Flint Bishop Debt Recovery – Must You Pay?

Are you feeling worried about a letter from Flint Bishop Debt Recovery? You’ve come to the right place. Every month, more than 170,000 people turn to our website for advice on debt issues.

In this helpful guide, we’ll help you:

•  Understand who Flint Bishop is.
•  Find out why they might be seeking money from you.
•  Learn if Flint Bishop is a real debt collector.
•  Decide whether you need to pay back Flint Bishop.
•  Explore ways to possibly write off some of your Flint Bishop debt.

We know that dealing with debt can be concerning. In fact, research shows that 64% of people in the UK find interactions with current debt collectors stressful¹.

Don’t worry; we’re here to help you learn how to handle this situation with Flint Bishop Debt Recovery.

Why are Flint Bishop chasing you?

If Flint Bishop have got it touch with you, either via a letter or a phone call, it means that they’re acting on behalf of a business that believes you owe them money.

It might be something you already know that you’re behind on repaying, or it could be an old debt that you’d forgotten about or didn’t even realise was outstanding.

It also could be a mistake, particularly if it is regarding an older debt. It could be that Flint Bishop has mistaken you for someone else who did owe money, or maybe it’s an old debt that you did settle, but an administration error means it hasn’t been recorded.

If you’re confident this is the case then don’t pay, but also make sure you speak to Flint Bishop immediately to clear up the issue or it could result in penalties further down the line.

You can request proof that the debt is yours by using our free ‘prove it’ letter template.

Remember, you don’t have to pay a debt that can’t be proved as yours.

Typical Debt Collection Process

If you’ve missed a payment, Flint Bishop will call or send letters. This is completely normal, as it’s part of the initial stage of the debt collection process.

We’ve put together this table to help you better understand the stages and actions involved in the debt collector timeline. For more information, please read our specialized guide.

Stage	Actions	What you should do:
Missing one or two small payments	Calls and letters from the debt collector asking for payment. They may enquire about reasons for missing payments.	Contact the debt collector and offer to pay what you can. If you are struggling to pay the debt, get in touch with us to explore your options.
Missing large or multiple payments	Their contact will become more frequent, urgent, and threatening.	Contact the debt collection agency and offer to pay what you can. You may also make a complaint if you think the letters are a form of harassment.
Debt collector visit	After a few months, if the debt is significant (£200+) you will receive notice of a debt collector visit. They have to notify you before arriving. Debt collectors cannot take anything from your home – they may only ask for payment.	If a debt collector shows up at your home, ask them to show proof of the debt and their ID through a window. Do not open your door or let them in. You can arrange a payment plan with the debt collector, but make sure to get a receipt of this.
Court	If you still do not pay your debts to the original lender/debt collector agency, they will take you to court and either attempt to: – File a CCJ against you. – File an attachment of earnings order. – File a lawsuit against you.	You must show up to your court date. From here, you can either dispute the debt, or the judge will likely suggest a manageable repayment plan for you.

Should you repay?

The simple answer is yes.

If you are already aware of the debt, you’re sure that it belongs to you and you’re able to pay it without putting yourself into financial difficulty then you should reply to Flint Bishop immediately and make a payment.

However, that point on financial difficulty is key – Flint Bishop should not be demanding you make a payment if it puts you in serious financial trouble.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

If you can pay your debt and you know it’s yours, the easiest way to do this is to just call Flint Bishop on the phone number they’ll have provided, or call the business you owe directly.

The sooner you pay off the amount you owe, the sooner they will stop getting in touch and you can focus on the job of rebuilding your credit score.

What will happen if you ignore their letters and calls?

We always recommend responding to debt collectors – even just to question the debt’s validity.

Remember, you have the right to request proof of the debt. They have to prove it, or they can’t charge you.

If you just do nothing, and try to ignore Flint Bishop’s letters and phone calls, they will escalate action by petitioning to take you to court.

You’ll be asked to attend a court date where a magistrate will decide whether you do owe the money, and if so they may make a County Court Judgement which demands you make payment.

They could also action bailiffs to recover the debt in other ways, by claiming your property.

Ignoring communication is the worst thing you can do. If you’re struggling with your debt, seek help from a friend, relative or Citizen’s Advice who may be able to point you in the direction of support.

Flint Bishop will be willing to work with an intermediary as long as you give permission for them to act on your behalf.

What action can Flint Bishop take?

Flint Bishop act as a solicitor and as such, they are not an authorised debt recovery agency.

They will only act on behalf of their clients, and will not be acting for themselves. They are not overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority and were only previously registered with the organisation.

However, they should still follow the rules set out by the FCA with regards to debt communications otherwise they could find themselves challenged legally.

Flint Bishop can contact you to ask you to pay the debt, and if you refuse or ignore them they could take you to court and petition for a County Court Judgement or, in more extreme circumstances, bankruptcy.

They should work with you prior to this – if you can agree a payment plan, this will save any trips to court since a CCJ will likely only result in a payment plan anyway.

Yet they may not agree instantly and could try to push you to pay in full.

Case study:

User Rene37 on the MoneySavingExpert forums explained how they were contact by Flint Bishop but requests to implement a payment plan were ignored:

Hi I really need some advice – in 2010 I got a loan with the credit union partners. I then fell on some bad time, I lost a really close family member and threw myself into work as a way of coping. I continued to make my payments for around 8 or 10 months but after that I hit a brick wall so to say and was signed off work with depression.

I know I shouldn’t have but I buried my head in the sand and ignored my debts as I wasn’t working I didn’t have enough coming in to cover my debts, I have written to the company and had no reply and I was too ashamed to go in the store.

Today for the first time I have had a letter from flint bishop solicitors saying notice of court proceedings this is the first I have heard in almost two years and I am trying my best to make a payment plan and get myself on track, I have emailed them asking to make a payment plan today as soon as I got the letter but it says that they want full payment in 7 days.

I know I should have avoided this but unfortunately I did. Do you think they will set me a payment plan or just take me straight to court? Please help as I am very worried.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4216629/flint-bishop-solicitors-issue-of-court-proceedings – edited for readability.

This demonstrates how Flint Bishop may wish to take you to court – remember, they are solicitors first and foremost – but as long as you’re aware that a CCJ will likely just result in a payment plan anyway, make sure you push this option if you are challenged in this way.

There are some behaviours that Flint Bishop shouldn’t be doing. These include:

• Calling you too much, or at unreasonable hours of the day
• Pressuring you to take on more debt to pay the money you owe
• Using confusing language or jargon to try to influence you
• Discussing the debt that you owe with your partner, family or employer

If Flint Bishop try to use any of these tactics to recover the debt, or you feel that they are harassing you unnecessarily, you can write a formal complaint to the Financial Ombudsman who will investigate.

Reviews of the service offered by Flint Bishop are extremely hard to come by – and some sources seem heavily moderated to remove reviews.

Generally, the feedback for both the debt recovery services and other solicitor services appears to be negative.

“PUBLIC BE WARNED! Flint bishop have lowered themselves to debt collecting for unscrupulous utility Companies.

STAY WELL CLEAR, VERY UNPROFESSIONAL, DEMANDING MONIES THAT ARE NOT OWED TO UTILITY COMPANIES, SOLICITORS ARE REALLY SCRAPING THE BARREL WHEN THEY GET INVOLVED WITH THIS. They Are demanding nearly £2000 from me for a supplier who I have never heard of”

Tom – https://www.reviewsolicitors.co.uk/derbyshire/ashbourne/flint-bishop-llp

What to do if you can’t afford to repay

At this point you’ll have established whether you owe the debt to Flint Bishop.

If you do owe the money but can’t afford to pay, you should get in touch with either Flint Bishop or the client you owe money to and offer to set up a payment plan.

Establish your budget and what you can realistically afford – the creditor may wish to see your budget to understand your situation, but they also won’t want you to make payments that will leave you in further trouble or they risk legal challenges.

If you are struggling with multiple debts, consider seeking help with a debt solution.

StepChange (stepchange.org) can help you determine whether a Debt Management Plan or IVA is a solution that would suit your personal circumstances and their service is free.

How to get in touch with Flint Bishop

If you need to get in touch with Flint Bishop directly to either query a debt or to make a complaint to them, here are their details:

Address:	Derby Office St Michael’s Court, St Michael’s Lane, Derby, DE1 3HQ Tel: 01332 340 211 Fax: 01332 207 601 Birmingham Office Grosvenor House, 14 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, B2 5RS Tel: 0121 716 2465
Opening hours:	8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Whether you want to know more information about the debt Flint Bishop claims you owe, or you are in a position to repay it, the best thing to do is to speak to them as soon as possible.

Ignoring it could see you having court judgements made against you in your absence which could result in more serious financial implications and legal problems that could affect your home or your job.

References

1. Indebted Debt Collection Survey