1st Locate and LCS Debt Letters: How to Respond

If you’ve received a letter from 1st Locate UK Debt Collection, don’t worry. We know how you might be feeling confused about where this debt has come from, unsure if you should pay it, or worried because you can’t afford to. 

This guide explains how to check the account and understand the options available.

In this article, we’ll explain:

•  Who 1st Locate are.
•  How to check if the debt is really yours.
•  Your options if you can’t or don’t want to pay.
•  Ways to deal with debt collectors.
•  And steps to take if things get serious, like dealing with a CCJ. 

You can ask for written information and obtain free debt advice before agreeing to a payment.

Let’s dive in!

What do they want?

If 1st Locate Debt Collection Agency are on your case about outstanding debt, you would be forgiven for feeling frustrated with their contact. You may even be thinking, ‘who are these guys, and what do they want!’

First Locate is a financial-services outsourcing business that contacts account customers under its LCS trading name. It works for clients and on its own accounts; do not assume every demand means it bought the debt.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

Is this your debt?

The first step in the process is to check if the debt you are being contacted about, is actually yours or if it is, is the value correct.

Ask for a breakdown of the balance. Interest and fees need a proper basis under the agreement and applicable rules; a higher balance does not itself prove the charges are correct.

If you dispute the debt, explain why and ask for an itemised balance and evidence that you are liable. For recovery covered by FCA consumer-credit rules, a valid or potentially valid dispute must be investigated and recovery paused. A generic proof request does not cancel a debt, override an existing court order or extend a court deadline.

What if You Owe the Debt?

Check liability and enforceability before paying, especially for an old or disputed account. For a current enforceable debt, consider payment, an affordable arrangement or advice on other options.

For regulated consumer credit, firms must consider financial difficulty and appropriate forbearance. This does not guarantee acceptance of any instalment offer. Protect essential costs and priority bills.

Read what to do if you can’t pay back your debt.

The appropriate response depends on your current budget and the account, not on a general survey statistic.

What Happens If I Don’t Pay?

Possible consequences depend on the debt and stage reached:

1. Your creditor will send you reminders and then demands if you miss several payments
2. Arrears may lead to a default where the relevant conditions and process apply.
3. If you still don’t pay your debts, your creditor can choose to sell your debt to a debt collection agency or employ an agency to chase you for the missed payments. 
4. A creditor may bring a court claim for an enforceable debt. A CCJ is a possible result of a claim in England and Wales, not the first document in every legal process.

Thousands have already tackled their debt

Every day, our partner, The Debt Advice Service, helps people understand their options for dealing with debt. Their debt advice is free, with no obligation to proceed.

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Visiting your premises

An ordinary collector may make a reasonable doorstep visit, but has no bailiff power to force entry or seize belongings. You can decline to discuss the account at the door and ask the visitor to leave. FCA rules require appropriate notice and consideration of reasonable contact preferences for regulated collection.

If someone threatens violence or you are in immediate danger, contact the police. Otherwise use the firm’s complaints process and seek debt advice about disputed conduct.

How do I Make a Complaint?

If you think that 1st Locate has been unreasonable or behaved inappropriately, you can make a complaint. You can also make a complaint if you feel that they have broken any of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) guidelines.

Make your first complaint to 1st Locate so that they have the chance to sort out the issue themselves. If you feel that they have not taken your complaint seriously enough or have not addressed your issue properly, you can escalate matters.

Complain to the business first. If the activity falls within the Financial Ombudsman Service’s remit, you can normally escalate after a final response or eight weeks without one, usually within six months of the final response. The Ombudsman can require redress, such as compensation or correcting records; it does not fine firms or remove their authorisation.

1st Locate Contact Details

Other Debt Collectors to look for on your Credit Report

There are hundreds of debt collectors in the UK and they each collect for different companies.

It’s surprisingly easy to not notice that you’re in a debt collector’s crosshairs.

I’d suggest you spend time checking your credit report. A sold debt may appear under a new creditor name on your credit report, but not every debt or collector is reported to every credit reference agency.

Some of the biggest to look out for include Cabot, PRA Group, and Lowell.

So if you see anything relating to their names, then you’ll need to investigate further.

References

CONC 7.3 Treatment of customers in default or arrears (including repossessions): lenders, owners and debt collectors

CONC 7.9 Contact with customers