Chandlers Enforcement Agents – Should You Pay The Bailiffs?

Are you feeling worried due to a letter or a visit from Chandlers Enforcement Agents? We understand your concerns. You may be stressed about your belongings being taken away or unsure about dealing with bailiffs. We’re here to help.

Over 170,000 people turn to us each month for guidance on solving debt problems, and believe it or not, Citizens Advice estimate households have around £18.9 billion in unpaid bills like council tax and utilities¹. In this article, we are going to help you learn more about:

•  Who Chandlers Limited are and why they are getting in touch.
•  How to check if the debt they claim is really yours.
•  Ways to stop Chandlers Limited from contacting you.
•  Your rights if Chandlers Limited have taken your goods.
•  Steps you can take if you’ve been contacted by Chandlers Limited.

Our team has a wealth of knowledge from providing information to people in similar situations. We know it can be scary when you’re dealing with debt collectors. We’re here to give you the best advice, so you can handle this situation with confidence.

Let’s get started on finding a way to make the situation easier for you.

Why Are They Getting in Touch?

If you have not had the pleasure of dealing with Chandlers Limited Bailiffs before, you may want to find out more about them, including if they are actually legitimate. Chandlers Limited bailiffs are an authorised company, and if they reach out to you, you should speak to them.

These are some of the most likely reasons they may be contacting you:

• You have debts you have failed to pay back to businesses or individuals
• You have unpaid tax bills from HMRC
• You have failed to pay your payday loans or credit cards
• You have defaulted on court fines

Although you don’t have the original debt with Chandlers Limited bailiffs, another company will have passed it over to them to deal with, so they do have the right to chase you about it. The debt is usually passed by these organisations when they have exhausted their efforts to get payment from you and don’t wish to deal with it anymore.

Some likely companies who use debt collectors include:

• Gas and electricity companies such as NPower or United Utilites
• Mobile phone companies or broadband companies, such as Virgin Media
• Local council parking tickets or other debt

It is more worthwhile for Chandlers Limited bailiffs to buy the debt in bulk, rather than individually. They start making a profit when you make payments, and they can remove goods from your home to cover the debt, if you are unable to pay it. They lose money if you don’t pay, and this is why they are usually so eager to get it.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

What Actions Should You Take?

If you have been contacted by Chandlers Limited about your outstanding debt, these are some things you should do to deal with the situation:

Speak to them

You should never ignore calls or letters from Chandlers Limited, as tempting as it may be. The debt won’t magically disappear, and even if you ignore them, they will keep coming back. Chandlers Limited may even decide to charge you an extra fee if they need to deal with the debt. These fees include:

• Compliance – £75. If they end up having to send an enforcement notice with a request for payment
• Enforcement – £235 (or 7.5% over £1500). This is the cost they may charge for visiting your property and taking some goods
• Sale of goods – £110 (or 7.5% over £1500). The charge for removing goods and selling them on to cover the cost of the debt.

If you don’t owe the debt or you have already paid it, you should always respond to the contact from Chandlers Limited before they end up sending someone to visit you at home. You should get confirmation that is your debt in the first instance, and take the most appropriate action to deal with it.

The FCA state that a bailiff must not misrepresent their authority or legal position, and cannot suggest that an action may be taken where it legally can’t².

Get confirmation of the debt

Make sure you get confirmation that this is your debt, before you make any payments towards it. You should also make sure it is accurate. It may be that Chandlers Limited have contacted the wrong person about the debt, or you they may have failed to update their records. If you update them, they will stop pursuing you for the debt.

You can write to Chandlers and ask for evidence that you are liable for the debt using my free ‘prove it’ letter template.

Statute-barred debt

If it has been 6 years – or 5 years in Scotland – since you last paid towards your unsecured debts and you have not written to your creditor about your debt during this time, it is statute-barred.

This means that the debt is not enforceable. It still technically exists, and you still technically owe the money, but there is no legal way for you to be forced to pay or for the debt to be enforced.

Keep in mind that not all debts become statute-barred!

Any HMRC debts, for example, will stay enforceable for decades. Any debt that had a County Court Judgement (CCJ) attached to it during the 5 or 6-year window it will be enforceable for the duration of the CCJ. 

If your debt is statute-barred, you can use my free letter template to write to Chandlers and explain the situation.

If you are unsure about the status of your debt, you can contact a debt charity for some advice. Their advisors will be able to look at the debt in question, determine its status, and advise you on your next steps.

Clearing the debt

If you owe the money, and the information you have received from Chandlers Limited is accurate, and they are able to provide proof, you must arrange to pay it. If you are financially able, the best step is, of course, to completely clear off your debt. When you do this, you won’t need to hear from the company anymore. You should ask them to provide a receipt to prove you have paid it.

You have other options if you can’t pay the entire amount. You can agree on a suitable repayment plan by contacting Chandlers Limited and advising them of your financial situation. They should be willing to help you reach a suitable arrangement to repay the debt.

How Do You Deal with a Visit from them?

You do not have an obligation to let bailiffs into your property, unless you have serious debts, such as unpaid court fines. Chandlers Limited may tell you that you need to let them in, but this isn’t true. They are only allowed to force entry if there are tax debts or other serious types of debts. They should also be able to provide you with paperwork to back up any claims. They may decide to use the services of a locksmith, but they do not have the right to break your door down.

If an agent from Chandlers Limited comes to your door, or any other bailiff for that matter, you should insist that they provide you with identification. These are some typical types of identification they should be able to provide you with:

• Proof of their identity, such as a badge, ID card etc
• Proof of who they’re representing (such as, Chandlers Limited)
• Proof of what you owe, including a breakdown with fees and charges details
• Proof of their ability to force entry, such as writ or warrant

Don’t worry about having to let them in to provide these documents, you can just request that they slip these through the letterbox, and you can take your time to look at them. You should make sure all the information is correct and up-to-date.

If the paperwork suggests that they don’t have the right to enter your property, you have the right to ask them to leave. You can then contact the Chandlers Limited head office in order to arrange the payment. If the company are contacting you about debt that doesn’t belong to you, you may request that they leave, and you can contact the head office to update them.

If you don’t speak to the head office and either pay, arrange to pay or prove that the debt does not belong to you, you can guarantee that they will just keep visiting and contacting you until you deal with it.

What Rights Do You Have if They Have Taken Your Goods?

It may be too late, you may have not understood your rights and Chandlers Limited might have already taken some of your goods to cover the debt payment. Don’t worry, all is not lost, there are still steps you can take, but you must act now.

Our financial expert, Janine Marsh, advises: ‘If a bailiff has proven you owe money and you don’t have cash to hand, you’re within your rights to suggest a payment plan. It’s not a guarantee, but many will accept this as it’s easier than repossession. The other option you have is to buy the goods back, as this will clear off the debt.

If the enforcement agent from Chandlers Limited failed to adhere to the necessary regulations, you may be able to get the goods back, without even having to pay anything. You may wish to contact Citizens Advice for further guidance about this.

Here’s a quick table summarizing your bailiff rights, so you always have an edge over the situation.

Bailiffs Can	But They Can’t
Call and visit your home multiple times, any day of the week.	Visit your workplace (if you are not self-employed)
Take items from your home. These items have to be considered ‘luxury’.	Take essential items from your home. This includes beds, clothing, and work equipment.
Use ANPR technology and DVLA information to locate your car and take it.	Enter your home without permission unless they have a warrant to force entry for a CCJ.
Peacefully enter your property.	Harass or threaten you.
Issue notices to those who owe a debt.	Take items that belong to someone else. However, they may be able to seize jointly owned property.
Offer to conduct a Virtual Controlled Goods Agreement (rather than in-person). This will typically be offered to vulnerable people.	Sell goods they have seized at auction until seven clear days have passed.

How to Stop Them From Getting in Touch

Chandlers Limited bailiffs are liked to send you letters and even keep calling you to try and get payment. They might even visit your home in an attempt to get you to pay up.

You should never ignore them, as they won’t stop, even if you do. You should always deal with your debt problems.

There are also instances when bailiffs such as Chandlers Limited bailiffs will issue notices and summons. If they are planning to visit your home, they would be required to give you 7 days’ notice of their plans.

The best way to avoid this visit altogether is to pay your debt, or at least, reach an agreement to pay it.

They can’t just do as they please though! These are some things they can’t do:

• They cannot send letters that look like court forms
• They must not contact you at hours which would be deemed as ‘unsociable’. Such as very early morning or late at night
• They cannot contact you at work, if you have told them not to
• They should not try to confuse you with jargon and technical terms

If you want to speak to Chandlers Limited bailiffs and try and resolve the situation, you will find their details either on the correspondence they have sent you, or alternatively take a look on their website. As long as you speak to them, you should be able to avoid facing any further charges and interest.

If you do not owe this debt, you should ask them to prove and give evidence of the debt. The Financial Conduct Authority’s guidelines have more information on this.

Can I Get a Debt Solution?

If you have unsecured debts and are worried about paying them or a visit from Chandlers Enforcement, you might benefit from a debt solution.

There are several different debt solutions available in the UK, so I recommend speaking to a debt charity as soon as possible. Their advisors will be able to look at your finances in detail and help you work out which debt solution will work best for you.

I have linked a few charities that offer these advisory services for free below.

Debt Management Plan (DMP)

A DMP is an informal debt solution that lets you pay off your debts via a single monthly payment.

Because it is informal, it is not legally binding so you are not tied into a DMP for a minimum number of payments.

Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)

An IVA is a formal agreement between you and your creditors. You agree to pay a monthly sum that is distributed amongst your debts, and your creditors agree not to contact you during your IVA.

IVAs typically last for 5 or 6 years, and any outstanding debt is wiped off when it ends.

Keep in mind that IVAs are not suitable for everyone. You need to owe several thousand pounds to more than one creditor to be eligible. You also need to demonstrate that you have some disposable income every month.

Trust Deed

IVAs are not available in Scotland. Instead, you will need to opt for a Trust Deed.

Trust Deeds work in the same way as an IVA – you pay an agreed sum each month that is shared amongst your creditors, they can’t contact you, and any leftover debt at the end of your Trust Deed term is written off.

Debt Relief Order (DRO)

A DRO is a good option for those facing financial hardship with no assets and little income.

For 12 months, you make no payments, but your creditors freeze your interest and don’t contact you.

If your finances haven’t improved during this year, you may be able to write off your unsecured debts.

Bankruptcy

If you have debts but no realistic possibility of ever paying them off, you may need to declare bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy has an unfair stigma attached to it as it may be your only way of getting a financial fresh start. That said, it is a serious financial situation that should not be taken lightly.

Sequestration

Sequestration is the Scottish version of bankruptcy.

If you have little income and no valuable assets, you may be able to apply for a minimal asset process bankruptcy (MAP). A MAP is a quicker, cheaper, and more straightforward version of sequestration, so worth considering.

How do I Complain?

If you think that Chandlers Enforcement 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 Civil Enforcement Association’s (CIVEA) Code of Best Practice.

Make your first complaint to Chandlers Enforcement 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.

You can make any secondary complaint to the CIVEA. They will investigate your complaint thoroughly and provide you with a report if your complaint is upheld. If Chandlers Enforcement behaviour was very poor, they may be fined, and you could even be owed compensation.

Chandlers Limited Contact Details

Website:	https://www.chandlers.ltd.uk/
Post:	Chandlers House 2 Southlands Road, Bromley Kent, BR2 9QP
Phone number:	0208 290 0866
Fax number:	0208 290 0868
Email address:	[email protected]
Opening hours:	Monday to Friday 8.00am – 8.00pm (excluding Bank Holidays) Saturday 9.00am – 5.00pm Sunday 9.00am – 5.00pm

References

1. Citizens Advice – Debt Statistics and Bailiff Issues
2. FCA Handbook – CONC 7

Schedule 12, Tribunals, Courts and Enforcements Act, 2007

Part 1, Regulation 10, Certification of enforcement agents, 2014.

Gov.uk, CPR – Rules and Directions, 2018.