If you’re in debt, you might be anxious about receiving a letter from a debt collection firm. One such company operating in the UK is BPO Collections Limited (also known as BPO Debt Collection and BPO Respect).
You might already have heard from them and although this is likely to be a stressful time, there’s no need to panic. In this guide, we explore who BPO Debt Collection are and how they go about collecting debts.
Who are BPO Debt Collectors?
BPO describe themselves as a “leading, well-established debt recovery company” that act on behalf of numerous firms from across the UK. The company is based in Ayrshire and have been in operation since 2006. They are ultimately owned and controlled by an Icelandic company called Prospect Financial Europe Ehf.
Why am I being contacted by BPO Debt Collection?
If you’ve received communications from them, it’s likely that you may be responsible for an outstanding debt. Your debt could be with another company that BPO are working on behalf of, however they are also known to purchase outstanding debts from other firms before going on to collect the money themselves.
Are BPO Debt Collectors legitimate?
BPO is a legitimate company (operating under UK Company Number SC295285). They act on behalf of other companies to collect outstanding debts, but also purchase debts at a reduced cost before going on to collect the total sum owed for themselves.
They are a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA), which means that they must follow a strict code that governs how they treat debtors. To review the full code of practice, visit the CSA website.
Are BPO Debt Collectors regulated by the FCA?
BPO Collections Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). They can be found on the FCA’s register at the following link, under reference number 712058.
What debts does BPO collect?
BPO collects a wide variety of debts, both for themselves and behalf of other companies. The kind of debt involved include tax credit overpayments and parking tickets through to outstanding utility bill costs.
Who do BPO collect for?
BPO Collection may contact you regarding outstanding debts for a range of companies and organisations, including:
- HMRC
- nPower
- Virgin Media
- EE
- O2
What action can BPO Collections take?
If you owe money, or if they are trying collecting money from you on behalf of another company, it might help to understand the steps they might take.
In the first instance, BPO will probably contact you to request payment of the debt and direct you to their call centre or website where payments and plans can be made. If you fail to engage with them, they may send debt collection field agents to your home, but they cannot enter your home or remove goods in lieu of payment. If you refuse to pay, BPO Collection will need to take you to court if they wish to pursue the matter any further.
How to deal with BPO Collections?
The best course of action for dealing with BPO Collections will depend on your individual situation. Factors affecting how you respond might include whether you can afford to pay what you owe, or if you dispute the fact that you owe the debt at all.
In most cases, there are a few courses of action that you could take. These might include: paying BPO in full, making a part payment, agreeing to a payment plan, seeking to write off your debt by using an insolvency solution or alternatively disputing the fact that you owe money to BPO in the first instance.
How to check if you actually owe money?
It’s always good practice to check exactly what you owe before settling a debt or making any decisions, and it’s worth getting all the relevant information from BPO before paying them. On request, they should be able to confirm the source of your debt (i.e. the company that you owe money to), along with the total debt figure.
You can then double check any information provided them against your own personal records to make sure that you actually owe what they say you do.
Can BPO take you to court?
It is possible that BPO Collections could take you to court in order to make a claim against you. In most cases, any court action would see the company seeking a County Court Judgment formally confirming that you owe money to them or one of their clients. This is more likely to happen if you simply ignore BPO’s attempts to contact you, or where you refuse to work with them to pay off what you owe.
Debt collectors are far more likely to work with debtors who communicate with them, and who show willingness to deal with any issues and pay off their outstanding debts. Ignoring the problem is unlikely to lead to a positive outcome.
Will BPO come to my house?
BPO could send a debt collector to your house if you fail to respond to their attempts to contact you. If this happens, keep in mind that debt collectors and bailiffs are quite different, and the former cannot force their way into your property. For more information on this, read our explanation of bailiffs and debt collectors later in this guide.
Do you have to let field agents from BPO Collections in?
You do not have to let field agents into your property, but you can choose to invite them in yourself. They do not have the power or authority to enter the property without your permission.
Can BPO send bailiffs?
Anybody who receives a letter from a debt collector might be worried about bailiffs attending their address, but BPO simply cannot send court bailiffs. They may instead send debt collectors, but they have far fewer powers than bailiffs and cannot enter your property or remove goods without your consent.
Bailiffs could be sent to your home to enforce a County Court Judgment (CCJ) if you have not kept up with court ordered payments, but the company cannot send bailiffs themselves.
Do BPO buy debts?
Yes, BPO are known to purchase outstanding debts from other companies who have been unable to collect what they are owed. They typically pay a highly reduced rate for the debts they acquire, and attempt to collect the full amount owed. This is a common practice among some debt collection companies, and many credit agreements make allowances for this to happen.
Can I stop BPO Collections from contacting me?
You won’t be able to stop BPO from contacting you completely unless you engage with a formal debt solution such as a Debt Relief Order (DRO) or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). These will prohibit your creditors from contacting you to chase for repayment of outstanding debts whilst providing a route towards repaying or writing off some of what you owe.
BPO can still contact you unless a solution such as those described above is in place, but you can express your contact preferences. You might ask for all communications to be put in writing rather than receiving phone calls, for example.
How to write off my debt with BPO Collections
BPO Collections are unlikely to write your debt off, but they might consider any full and final settlement figures that are put to them even if they are less than the total figure owed. If a full and final settlement offer is accepted, debtors may wish to request written confirmation that no further action will be taken against them prior to making the payment.
They may also agree to payment plans in some circumstances, and this could be an option if you cannot afford to settle what you owe outright. For more information about a BPO payment plan, the company recommends contacting their team using the details on this page. BPO also provide an income and expenditure calculator which could help debtors to get an idea of what a payment plan might look like. To access this tool, simply fill in your reference at the following link.
Generally, it is only possible to write off debt via a formal insolvency solution.
How to contact BPO
Effective communication is essential when you’re dealing with debt. For customer enquiries, use any of the details below to get in touch with BPO.
- Full Company Name: BPO Collections Limited
- Phone number: 0141 375 0958
- Email address: [email protected]
- Website: www.bpocollections.co.uk
Office address:
BPO Collections Ltd
Marina Quay, Dock Road
Ardrossan, Ayrshire
KA22 8DA
What numbers to BPO Collections call from?
BPO are known to call from the following phone numbers:
- 01413750925
- 01413750928
- 01413750991
- 01413750900
They may also use other numbers to contact you, and their general hours of operation are as follows:
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Friday: 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
- Saturday: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
How to complain?
If things go wrong, there are several ways you can go about complaining to BPO Debt Collectors.
To complain directly to BPO Collections, you can call 0141 375 0900 or email [email protected].
As the company is a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA), complaining customers can request that the CSA act as a mediator for their complaint. They can be contacted via telephone (01912 17 0775) and more information is available on this course of action at: www.csaconsumers-uk.com.
Finally, if you feel that your complaint has not been deal with in a satisfactory or fair way, you may wish to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Not all complaints fall within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction, but those that do must be brought to their attention within six months of BPO Debt Collectors issuing their own response. The Financial Ombudsman Service can be contacted via telephone (0300 1239 123) or email ([email protected]), and more information is available on their website at: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
Bottom line
BPO are one of the UK’s most active debt collection companies, and even collect money owed to HMRC and leading companies such as Virgin Media. Whilst any dealings with a debt collector are likely to be stressful, BPO Collections are a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA) and so they should act fairly and reasonably when dealing with debtors.
If you’ve been contacted by the company, try not to panic. The information in this guide sets out who they are and how they work, so you can focus on dealing with the situation and moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HMRC use BPO Collections?
Yes – HMRC use a number of private debt collection agencies including BPO. For a complete list of the debt collectors used by HMRC, visit their website.
Who owns BPO Collections Limited?
BPO Collections Limited is a private limited company, and an Icelandic company called Prospect Financial Europe Ehf is listed on Companies House as having significant control.
Do they accept credit card payments?
They accept payments via credit card, debit card, online bank transfer, Standing Order, Bacs, Cheque, Postal Order, and Bankers Draft.
Keep in mind, however, that paying with a credit card may see you incur interest and charges from your card provider, making the debt more expensive altogether.
Can BPO take my car?
BPO Collections cannot immobilise your car or take it in full or part payment of a debt unless that debt is secured over the vehicle.
Can BPO sell my home?
BPO Debt Collectors could sell your home, but this really isn’t that likely. BPO would need to take you to court to seek a County Court Judgement against you, unless the money you owe relates to a debt secured against your property such as a mortgage. If a CCJ was granted against you, they would need to seek a charging order for your home to be sold.
How long can BPO Debt Collectors legally chase a debt for?
Under the Limitation Act 1980, creditors have six years to chase the majority of unsecured debts – and the period begins from the date of your last payment or acknowledgement of the debt. Once this period has elapsed, BPO Collections will not be able to take legal action against you to enforce the debt.
Can BPO issue a warrant?
No, they cannot issue a warrant, but a court may do so if a CCJ has been granted against you.
Can I ignore BPO Debt Collectors?
You may think that BPO Collections will simply forgive or forget about your debt if you ignore them for long enough, but they could escalate the matter. This might involve sending a debt collector to your home in an attempt to convince you to pay up.
If these tactics don’t work, they could take the matter to court to seek a County Court Judgment (CCJ). If this is granted, you will be required to pay up and failing to do so could lead to a visit from the court bailiffs.
Should you ignore a letter of claim from BPO?
If BPO Collections decide to seek a CCJ against you, they will first issue a ‘letter of claim’ which will set out exactly what you owe and confirm that they intend to commence legal proceedings. Debtors should have 30 days to respond to a letter of claim and a reply form will often be sent with the letter.
Once legal action has started, debtors can expect to receive documentation directly from the Court. If you fail to act on official CCJ documentation received from the County Court, bailiffs may be instructed to visit your home.
Can BPO recover debts during the coronavirus?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the way we all live our lives, and many people are struggling to cope financially. Debt collectors are still operating, but they may be more willing to consider difficult individual circumstances or to work with struggling debtors.
Contact is key, so make any concerns you have known and don’t be afraid to get in touch with your creditors.
What if I can’t afford to pay BPO Collections?
If you’re struggling to cope with your financial situation, help is on hand. In the event that you’ve received a letter or another communication from BPO, don’t feel that you have to pay up without taking time to consider your position. The organisations listed below can provide free and impartial advice that could help you to make sense of your situation: