Collect Services Enforcement Agency
If you’ve ever had a letter from an enforcement agency or a visit from a bailiff, you’ll understand exactly how stressful it can become.
We’ve got a range of advice and explanations into how a company such as Collect Services is allowed to behave when they’ve been employed to recover the money you owe.
We’ll answer the most common questions we get asked on a daily basis. If there’s any other information specific to your situation that you’d like to know more about, our resident debt expert, TAD, is ready and waiting to hear from you.
This page is designed to answer the following questions:
- What can a bailiff do that a standard debt collector can’t?
- Is a bailiff entitled to take all of my belongings?
- What other solutions could I consider?
- What are my rights?
- What rights does the bailiff have?
For advice regarding specific situations, we’ve got all the information you need. Talk to TAD today to help you get your finances under control and back on track.
The golden rule when dealing with any bailiff
Never give the bailiff access to your home or your belongings.
In simple terms: DON’T LET THEM IN.
You don’t have to grant a bailiff access to your property—so don’t.
If they can’t come in, they can’t take anything away. A bailiff cannot make a list when they can’t see your belongings, even from what they can see through the window.
Be careful though—they will use everything they’ve learned to get past you, and once they’re in, you’ll have a tough job getting rid of them until they’ve got what they came for.
Collect Services contact details:
Company Name: Collect Services
Other Names: Collect Services Bailiffs, Collect Services Enforcement, Collect Services Ltd.
Address:
Montague Place
Quayside
Chatham
Maritime
Chatham
ME4 4QU
Main Contact Number(s): 01895 62 66 62
Fax: 020 8290 0868
Website: www.collectservices.com
Email: info@collectservices.com
Opening hours:
Monday–Friday: 8:00am–6:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am–1:00pm
Who is Collect Services?
Collect Services provide debt collection and bailiff services for Local Authority clients through the country. They have over 40-years of experience and manage over 100k cases a year, making around 4k calls a week utilising modern digital methods.
The Ministry of Justice regulates all bailiffs and enforcement agencies.
Why would Collect Services contact you?
Collect Services recover:
- Unpaid parking charges for over 30 Local Authorities
- Council Tax arrears
- Unpaid business rates
- Overpaid housing benefit
- Former tenant arrears
- Commercial rent arrears
- Other sundry debt
If you have failed to pay any of the above or are in arrears with an existing account, Collect Services has the power to chase you for that money on behalf of their client.
They are highly motivated and will use every skill and strategy in the book to recover the money owed.
If they can’t help you to find a suitable payment plan or solution, they are granted the power to make a list of property they can remove to sell toward the outstanding amount.
Items Collect Services can take from you:
- Money/cash
- Your vehicle
- Luxury items
- Electrical goods
- Televisions
- Games consoles
- Joint-owned items
- Jewellery
- Antiques
Items Collect Services can’t take from you:
- Clothes, food and other daily essential items
- Necessary electrical appliances, i.e., cooker, fridge, freezer
- Work tools and equipment up to £1,350 in value
- Landline telephone or mobile phone
- Dining tables and chairs for the occupants of your home
- Heating appliances
- Lighting appliances
- Pets or assistance dogs
- Belongings owned by someone else living in your home, i.e., your partner’s computer, children’s toys, etc.
It can be almost impossible at times to prove ownership of specific items, so anything you’d like to keep from the bailiffs should be removed from your property, or hidden, before their visit.
If the bailiff can’t lay their hands on an item, which must be removable and not built into the property, they can’t take it to sell.
Would you like to ask a question about a specific item or about something that we haven’t already mentioned? Get in touch right away—we’ll be happy to help.
What happens to the goods Collect Services take from you?
Procedure dictates that the removed goods will be sold and the money they accrue will be used to pay towards what you owe.
However, before the bailiff takes anything, they will create a Controlled Goods Agreement. This is a list of the items they intend to remove and sell if you don’t find a way to repay the money in question.
Selling your belongings is the last resort. They’d rather help you find a more appropriate and simpler way to pay back what’s owed. If they do arrange to remove your personal property, you should do your utmost to find a way to pay what you owe before they start the process and charge you for the pleasure.
If you’d like to find about the alternatives available, TAD can explain them to you and let you know which is the best option in your situation.
What happens when Collect Services want to take your car?
If your car is easily accessible and the bailiffs are able to take it, they will—unless you take the necessary steps to stop this.
They can’t remove a car parked in a private car park, on your neighbour’s driveway or in somebody else’s garage.
You could hide your car or park it somewhere the bailiff would never think to look for it. If they can’t find it, they can’t force you to tell them where it is.
