Moorcroft Debt Recovery – Should You Pay? 

Have you got a surprise letter from Moorcroft Debt Recovery? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Every month, over 170,000 people visit our site seeking advice on debt issues.

This guide is here to answer your questions:

• Should you pay Moorcroft Debt Recovery?
• What can you do if you can’t afford to pay?
• Can you stop them from calling you?
• How can you check if the debt is really yours?

Research shows that 64% of people in the UK find dealing with debt collectors stressful¹, and some of our team members have also experienced this.

We’re here to share our knowledge and help you understand what’s going on. Let’s figure out your options together!

Why Have You Been Contacted By Them?

If Moorcroft Debt Recovery has contacted you, then it’s probably because they’re working on behalf of a company that you owe money to, or they have purchased the debt from whoever you originally owed money. 

In the case of the debt purchase, they would have bought your debt at a fraction of the price, meaning that they now need to collect from you to make a profit.

Either way, you now have a supposed debt with the Moorcroft Group to confront, so don’t ignore them!

We always recommend responding to debt collectors – even just to question the debt’s validity. You have the right to request proof of the debt. They have to prove it, or they can’t charge you.

Not Sure if You Owe Money?

If you are not sure that you owe the money or think there is a mistake, don’t call Moorcroft up to argue.

Instead, request they provide proof that you owe the money with a letter.

Follow our popular “prove it” guide to understand how to do this – disputing Moorcroft debt claims can be tough so do use our free letter template!

Do You Have to Pay?

If the Moorcroft Group proves you owe any debts to their client, then you will have to pay in most instances. You can do so by heading to the official Moorcroft Dept Recovery login page.

However, there are ways to spread out the cost of repaying your debts, which we will discuss later.

But there are times when you won’t have to pay Moorcroft.

In our experience, this happens most often when the debt is too old to be collected, or in cases of mistaken identity. But there are others, too!

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

Can’t Afford to Pay?

If you can’t afford to pay Moorcroft then you should be honest with them.

This gives them an opportunity to suggest a repayment plan that could work for you. It’s in their best interest to work something out rather than get nothing.

Whatever you do, don’t tell them that you are going to make repayments if you know that you can’t afford them. This will add more stress and complications to the process when you start missing payments.

How to wipe the debt?

There are a couple of ways to write off debt, including settlement offers, statute-barred laws and Debt Relief Orders, IVAs and more.

Any of these can work when dealing with any debt collection company.

Use this five-question calculator to get started with seeing if any of the solutions would work for you. It is possible to write off a substantial sum of your Moorcroft debt in certain circumstances.

What is a Moorcroft Debt Recovery Settlement Figure

Arranging a ‘full and final settlement’ is one way to clear your debt.

A full and final settlement is an agreement between the debtor and the creditor, allowing the debtor to pay a reduced lump sum instead of the full balance. The rest of the debt is then written off.

There is no set settlement figure. This means that you have to make an offer to the creditor in writing.

It is important to note that they are unlikely to accept a low offer. However, they may counter your offer. Before you send any money, ask the creditor to confirm acceptance of your offer.

How Do You Negotiate With Them?

Keep in mind that there are some limitations to any negotiations that you have. It also might be better for your credit score to pay back all your outstanding balance.

But we understand – sometimes paying back all your debt is not possible. If this is the case, you are best of trying to negotiate.

The first thing you need to do if you want to negotiate is work out how much you will be able to afford.

Take a thorough look at your expenses and be realistic about your money. Agreeing to pay back more than you can will just get you into further trouble with Moorcroft or even other debt collection agencies with your other accounts.

Once you understand your budget, you will be able to get a better idea of your best options.

This might be making smaller monthly payments as part of your repayment plan. This is a good option if you cannot pay any outstanding amounts in one go but your debt will be with you for longer.

If you want to get rid of your debt quickly and you can afford to do it, you can make one big payment.

You could also try to negotiate to pay off your debt with a few larger payments when you can afford them. This will get Moorcroft off your back the quickest.

One other option to consider when negotiating is writing off some of your debt and only paying a percentage. This will be your best option if you are facing financial hardship and cannot afford to pay back in larger installments or smaller installments for a long period of time.

Moorcroft will not need all of your debt from you to make a profit. This often means that they will be much more open to you only paying back some of your debt than your original creditor.

It is essential that you get any agreement like the above in writing from Moorcroft before you make a payment to them.

How to Stop Them From Calling You?

Moorcroft Debt Recovery are legally allowed to make some contact with you. These are usually letters they sent to your address. 

But you can issue contact preferences relating to texts or calls. The Moorcroft Group must then adhere to your contact preferences or they are considered to be harassing you. 

You should provide your contact preferences in writing and keep a copy of the letter (do not sign it!).

What Happens If You Don’t Pay?

Ignoring any communication from the Moorcroft Group about unpaid debts is dangerous. They can take legal action, which results in County Court Judgements. 

Ignoring the judge’s order could lead to enforcement agents knocking on your door to repossess items.

These items will then be sold at auction, and the profits will go towards paying off your debt. Keep in mind that at an auction items sell for less than their retail price – in our experience, people underestimate how much will need to be sold to clear their debt.

Any legal action against you if you fail to pay a debt will have a disastrous impact on your credit score and be visible on your credit file.

This will make it very difficult for you to get credit in the future. If you can get credit, you will find that the terms are much less competitive than those of someone with good credit – you will have higher interest rates and larger up-front payment requirements.

Debt is a real problem, and it’s not going anywhere, as Stepchange reports a 25% year-on-year rise in average unsecured debt, reaching £13,941 in 2022². This is why it’s very important to figure out ways to repay your debt as soon as you can.

Are Moorcroft Debt Recovery Bailiffs?

Moorcroft Debt Recovery are not bailiffs.

They might send one of their workers to visit you at home, but they are not enforcement agents (bailiffs). You do not need to ever let them in. 

If they claim to be enforcement agents, then they are breaking the law by pretending to have powers they do not. The Moorcroft Group can only employ these agents to visit you if a judge asks you to pay and you refuse.

Debt Collectors vs Bailiffs

To better understand the main differences between bailiffs and debt collectors, including each one’s rights, please take a look at the table below.

Category	Debt Collectors	Bailiffs
Bank Account Access	Access your bank account – but only after a CCJ has been secured and not complied with.	After the creditor has taken you to court over missed payments, bailiffs/creditors can apply for a third-party debt order to freeze and take control of a bank account.
Leniency	Negotiate a debt settlement. Tip: make sure to get this new arrangement in writing.	If you tell them immediately that you are a vulnerable person, they must treat you with greater consideration and give you more time to respond to any contact.
Re-Selling Debt	Sell your debt if they are unable to collect payment from you.	Call and visit multiple times – there isn’t a set limit on how often they may contact you. If they can’t take any goods to sell or enter your property, they might return with a warrant and force entry to your property.
Visiting Your Home	Conduct home visits (on rare occasions) and knock on your door.	Conduct home visits and can enter without your permission as long as all of the correct legal steps have been taken.
Contact Hours	Contact you by phone or mail. They’re allowed to call whenever they see reasonable without constituting harassment, usually between 8 am and 9 pm.	Can visit your home anytime between 6 am and 9 pm (unless they have a court order that states otherwise).
Permission To Take Belongings	They cannot take anything from your home. They may only ask you to make a payment.	Take goods from inside and outside of your home once all legal steps have been taken. However, they cannot take essential items for domestic living or work purposes.
Court Actions	Threaten to take you to court by suing you for payment on a debt.	Can apply to the court to get permission to use ‘reasonable force’ to enter a home, which could mean breaking in. They have to give details to the court about how they will secure the property afterwards.

What actions will they take?

Moorcroft Debt Recovery can take several steps to recover the money owed, such as sending letters, making multiple phone calls or taking you to court.

But they cannot cause you distress or harass you. You should know your right to fight back!

Some for the guidelines they must follow are:

1. Do not be aggressive, deceptive or coerce you into decisions
2. Treat you with consideration and fairness
3. Provide clear information without the intention to mislead 
4. Discuss solutions with understanding of your situation

How can you make a complaint?

Has the Moorcroft Group or any other debt collection agency broken the law or treated you unfairly? 

If so, it is time to make an official complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). They will investigate your complaint, hear all sides and may even revoke a license to operate. 

The debt help charities listed at the end of this guide can help you lodge a complaint too!

Moorcroft Debt Recovery Email Address and Phone Number

Website:	https://www.mdrl.co.uk/
Phone number:	0161 475 2889 0161 475 2827
Email address:	[email protected]
Postal address:	Po Box 17, 2 Spring Gardens, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 4AJ

References

1. InDebted, Debt Collector Survey.
2. StepChange, Scotland in the Red.

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

CONC 7.9 Contact with customers