Trace Debt Recovery – Should You Pay? 

Are you puzzled by a letter from Trace Debt Recovery and wondering what it all means? You’re not alone! Many people find themselves in your shoes. In fact, over 170,000 people visit our website each month for advice on dealing with debt.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

•  Who Trace Debt Recovery are and why they might be contacting you.
•  What steps you can take if they are chasing you for money.
•  Whether you should pay or ignore their letters and calls.
•  What happens if you can’t afford to pay.
•  How to handle this situation in a legal and safe way.

We understand how you feel, as research shows that 64% of UK adults find interactions with current debt collectors stressful¹. Don’t worry; we’re here to help you understand your rights and options.

Let’s navigate the world of debt recovery together.

What should you do if Trace Debt Recovery writes to you?

Getting a letter out of the blue can be a challenge. However, you shouldn’t panic. By knowing your rights² and the legal actions against debtors that Trace can take, you can resolve the matter without too much stress.

The first thing you’ll need to do when you receive a Trace Debt Recovery letter, is to confirm whether or not you owe the money they say you do.

You’ll likely have already had a parking fine through, as well as possibly some reminder letters.

If you’ve ignored correspondence from the original creditor (the company that issued the fine), they will likely have passed it on to Trace.

You may have to go back through your records to see whether you have any information about it.

In the letter, Trace should provide you with details of the original fine. Again, make sure that this matches up with your experience.

Once you have this information, it should make things easier when you contact them.

Your Rights With Debt Collectors

Understanding your rights when dealing with Trace Debt Recovery is important, as it can help you solve the issue in a simple way.

That’s why we’ve prepared this table that will help you understand what debt collectors can and can’t do. If you’d like to learn more, please check out our detailed guide.

Debt Collectors Can	But They Can’t
Contact you by phone or mail.	Call you after 9pm or before 8am.
Conduct home visits (on rare occasions) and knock on your door.	Forbily enter your home, or stay if you ask them to leave.
Threaten to take you to court by suing you for payment on a debt.	Harrass you, including threats of violence, repeated calls and visits, or abusive language.
Negotiate a debt settlement. Tip: make sure to get this new arrangement in writing.	Visit your workplace.
Access your bank account, but only after a court judgment has been made.	Take anything from your home or threaten to do so.
Sell your debt.	Speak to other people about your debt without your permission.
Contact you frequently.	Keep doing so if you request that they reduce communications.

Should You Pay As Soon as Possible?

Not right away.

There are quite a few elements that affect the answer to this question. That said, we all have to pay our debts at some point provided we owe the money.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

However, if the debt isn’t yours or you think it was issued illegally, you can contest it. The important thing is that you have all the information you need to do so.

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

If you definitely owe the money and can afford to pay it, this could be your best course of action.

What are Trace Debt Recovery UK Limited reviews like?

There are a lot of forum posts about the debt collector.

That said, Trace Debt Recovery reviews are not very flattering. Most customers complain of scare tactics and rude customer service. The word ‘scam’ is used a lot.

However, there aren’t many comments about people actually having court action taken against them. On Google, the company gets a 3-star review from four reviewers.

Should You ignore calls and letters from them?

In short, no – you shouldn’t ignore Trace Debt Recovery. They rarely contact you in error, and even if they do, ignoring them won’t make them stop.

Debt collection agencies are known for their persistence. Although they are allowed to be persistent, they cannot harass you.

Sometimes, this seems like a fine line, and we’ll cover this in more detail further down this post.

You’ll find that they will continue to contact you, and if they don’t succeed, they can escalate matters against you.

Our financial expert Janine explained that while debt collectors can visit your home for payments, they cannot come to your workplace, act threateningly, force payment, or discuss your finances with others. If they violate these rules, you can complain.

Having debt is never easy, particularly when forceful debt collection agencies are involved. However, ignoring the matter isn’t going to resolve it, so you’re better off facing the matter head-on.

What action can Trace Debt Recovery take?

There are a number of steps Trace Debt Recovery can take.

Firstly, you need to know the actions they can take besides writing to you, calling you, and potentially visiting your home.

If they don’t hear from you, they can escalate matters.

And, as you’ll see on the Trace website, they have a ‘streamlined approach and robust route to court.’

So, what court action can they take? Below, we’ve outlined some of the methods they might use:

• Add interest and charges to your account. However, these can’t be excessive.
• Apply for a County Court Judgment (CCJ). This means the courts demand you repay the creditors. It will negatively impact your credit rating when Trace wins the case.
• Apply to the courts and send enforcement agents (bailiffs) to your home. If the courts grant the order, bailiffs can take your possessions to recover what’s owed.
• Issue a statutory demand. If you have debts over £5,000, they can take the first steps to make you bankrupt.

Obviously, none of these are ideal situations, as they can impact you in the short and long term. The sooner you deal with them, the less likely they are to take these actions

What if You can’t afford to pay?

There are a few options to consider if you can’t afford to pay Trace Debt Recovery. It’s important to remember you’re not alone. Many people have unaffordable debt these days.

It’s not easy facing up to the fact that you can’t pay your outstanding debts. Thankfully, there are some ways that can help you deal with the situation.

The first thing to do is to contact the creditor or debt collection agency to explain your situation.

They’re likely (although not obliged) to accept any debt repayment plans you suggest. So, although you can’t repay the full amount at once, you might be able to make instalments to settle what’s owed. You might also want to consider something like a debt management plan or debt consolidation loan.

These can help you make affordable monthly payments and work towards paying off all of your debts at once.

However, before committing to a debt solution, we suggest you contact one of the leading UK charities that provide free debt advice.

Can You write off debt from Trace Debt Recovery?

Yes. It may be possible to write off certain debts, although only in very specific situations.

For example, you could apply for an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA). Essentially, this combines all of your debts and means you repay a fixed amount over 5 years (60 months).

At the end of that period, anything remaining would be written off.

You should also check if the debt is statute-barred.

If the debt is more than six years old and you’ve not heard anything about it until now, and haven’t made a payment or received a CCJ, Trace may not be able to reclaim it.

That said, the rules about statute-barred debts differ depending on the type of debt. For example, some debts owed to the government don’t fall under the Limitations Act.

We suggest you seek debt advice from a debt charity.

Can You make a complaint?

Yes, you have every right to make a complaint.

However, you need to follow the right process by phoning the company on 0333 577 4447. They have to acknowledge this and make an attempt to resolve it. If they don’t, you can escalate the matter to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Trace Debt Recovery Contact Details

Address:	Trace Debt Recovery UK ltd, PO Box 1448 Northampton NN2 1DW
Phone number:	0333 577 4447 (Contact Centre) 03300 080 477 (24 hour automated payment)
Trace Debt Recovery Complaints:	0333 577 4447
Operating hours:	9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Email:	[email protected]
Website:	https://thetracegroup.co.uk/

References

1. Indebted Debt Collection Survey
2. GOV.UK Consumer Rights