. These charities provide free debt advice which could be invaluable when you’re dealing with debt recovery companies.

Here are links to some of the main charities:

• Money Advice Service
• 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

Thanks for reading my post. I hope the information helps answer the question, who does Lantern Debt Recovery work for and whether you should pay or not!