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 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.
Could you legally write off some debt? Answer below to get started.
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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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.
Dealing with a sudden debt letter can feel scary, but don’t worry. You are not alone. Every month, over 170,000 people visit our website to find help with matters of debt.
You might ask, ‘Do I have to pay Sterling Debt Recovery?’ or ‘Is this debt letter real?’ These are normal questions to have.
In this article, we’ll share important information about:
What Sterling Debt Recovery is
How to check if a debt collector is real in the UK
Ways you might be able to reduce some Sterling debt
What debt collectors can and can’t do (UK)
Steps to take if you receive a Sterling Debt Recovery letter
We know that dealing with debt can be hard, but we’re here to offer advice and help you find solutions.
Let’s dive into handling Sterling Debt Recovery and your debt situation.
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.
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.
Have you received a Sterling Debt Recovery letter?
If you allegedly owe money to one of Sterling Debt Recovery’s clients, they will trace your address and send you a letter asking you to pay.
Don’t expect this letter to be overly polite. These types of letters can be intimidating and threatening, often citing court action if you don’t pay.
How to deal with Sterling Debt Recovery
Unless you wish to clear the debt, there are two other possible ways to respond. We explain each of them below:
Check the debt is enforceable
Many debts cannot be legally enforced in the UK after so many ways, typically six years for most types of debt. If you haven’t paid or acknowledged the debt in the last six years, the creditor won’t be able to take court action and you can never be forced to pay. This is known as a statute-barred debt.
You can reply to Sterling Debt Recovery by stating you won’t be paying because the time to collect the debt has passed. But before you do this it’s essential you get confirmation that your debt is statute-barred, which you can do by contacting a UK debt charity for advice.
Ask for proof you owe the debt
If your debt isn’t statute barred, you can instead ask Sterling to prove you owe the debt. They’re obligated to send you a copy of the contract or agreement you signed which resulted in the debt. Failure to do this could avoid court action or you might get away without paying.
Due to the threat of a potential CCJ, you shouldn’t ignore Sterling Debt Recovery letters. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to pay either.
There are clever ways to reply to Sterling Debt Recovery to keep the process going without opening your wallet yet – or maybe ever.
How a debt solution could help
Some debt solutions can:
Stop nasty calls from creditors
Freeze interest and charges
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.
What if Sterling Debt Recovery doesn’t prove the debt?
If Sterling Debt Recovery doesn’t prove the debt but continues to ask for payment, you can send an initial complaint to Sterling and then escalate this complaint as harassment to the Financial Ombudsman.
You need to keep copies of your request for proof and proof of postage just in case you need to make a complaint, or in case you wish to have a CCJ set aside.
What if Sterling Debt Recovery proves the debt?
On the other hand, if Sterling does prove you owe the debt it’s time to negotiate a payment plan with them or the original creditor. If you need help with negotiations or have other debts, it’s best to get debt advice from a debt charity first.
Ignoring them at this stage could materialise into a CCJ claim.
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.
Sterling Debt Recovery’s client can take legal action against you by asking a court to serve a County Court Judgment.
This is a court order in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (there is a Scottish equivalent) that makes you legally obligated to pay. If you received a CJC and didn’t you could have to deal with bailiffs or have money taken from your wages.
However, it’s impossible to know with certainty whether the client of Sterling Debt Recovery will take legal action or may end up giving up the chase for now.
Get more help dealing with debt collectors!
If you’re anxious about dealing with Sterling Debt Recovery or any other debt collector, we recommend learning more about your rights on our debt collector page.
Could you legally write off some debt?
Answer below to get started.
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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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 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.
