Richburns Debt Recovery – Should You Pay?

If you have just received a letter from Richburns Debt Recovery, don’t worry. This might seem scary, but you are not alone. Every month, over 170,000 people visit our website for help with debt questions.

In this guide, we’ll help you understand:

•  Who Richburns Debt Recovery is and what they do.
•  How to check if the debt they are asking you to pay is really yours.
•  What to do if you can’t afford to pay.
•  How to stop getting letters from Richburns.
•  Ways to pay off the debt or even write it off.

We know how confusing and worrying it can be to get a debt letter; in fact, research shows 64% of UK adults find interactions with current debt collectors stressful¹. Some of us have been in your place, so we really understand what you are going through. This guide is here to help you figure out your next steps with Richburns Debt Recovery.

Explanation of the Letter

Debt letters are fairly standard across the industry. The debt letter you have received from Richburns Debt Recovery is likely to be a Letter Before Action, meaning a letter to request payment or face legal action – such as an attempt for a CCJ.

These letters often give the debtor a timeframe to pay. But opening dialogue can avoid legal action even if you cannot afford the debt today.

I 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.

How to Respond

When Richburns Debt Recovery send you a debt letter, it is not likely they will include proof that you owe the money other than stating that you do owe it, how much you owe, and the company you owe it to.

But legally they have to prove the debt with a signed agreement or contract to make the debt enforceable in the courts.

You should request this yourself as they may not have the proof, or it could delay the process to give yourself time to assess your options.

Requesting proof you owe the debt is an effective response in this situation. You can do it by sending what the industry calls a prove the debt letter.

This is especially important, as the average unsecured debt amount has increased by 27% year-on-year (to £16,174)², and it makes sense to assume that a large chunk of that number is from unproven debt.

How to Write a Prove It Letter

A prove the debt letter is simply an acknowledgement of the letter sent by Richburns Debt Recovery and request for them to prove the debt they mention.

The good news is that Richburns Debt Recovery are no longer allowed to make contact or requests to pay the debt without supplying the proof.

Any future communication must include proof, or the communication could be classified as harassment and should be reported to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

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

Your reply must include:

• Acknowledgement of the debt letter and any reference numbers
• Request for proof
• Statement that future communications without proof is harassment
• Harassment will be reported
• Never sign these letters
• Print your name only

Alternatively, you do not have to write the letter yourself. There are many fantastic prove the debt letter templates online you can use. Effortlessly add your details to these templates and send it to Richburns Debt Recovery.

It is best to send all letters by recorded delivery so you know the debt collector receives them.

That said, if Richburns already provided proof you owe the money, you won’t be able to ask them to ‘prove the debt’.

Should I Pay?

Maybe. You might have to pay Richburns Debt Recovery if you owe the debt and other options have been exhausted, but you do not have to pay instantly.

There are things you can do to follow the legal process and buy yourself some time, or maybe avoid paying altogether.

Lots of people choose to pay as soon as they receive the Richburns debt letter because the letter can be scary and cause financial stress and anxiety. But knowing the legal processes and your consumer rights will help ease those worries.

I suggest you contact one of the leading UK charities if you need further advice.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

Should I Ignore Them?

Whatever you do, do not ignore letters from Richburns Debt Recovery. Even if you believe your letter is a mistake, you should be proactive and respond as soon as possible.

Can They Come into My Home?

No, absolutely not! Richburns Debt Recovery use field agents to go to debtors’ homes and advertise that they do this on their official website. But Richburns field agents have no legal rights to come to your property or demand to enter it.

If they do this to you, you can deny entry and should report Richburns Debt Recovery to the FCA for their misconduct. Richburns Debt Recovery could be heavily penalised by the FCA for their actions.

There are other reports that Richburns Debt Recovery agents have used these illegal tactics:

“This company have turned up today unannounced and with NO prior warning. The man shouted through my letterbox to open the door after only one abrupt knock. He then said they are doing something to my gas/electric meters outside and also need access inside.”

[Google reviews]

It should be noted that Richburns also offer a meter reading service as well as debt recovery services.

This combination may raise suspicion. There is a chance that they just want to read your meter – but be cautious. Even more so if you have received a debt collection letter!

Bailiffs vs Debt Collectors

It’s important that you know the main differences between bailiffs and debt collectors, as they have very different rights. Here’s a quick table summarizing what each can and can’t do so you’re not taken by surprise.

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 Could They Take?

If you do owe the debt and refuse to pay, the client that Richburns Debt Recovery is representing could go to the courts with and get a court order for the debt, known as a CCJ.

What this means is that an enforcement agent (bailiff) could come to your home and enforce the CCJ by requesting money or taking items to be auctioned off to pay the debt.

Even in this circumstance, it is not workers for Richburns Debt Recovery that would do this. An enforcement agency with these legal rights would be used.

But you can avoid any of this happening by taking action and responding to your Richburns Ltd debt letter. However, get some financial advice from an expert first.

Ways to Pay It Off

When your debt has been proven and it is not statute barred, you need to find a way to pay the debt or face further legal action. I suggest you enter into payment plan negotiation with the debt collector as soon as you’ve spoken to a debt advisor. You can also ask Richburns to write off some of the unaffordable debt.

We’ve got a letter template you can use to ask them to write off some of the debt here.

However, debt collectors are not obliged to accept your request.

But that doesn’t mean paying off the full amount. In fact, Richburns Debt Recovery expect you to try and spread the payment over multiple instalments and allow for this through a portal on their website.

You can agree on a payment plan with Richburns Debt Recovery by communicating directly with them or getting support from debt charities.

Always agree a payment plan that will not cause financial hardship and other debts to occur.

But there are other/extra debt management solutions. Alternative options include:

• IVAs
• Using the Snowballing Method
• Debt Relief Orders
• Bankruptcy

Can I Stop the Letters?

No, you will not be able to stop Richburns Debt Recovery from contacting you about your (supposed) debt. You can however ask Richburns to only contact you at certain times of the day or on certain days.

This means if you are receiving a lot of stressful calls from Richburns Debt Recovery, you can reduce them. If they do not respect your wishes, you could report them to the FCA for harassment. Plus, you could contact Citizens Advice if you’re not sure what to do.

How do I Report Them?

If you believe Richburns Debt Recovery has been acting illegally or making false claims, you should report them to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Other behaviours that would warrant a complaint to the FCA include:

• Divulging your debt to other people, including family, friends or employers
• Making claims they could repossess your items
• Applying pressure on you or repeat calling
• Contacting you at unsociable times
• Refusing to leave your property or forcing entry
• Taking payments without authorisation

Filing a complaint

If you feel the debt collector is acting inappropriately or treating you unfairly, you can:

• First, write to the debt collector to express your concerns
• Tell the company how you want to be contacted. Get confirmation in writing
• Send all letters by recorded delivery in case you have to take the matter further
• Explain what you know about the Consumer Protection from the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
• Tell them you are aware of the FCA Consumer Credit sourcebook and that you’re thinking about complaining about their behaviour
• Keep a record of all communications with the debt collector
• You could refuse to speak to the debt collection agency until the matter is resolved

Next, if you’re not happy with the way the debt collector responds, take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

It is a free, independent service, and if they find in your favour, they have the power to order the debt collector put things right. Plus, they can award compensation.

You must file a complaint with the debt collector first. You can’t go straight to the FOS.

You also have the option to contact the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) directly if the debt collection agency fails to respond or resolve the problem.

It’s worth noting that the FCA will not handle individual complaints. But they will gather information which they could use to take legal action against the debt collector concerned.

Other Debt Collectors to look for on your Credit Report

There are hundreds of debt collectors in the UK and they each collect for different companies.

It’s surprisingly easy to not notice that you’re in a debt collector’s crosshairs.

I’d suggest you spend time checking your credit report. If a debt collector purchases any of your debt, it will appear on your credit report.

Some of the biggest to look out for include Cabot, PRA Group, and Lowell.

So if you see anything relating to their names, then you’ll need to investigate further.

Richburns Contact Information

Phone:	0208 507 1051
Website:	https://payrichburns.co.uk/
Address:	Third Floor, North House, St Edwards Way, Romford, Essex, RM1 3PP
Opening hours:	Monday – Friday: 8am to 6pm

Whatever avenue you take to clearing your Richburns debt, make sure you act fast when receiving their debt letter. Moreover, seek debt counselling before admitting or doing anything.

Glossary of terms

FOS – Financial Ombudsman Service

FCA – Financial Conduct Authority

LBA – Letter Before Action

CCJ – County Court Judgement

References

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