Arvato (or Arvato Financial Solutions Limited) are a UK-based debt collection agency, and if you’re reading this you may have already heard from them.
Whether you’ve received a letter and want to know how to proceed, or if just want to know more about how Arvato operate, read this guide to learn all about the company and their debt collection methods.
Who are Arvato debt collectors?
Arvato is an international company that works with clients to provide a range of financial services – including credit management and debt collection. Their UK branch is headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland.
Why have Arvato debt collectors contacted me?
If Arvato have contacted you, it’s probably because you owe money to one of their clients. They deal in the collection of outstanding debts that are owed to other organisations, and so you may not recognise their name when they first reach out to you.
Are Arvato debt collectors legitimate?
Arvato Financial Solutions Limited (Arvato) is a legitimate debt collection company that is registered in Scotland under Company Number SC223606. They act on behalf of other companies to collect outstanding debts, and more information can be found on their website.
Arvato is 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 Arvato regulated by the FCA?
Arvato Financial Solutions 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 708669.
How do Arvato collect debts?
Arvato’s debt collection process has probably already begun if you’ve received a letter from them. Their process involves many steps but generally begins with the firm communicating exactly how much the debtor owes and indicating how repayment can be made.
This initial communication will then be followed up by a letter and maybe even a phone call, underscoring the situation and explaining how it can be resolved. Arvato accepts multiple payment methods, and they might direct you towards their online payment portal at this stage.
If you don’t make a payment, Arvato could continue asking you to settle your debt. Ultimately, they could send debt collectors to your home, but these won’t be bailiffs and they won’t have any powers to enter your property or remove goods without consent.
Failing all else, Arvato may choose to seek a County Court Judgment against you. If this is granted, the court will order you to make a payment and failure to comply may result in court bailiffs attending your address.
How to check if you actually owe money to Arvato?
Whether you dispute a debt or not, people often feel better when they are able to verify the information sent to them by a debt collection agency. If you have received a letter from Arvato, they should be able to provide more information on request – including details of how much you owe and who to.
Once you have these details, you can cross-check them against your own records to ensure that everything is in order.
How to deal with Arvato?
The best approach to dealing with any debt collection agency will be unique to your circumstances, and the same applies if Arvato has been in touch to request a repayment.
Generally speaking, there are several courses of action that you could take. These include: settling your debt in full, making a part payment to Arvato, agreeing to a payment plan with Arvato, seeking to write off your debt by using an insolvency solution or, alternatively, disputing the fact that you owe money to Arvato or their clients in the first instance.
Can Arvato take you to court?
If you fail to engage with Arvato, it may be that they choose to take you to court. Debt collection companies will generally attempt to work reasonably with debtors that communicate with them whilst showing a willingness to deal with the situation. In situations where a debtor ignores them, or persistently fails to address the issue of the debt, they could escalate the matter by seeking a County Court Judgment (CCJ) that formally confirms what is owed.
Can Arvato send debt collectors to my address?
Arvato could send debt collectors to your property, but these will just be field agents who cannot force their way in or even remove goods.
Bailiffs will only attend your home at the direction of a court, and the most Arvato’s enforcement agents can do is ask for you to settle what you owe or agree to a repayment plan.
Do you have to let Arvato debt collectors into my house?
No, the debt collectors employed by Arvato are not bailiffs and they do not have any powers to enter your property unless you choose to invite them in. You are not legally required to allow them entry to your home.
Can Arvato send bailiffs?
Arvato can’t send bailiffs to your property, but they can send debt collectors. These are not court officials, and they don’t have the power to enter your property or to remove goods.
Whilst Arvato can’t send bailiffs, a court could do so if Arvato have successfully sought out a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you. This is more likely to happen if you refuse to engage with your creditors, and bailiffs could be sent to your address if you don’t abide by any orders handed down by a court.
Does Arvato buy debts?
No, it seems that Arvato only work to collect debts on behalf of their clients. Many debt collection firms do purchase packages of debt from other companies, however.
Can I stop Arvato from contacting me?
Without using a formal debt solution, you may not be able to prevent Arvato from contacting you altogether. For more information on how a debt solution could help your situation, it could help to read more about Debt Relief Orders (DROs) and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs).
Arvato will be able to contact you unless a solution such as those described above is in place, but you can ask them to respect your contact preferences – for instance if you would prefer for all contact to be put in writing rather than dealing with the issue via telephone.
How to write off my debt with Arvato?
Arvato and their clients are unlikely to agree to write your debt off unless there are extreme circumstances that are relevant to the decision.
Despite this, Arvato may be willing to accept a full and final settlement offer even if it doesn’t cover the full value of your debt. If a settlement offer is accepted, you may find it helpful to request written confirmation that your debt has been settled to avoid any disputes in the future.
Arvato may also agree to enter into a payment plan, allowing you to pay off what you owe in more affordable instalments over an extended period of time. Debtors who wish to explore the possibility of a payment play should contact Arvato directly.
Generally, it is only possible to write off debt via a formal insolvency solution.
How to contact Arvato?
Good communication is essential when you’re trying to deal with debt. To contact Arvato, use the details set out below.
Full Company Name: Arvato Financial Solutions Limited
Phone number: 0344 571 4075
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.arvato.com
Postal address:
AFS Limited
24 George Square
Glasgow G2 1EG
How can I complain?
If things go wrong, there are several ways to make a complaint about Arvato debt collectors.
As a first port of call, you can complain directly to Arvato. You can view their complaints policy on their website, and should contact them by emailing [email protected] or writing to the address above if you wish to proceed with a complaint.
As Arvato 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: https://www.csa-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 Arvato 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.
Arvato Debt Collectors Reviews
There are many websites that host reviews of debt collection companies, but one of the most popular is Trustpilot. You can find reviews Arvato on Trustpilot’s dedicated page here.
Arvato scores 2.8 stars out of 5, although this score is based on just 3 reviews at the time of writing. The reviews range in their content, with some debtors criticising the firm and labelling them as “totally unprofessional”.
The bottom line
Arvato is a well-established debt recovery firm that collects outstanding debts on behalf of other major organisations.
If you’ve been contacted by Arvato Financial Solutions Limited, there’s no need to panic. Be sure to read this guide to get a better picture of where you stand and remember that debt is better dealt with than ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Arvato Financial Solutions Limited?
Arvato Financial Solutions Limited is the registered company name of the debt collection agency more commonly known as Arvato (also known as aFS). The firm is registered with Companies House under company number: SC223606.
Does HMRC use Arvato to collect debts?
No – HMRC do not currently instruct Arvato to collect outstanding debts on their behalf. HMRC uses a number of private debt collection agencies, and a complete list can be found on their website.
Who owns Arvato Financial Solutions Limited?
Arvato Financial Solutions Limited, is a limited company that forms part of the much wider Bertelsmann Group. You can find out more about Bertelsmann by visiting their website.
Are Arvato debt collectors regulated?
Yes, Arvato Financial Solutions Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with firm reference number 708669.
Do Arvato accept credit card payments?
Arvato accept a variety of payment methods, including debit card, credit card, direct debit, and standing order.
It’s worth knowing that paying off debts with a credit card may see you incur interest and charges from your card provider, making the debt more expensive altogether.
Does Arvato accept payment plans?
Arvato are known to accept payment plans. If they’ve been in contact, you can use the reference number provided to find out your payment options via their website.
It may be advisable to contact them directly if you feel it would help to repay your debt in more affordable instalments over a longer period of time.
Can Arvato take my car?
Unless the debt you owe to one of Arvato clients is secured over your vehicle, the firm cannot immobilise it, or take it in full or part payment.
Can Arvato sell my home?
Whilst it’s unlikely, Arvato could eventually seek the ability to sell your home – but this would take a lot of effort on their part. Except in cases where the relevant debt is secured against your property (for instance where the relevant debt is a mortgage) Arvato would need to take you to court to seek a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you.
Even then, they would have to seek another court order (known as a charging order) if they wanted to progress with the sale of your home.
How long can Arvato legally chase a debt for?
Under the Limitation Act 1980, creditors have six years to chase the majority of unsecured debts. This period begins from the date of your last payment, or the last date on which you acknowledged that the debt exists. Once this period has elapsed, Arvato will not be able to take legal action against you to enforce the debt.
You can’t just wait for this time to elapse, however, as Arvato debt collectors are likely to chase you for the outstanding figure and could even apply to the courts for a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you if you refuse to pay. In this sense, it’s important for debtors to recognise that simply refusing to acknowledge the existence of a debt probably won’t make it go away.
Can Arvato issue a warrant?
Arvato won’t be able to issue a warrant, but a court could do so if a CCJ has already been granted against you.
Can I ignore Arvato debt collectors?
Ignoring Arvato won’t make your debt go away, and doing so could in fact lead to more serious consequences. If you fail to pay what you owe, they could send debt collectors to your home or even take your case to court – where a County Court Judgment (CCJ) could be made against you.
If this happens, the court will have formally recognised what you owe, and could even send bailiffs to your home if you do not settle up.
Can I just ignore a CCJ letter from Arvato?
If things escalate to the point that Arvato seek a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you, they will still need to follow a formal process. This includes sending a ‘letter of claim’ that sets out exactly what you owe and to inform you of the pending legal proceedings. You will typically have 30 days to respond to a letter of claim, and a reply form will usually accompany the letter.
Once legal action has commenced, debtors can expect to receive communications 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 Arvato 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 and firms are still operating, but many ask debtors to contact them if they have been directly affected by COVID-19 in a way that is impacting on their ability to maintain payments.
Ultimately Arvato can still pursue unpaid debts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their website suggests that those who are unable to pay due to current circumstances should not worry, and instead get in touch with the Arvato team to find the best solution.
What if I can’t afford to pay Arvato Financial Solutions Limited?
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 form of communication from Arvato, 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:
- www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
- www.stepchange.org
- www.nationaldebtline.org
Last Updated on September 1, 2023