Shakespeare Martineau Debt Recovery – Must You Pay?

Receiving a surprise letter from Shakespeare Martineau Debt Recovery can be a bit scary. But don’t worry. We’re here to help make things clearer.

You might be wondering, “Is this debt really mine?”, “Do I have to pay it?”, “What will happen if I can’t pay?”

We’re happy to guide you! Each month, over 170,000 people come to us for help with debt problems. 

In this article, we will explain:

•  How to find out if the debt is really yours
•  Steps to take if you can’t afford to pay
•  Ways to stop Shakespeare Martineau from bothering you too much
•  Options to set up a payment plan or get some of your debt written off.

We understand what you’re going through, as research shows that nearly half of the individuals who deal with debt collection agencies have experienced harassment or aggression¹. Our team includes people who have dealt with debt collectors before. So, we know how to help you handle this. Let’s get started!

What do they want?

Debt collection collection is a lucrative industry, as so many people suffer from debt problems these days. Debt collectors will purchase debt at a very low cost, and they can make a decent profit if they manage to collect the debt payments. They can also lose some money on accounts if they don’t have any luck getting the money.

Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection may be making contact with you as they have bought the debt from the original creditor you took out the credit with. They are trying to get the debt paid and to make a bit of money!

Research shows that the average unsecured debt has increased by 25% year-on-year, rising to £13,941². This means that debt collection is and likely will remain a very profitable endeavor in the future, so, sadly, Shakespeare Martineau won’t stop pursuing your debt any time soon.

How do I know that this is my debt?

A debt collector like Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection contacting you out the blue is bound to raise a few concerns. They might be chasing you about debt you don’t even recognise. It is, therefore, vital that you find out exactly where this debt came from. It may have been sent to you in error, or you may have cleared it already.

It is highly likely that the value looks completely different to what you remember, if you do in fact recall the debt.

Ask Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection where the debt originated, and request that they send the credit agreement, or at least a copy of it. There is no reasonable reason why they can’t provide this, and if they don’t, you would be within your rights not to pay the debt. You may even be due a refund if they are contacting you when they shouldn’t be!

Follow our ‘prove it’ guide with letter templates and get them to prove that you owe the money.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

I’ve found out that it’s legitimate – what do I do now?

If you have received written confirmation that the debt is yours, you should repay it as soon as possible. It might not be possible to pay the entire amount in one go, so there is the option of setting up a repayment plan. You shouldn’t pay the entire debt, if you will be left without funds. Only clear the debt if you can reasonably afford to do so.

Could they really ruin my life?

We’d like to think that we can trust debt collectors and that they would stick to the law, but not all debt collectors do this. Some will use the most outrageous tactics to get payment. They will try and pressure debtors, bully them, and belittle them as a result of their debt.

Debtors have reported all kinds of issues when dealing with debt collectors. They have reported feelings of distress, anxiety, and depression. Some have even felt suicidal because of debt collectors. Some say they are worried when the door goes or the phone rings; others feel in a constant state of distress.

The Debt Support Trust reported that as many as 50% of people will debt will have suicidal thoughts – a staggering statistic. Debt collectors have even contributed to these feelings, and they are well aware of this.

Know Your Rights

To protect yourself against abuse of authority and malicious debt collection conduct, it’s important that you know your rights and those of the debt collectors visiting/contacting you. Here’s a quick table summarizing all you need to know.

Debt Collectors Can	But They Can’t
Contact you by phone or mail.	Call you after 9pm or before 8am.
Conduct home visits (on rare occasions) and knock on your door.	Forbily enter your home, or stay if you ask them to leave.
Threaten to take you to court by suing you for payment on a debt.	Harrass you, including threats of violence, repeated calls and visits, or abusive language.
Negotiate a debt settlement. Tip: make sure to get this new arrangement in writing.	Visit your workplace.
Access your bank account, but only after a court judgment has been made.	Take anything from your home or threaten to do so.
Sell your debt.	Speak to other people about your debt without your permission.
Contact you frequently.	Keep doing so if you request that they reduce communications.

What regulations are they required to follow?

As there are so many debt collection agencies not operating in a proper, legitimate way, the Office for Fair Trading had no choice but to put some guidelines in place for the industry. Debt collectors have a responsibility to abide by these rules. These are some of the rules and regulations that Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection are supposed to adhere to.

The key rules:

• They are not allowed to be deceitful to debtors, and should always treated them fairly, without coercion or any other abusive tactics
• They should always be clear and concise with the information they provide to debtors
• They must show consideration to debtors and be sympathetic to their situation
• They should act proportionately, depending on the situation the debtor finds themselves

Are you concerned about your dealings with Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection? Do you feel that they are not abiding by these rules? Are they being unclear, abusive or just not showing consideration to you? If the answer is yes, you would be within your rights to complain to the Financial Ombudsman. They may get their license removed.

Janine, our financial expert, explained that while debt collectors can visit your home for payments, they cannot come to your workplace, act threateningly, force payment, or discuss your finances with others. If they violate these rules, you can complain.

What you need to know

You need to be armed with knowledge if you want to be able to deal with Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection and defend yourself against them. These are some key facts that are worth knowing about debt collectors in general.

They only make money when you pay

Debt collectors like Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection may purchase the debt at a low cost, and get a great deal, but without any payments, they lose money. They usually have agents who have targets and incentives, as this motivates them to make money for the agency, and as a result, they start to make a profit.

You will be able to understand why they can be so keen and persistent with getting the payments, and it might go some way to explaining why it can turn to abusive behaviour.

They won’t give up

As tempting as it may be to stuff the letters you receive from Shakespeare Martineau Debt Collection straight into the bin, or ignore the calls that you receive, this won’t stop them from contacting you. If you can be sure about one thing, it is that debt collectors will never give up.

Not until all avenues are exhausted and the relevant time has expired. Regardless of how many times you try to ignore them, they will keep coming back!

Not giving up and hassling you are often one in the same with debt collectors. If you are being contacted an excessive amount, you should keep a note of all the contact you receive. It may be worth reporting them to the FCA.

Dealing with attitudes

If you are quite a quiet person, coming into contact with an aggressive agent can be quite dramatic. Unfortunately, this tends to happen frequently in the debt collection industry. The agents often start the conversation pleasantly enough, but they may become quite abusive when they understand you won’t be making a payment.

This affects their targets, and their bonuses and it can cause them to act in a way they really shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t take this personally, but equally, you shouldn’t just put up with it. If you are facing these issues, you should make a complaint against the debt collection agency.

They could discuss your debt with others

Hard to believe really, but some debt collectors go as far as to discuss the debt with others. Even if this is a family member, it is completely unacceptable. The only person they should discuss the debt with is you, and you alone! If they do this, they are breaching all sorts of laws, including privacy laws. You should consider reporting them for this.

Deceit is common

Debtors tend to get more scared about the word ‘bailiff’ than ‘debt collector’, which is why some debt collectors just pretend to be a bailiff. This is deceitful and could worry the debtor unnecessarily. They may even stoop as low as to say they are calling from a court. Anything they can do to get payment from you is acceptable in their books.

Don’t worry though, they do not have the right to act like a bailiff, and certainly not to lie or deceive you. Don’t like them make you feel under threat in any way. Contact the police if you do, and they will speak to the debt collection agency for you.

How do I get rid of it?

You can get rid of the debt by paying it, or another alternative is an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA.) With this, you reach an amicable agreement to pay your debt in one affordable monthly payment, and some will be written off after a specific period has elapsed.

Debt collection agencies have been told to stick to the regulations, as they are specific to the industry. There has been warnings from the government, as well as professional bodies, but some just discard the laws. There is no way of knowing who is operating in this way, unless you report them to the Financial Ombudsman.

Other Debt Collectors 

You should check for more outstanding debts that you may have with other companies or debt collectors. Here are four steps you could take: 

1. Check your credit report for other defaults 
2. Check your email and post for reminders or overdue notices
3. Check the court records for CCJs against you
4. Check your bank statements for the names of other debt collectors 

There are hundreds of debt collectors in the UK and each works with different companies to collect debts.

For example, Cabot Financial have been known to collect for the DVLA while Lowell Financial and PRA Group buy debts from various credit card companies like Barclaycard.

If you see a name on your bank statement that you don’t recognise then you can search MoneyNerd to see if they’re a debt collector. 

Shakespeare Martineau Contact Details

Phone:	0330 024 0333
Address:	Birmingham 60 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0HR T: + 44 (0)20 7264 4444 Bristol 6 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4JE T: 0117 906 9400 Edinburgh First Floor, 15 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JE T: 0330 024 0333 Leicester Shakespeare Martineau Two Colton Square Leicester LE1 1QH T: + 44 (0)116 254 5454 Lincoln Waterfront House, Waterfront Plaza Nottingham NG2 3DQ T: 0330 024 0333 E: [email protected] London 60 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0HR T: + 44 (0)20 7264 4444 Milton Keynes II Exchange Square 21 North Fourth Street Milton Keynes MK9 1HL T: + 44 (0)1908 696 002 Nottingham Waterfront House Waterfront Plaza Nottingham NG2 3DQ T: + 44 (0)115 945 3700 Sheffield Omega Court 360 Cemetery Road Sheffield S11 8FT T: + 44 (0)114 478 6599 Solihull 2nd Floor Radcliffe House Blenheim Court Solihull West Midlands B91 2AA T: + 44 (0)121 705 8151 Stratford Bridgeway House Bridgeway Stratford upon Avon CV37 6YX T: + 44 (0)1789 416 400 Stratford upon Avon Bridgeway House Bridgeway Stratford upon Avon CV37 6YX T: + 44 (0)1789 416 400
Website:	https://www.shma.co.uk/

References

1. InDebted, Debt Collectors Survey
2. StepChange, Statistics Yearbook December 2022

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

CONC 7.9 Contact with customers