Should I Pay or Ignore Wescot Debt Recovery?

Should I pay or ignore Wescot Debt Recovery? It’s a question asked by many. If you’re worried about letters you receive about a debt, this post is for you.

I explain who Wescot is, whether they’re regulated and how you should deal with them when they get in touch. Read on to find out more!

Do you have to pay Wescot Debt Recovery?

You might not have to pay Wescot 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 are Wescot Credit Services?

Wescot Credit Services is the same company as Wescot Debt Recovery. As the name suggests, they earn a living as debt collectors. Their registered office address is in Hull.

Is Wescot legit?

Yes. Wescot is a legitimate debt collection agency and a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA). Like all debt recovery companies, Wescot is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

So, when they get in touch with you, their agents must follow the law and the CSA Code of Practice! Sadly, this is not always the case.

You have the right to complain about Wescot when they fail to follow the legislation that governs them. That said, you must file a complaint with them before contacting the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

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

Who uses Wescot Debt Recovery Limited?

Wescot has an impressive client list which includes the following:

• High Street banksTelecommunications
• Internet providers
• Credit card company
• Electricity providers

Wescot’s clients pass a debtor’s details onto them so they can chase them for payment. For example, credit card providers may employ Wescot to chase you for payment

Does Wescot buy debts?

Yes. Wescot does buy debts which are typically older ones. That said, like many other debt recovery companies, they buy the debts in bulk for a fraction of their true value!

Why is Wescot Credit Services Limited contacting you?

Wescot is probably contacting you over an unpaid debt you owe to another business. However, there’s also a strong possibility the debt collection agency purchased the debt.

In short, they could be chasing payment themselves and not on behalf of a client.

How does Wescot contact you?

You’ll likely get a letter from Wescot about an unpaid debt. It should contain all the details of the debt which should include:

• Customer’s details (the creditor)
• Reference number
• The amount owed

Often, the first letter is quite threatening. For example, it possibly says ‘pay the outstanding within so many days or face court action’.

You should respond to the letter whether you owe money or not. Ignoring things won’t make Wescot go away!

Check out what happened to one person Wescot contacted:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Should you ignore a debt collection agency?

No. It’s never a good idea to ignore a debt collection company whether you owe the money or not. Things could escalate quite quickly and you could end up harming your credit file. You could get a County Court Judgement levied against you.

Not only that, but you could also miss out on:

• Finding out the debt is statute-barred which means it’s too old to enforce through the courts
• Discovering the debt is someone else’s and not yours at all!
• Being offered an affordable repayment schedule which you can afford
• Having part of the debt wiped off makes it easier to pay off!

What can debt collectors legally do?

There are things Wescot can legally do and things which are unlawful. For example, you could get a lot of phone calls from them.

 I’ve listed what Wescot can do here:

• Contact you about a debt you allegedly owe whether by letter, phone, email, text or in person
• Discuss the debt with you discreetly and politely
• Ask you to pay them the amount owed directly whether in full or in instalments

What can’t debt collectors do?

Debt collectors must abide by the law and the Code of Practice as set out by the Credit Services Association (CSA).

The things they cannot do when they contact you are detailed below:

• Force entry into your property
• Urge you to take out further loans to repay what’s owed
• Make out they have the same powers as enforcement officers
• Discuss a debt with your friends, neighbours, employer or family
• Seize your possessions or clamp your vehicle
• Use legal jargon to confuse you
• Show you documents that appear to be court issued when they are not
• Harass or threaten you

Can you prevent Wescot from contacting you?

You can’t prevent Wescot from getting in touch with you because they have the legal right to. However, you have the right to dictate when and how a debt collector contacts you.

For example, you may prefer to correspond with them in writing so you have records of everything that transpires.

As such, you should write to Wescot telling them to only communicate with you in writing. The debt collector must respect your wishes and if they continue to contact you with constant phone calls, it could be deemed harassment!

Will Wescot take you to court?

If Wescot owns the debt, they could start legal proceedings to recover the money owed. If, however, the debt collector is working on behalf of a client, they could advise said client to take you to court.

Either way, there’s never any guarantee they won’t start legal proceedings. In short, it’s risky to ignore a debt collector over a debt. If they win a case in court, you’d be ordered to pay.

You could end up with a County Court Judgement on your credit file!

Moreover, if you don’t pay, court-appointed enforcement officers could knock on your door. They may seize some of your possessions and sell them at auction to pay off the debt!

In a worst-case scenario, you could end up with an attachment on your earnings or bank account!

Should you pay a Wescot Credit Services debt?

No. Not straight away. First, you should check that all the details in the letter are correct. Next, check if the debt is still current or if it is statute-barred which means it can’t be enforced.

After this, write to Wescot asking them to prove you owe the money. Send the letter by registered post and keep a copy for your records.

Debt collection agencies must provide proof you actually owe the money. They can’t just tell you they ‘know’ the debt is yours.

The proof must be an authenticated copy of a Credit Agreement or contract you signed!

What if Wescot can’t prove the debt?

When Wescot can’t provide you with hard evidence you owe money either to them or an original creditor, that’s it! You can’t be made to pay.

In short, without the right authenticated proof the debt is yours, Wescot can’t pursue the debt. As such, they should stop contacting you and if they don’t, file a complaint against them.

First, lodge a complaint with Wescot. Then contact the Office for Fair Trading and the Financial Ombudsman!

What if Wescot proves the debt is yours?

You should seek advice from a debt expert if Wescot proves the debt is yours. Debt collection companies must allow you enough time to seek advice and assess the best solution.

However, stay in touch with the debt collector and let them know the situation.

Once you’re happy with the advice provided by a debt expert, you can then approach Wescot with a debt settlement offer. They don’t have to accept your offer, but they must consider it and not turn it down out of hand.

What is a fair debt settlement amount?

A fair debt settlement amount is typically 75% of the original debt. So, this could be a good starting point.

However, don’t admit, sign, or agree to anything until you’ve sought advice from a debt expert. Whether it’s one of the leading debt charities or an independent debt adviser!

Can you complain about Wescot Credit Services?

Yes. You have every right to complain about Wescot Credit Services when they act inappropriately in any way.

If a debt collection agent threatens/harasses you, or they use unlawful tactics, you must file a complaint with Wescot before contacting the Financial Ombudsman Services!

How do you contact Wescot debt collection?

You should always stay in touch with Wescot Credit Services when they contact you. Even if you don’t owe the money, keep in contact and ask them to prove the debt is yours!

With this in mind, I’ve listed their contact details here:

What debt advice is available in the UK?

If you’re struggling with debt, you’re not alone. More people have fallen into debt thanks to the pandemic and the rise in the cost of living. You shouldn’t try to cope on your own or brush the problem under the carpet.

Instead, you should seek free debt advice from one of the leading UK charities to discuss debt solutions. Their advice could help get you back on track with your finances!

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

• Citizens Advice
• National debt line
• StepChange

“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

Lastly, should I pay or ignore Wescot Debt Recovery?

You shouldn’t ignore Wescot because the problem doesn’t go away. Moreover, ignoring the situation just makes things more complicated. Plus you may miss out on important details about the debt.

For example, it could be too old to enforce, or maybe it’s not your debt at all. Even if you owe the money, you should ask Wescot to prove the debt is yours. It gains you a little time if you need to sort out your finances to sort out the debt owed!

Don’t ignore debt collectors though, because it just makes matters worse!

That said, if the debt is yours, try to negotiate a fair debt settlement offer. But first, discuss your options with one of the debt charities. Their free advice could make the whole situation less stressful when you have outstanding debts!

Once you’re happy with a settlement plan, you should pay Wescot Credit Services and make sure you keep up with instalments! A failure to keep up with payment could mean the agreement with the debt collection agency is null and void.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope the information helps answer the question, should I pay or ignore Wescot Debt Recovery so you achieve a better outcome!