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How to Deal with DCBL

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Scott
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Scott Nelson

Managing Director

MoneyNerd’s founder, Scott Nelson, has a decade of financial industry experience, including 6 years in FCA regulated loan and credit card companies. Troubled by a lack of conscience in the industry, he founded MoneyNerd to give genuine advice to those in debt and struggling financially.

Learn more about Scott
&
Janine
Janine Marsh Profile Picture

Janine Marsh

Financial Expert

Janine Marsh is an award-winning presenter and a valuable member of the MoneyNerd team. With a wealth of experience as a financial expert, she's been featured on BBC Radio 4, BBC Local Radio, and BBC Five Live, and is a regular on Co-op Radio.

Learn more about Janine
· Feb 7th, 2024
Could you legally write off some debt? Answer below to get started.

Total amount of debt?

This isn’t a full fact find, MoneyNerd doesn’t give advice. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options.

For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.

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how deal with dcbl

For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.

If you’ve had a surprise letter from DCBL, it might be concerning. You might not know where the debt has come from or if you should pay it.

But don’t worry; we’re here to help. Every month, over 170,000 people visit our site for advice on debt problems. You’re not on your own. 

In this guide, we’re going to show you:

  •  Who DCBL are and what they do.
  •  How to decide if DCBL are right about your debt.
  •  What happens if DCBL take you to court.
  •  Ways to deal with letters from DCBL.
  •  How you might be able to write off some DCBL debt.

Some of our team have had a debt letter from DCBL, so we understand how it can make you feel. We’re going to use our knowledge to help you. 

Let’s start by finding out more about DCBL.

Could you legally write off some debt?

There are several debt solutions in the UK, choosing the right one for you could write off some of your unaffordable debt, but the wrong one may be expensive and drawn out.

Answer below to get started.

How much debt do you have?

This isn’t a full fact find. MoneyNerd doesn’t give advice. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options.

How do you handle a DCBL letter?

DCBL Letter Before Action

When you receive a Letter Before Action, it’s important not to ignore the letter. This is because DCBL or their client could really take you to court. Instead, you should ask them to prove you owe the debt. You should do this even if you think there has been a mistake because they’ll realise it themselves when they can’t prove you owe the money.

Write back to them asking for proof. You can use our free prove-it letter template to save time. You’re not obligated to prove the debt until they supply you with adequate proof, which should be a copy of the signed agreement or contract you defaulted on. You don’t have to pay until they provide the evidence. And if they take you to court without answering your request, you should inform the judge. 

DCBL harassment

If you think DCBL is harassing you with too many calls or calling at unsociable hours, you can provide them with your contact preferences. And if they ignore these preferences, you can make a complaint. If they don’t respond to the complaint or continue to harass you, your complaint can be escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

DCBL Notice of Enforcement

A DCBL Notice of Enforcement is a letter that gives you seven days to get in touch with DCBL to pay a debt that is subject to a court order. They’ll start by asking you to pay the full amount, but you can usually agree to a payment plan. If you don’t pay within seven days, the letter is giving you notice that DCBL enforcement agents will come to your property. They add a £75 charge to your debt for sending this letter. 

It’s best to get in touch with DCBL at this stage and don’t let it escalate to them paying you a visit. There are lots of reasons for this, including an additional £235 (minimum) charge when they come out. 

How to deal with DCBL

The best way to deal with DCBL differs depending on if they’re chasing a debt that has yet to go to court, or if you’ve already been asked to pay by a judge/court order. But the golden rule is to never ignore their communications in either situation. There are things you can do in both cases to improve your position. 

In the former situation, you’ll have been sent a debt letter asking you to pay or to expect court action. This is called a Letter Before Action. And in the latter situation, you’ll first receive a Notice of Enforcement letter. We explain how to deal with each of these letters below. 

How a debt solution could help

Some debt solutions can:

  1. Stop nasty calls from creditors
  2. Freeze interest and charges
  3. Reduce your monthly payments

A few debt solutions can even result in writing off some of your debt.

Here’s an example:


Situation

Monthly income £2,504
Monthly expenses £2,345
Total debt £32,049

Monthly debt repayments

Before £587
After £158

£429 reduction in monthly payments

If you want to learn what debt solutions are available to you, click the button below to get started.

Get Started

Can I ignore letters from DCBL?

You should never ignore any letters from DCBL, even when you think they have the wrong person. There are things you can do to challenge DCBL. 

We explain how to react based on the letter you received further below. 

Are DCBL high court enforcement?

Yes, DCBL are High Court enforcement agents, meaning they enforce debt collection for the High Court. Their High Court enforcement agents have even featured on a TV show and a Netflix series called Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away

On their website, they claim to recover around £75 million each year for the High Court. 

Thousands have already tackled their debt

Every day our partners, The Debt Advice Service, help people find out whether they can lower their repayments and finally tackle or write off some of their debt.

Natasha

I’d recommend this firm to anyone struggling with debt – my mind has been put to rest, all is getting sorted.

Get started

Reviews shown are for The Debt Advice Service.

Do DCBL take people to court?

As mentioned above, DCBL sometimes chases debts for clients that have yet to be discussed in court. They may threaten that their client will take legal action against you, and it would be the company or their solicitors that could take you to court. Sometimes they may make legal threats but these are just made to scare you into paying. 

DCBL Contact Details

Address: London
Solar House, 915 High Road, North Finchley, London, N12 8QJ
T: 0203 613 0425

North West
Direct House, Greenwood Drive, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1UG
T: 01606 361 533

Midlands
Colmore Plaza, 20 Colmore Circus, Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6AT
T: 0121 581 0123

Scotland
8 Deer Park, Fairways Business Park, Livingston, EH54 8GA
T: 0141 326 0146

Wales
Sophia House, 28 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ
T: 0292 235 0373
Website: https://dcbltd.com/
Could you legally write off some debt?

Answer below to get started.

How much debt do you have?

This isn’t a full fact find, MoneyNerd doesn’t give advice. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options.

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The authors
Scott Nelson Profile Picture
Author
MoneyNerd’s founder, Scott Nelson, has a decade of financial industry experience, including 6 years in FCA regulated loan and credit card companies. Troubled by a lack of conscience in the industry, he founded MoneyNerd to give genuine advice to those in debt and struggling financially.
Janine Marsh Profile Picture
Debt Expert
Janine Marsh is an award-winning presenter and a valuable member of the MoneyNerd team. With a wealth of experience as a financial expert, she's been featured on BBC Radio 4, BBC Local Radio, and BBC Five Live, and is a regular on Co-op Radio.