Idem Servicing is one of the many debt collection companies operating across the UK. If you’ve received a letter from them, or are concerned about your situation, there’s no need to panic.
Whatever financial challenges you face, there are many options available to you. If you’re worried about dealing with Idem Servicing, this guide contains all the information you need to know about their debt collection practices and how you can move forward.
Who are Idem Servicing debt collectors?
Contents
Idem Servicing is a debt collection firm that is part of Paragon Finance PLC. They have been operating since 1985 and have offices in the Solihull area.
As a debt purchasing firm, they collect outstanding debts that have been purchased from the original creditors by their parent company, Paragon Finance.
Why am I being contacted?
If you’ve received a letter or another form of communication from Idem Servicing, you probably have an outstanding debt. Your debt might have been with another company, but they may since have purchased the outstanding liability from the original creditor.
Are Idem Servicing debt collectors legitimate?
Yes, Idem Servicing is a trading name of Paragon Finance PLC – a legitimate company who are registered in the UK with Companies House under company number 01917566.
The company 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 Idem Servicing regulated by the FCA?
Idem Servicing, under their parent company Paragon Finance PLC, 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 707521.
The company trades under various names, including Paragon, Moorgate Loan Servicing, and of course Idem Servicing.
What debts does Idem Servicing collect?
Idem Servicing works to collect debts that have been acquired by their parent company, Paragon Finance, from a range of original creditors. If they have contacted you, there’s a good chance that your debt will have originally been with another company who have since passed on the liability to Paragon (and Idem Servicing by extension).
What action can Idem Servicing take to collect a debt?
Idem Servicing’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 a 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. Idem accept multiple payment methods, and they might direct you towards their online payment portal at this stage.
If you don’t make a payment, Idem Servicing could continue asking you to settle up what you owe. 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, Idem may choose to seek a County Court Judgment (CCJ) 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 deal with Idem Servicing?
The best way to deal with Idem Servicing will depend on your individual circumstances. How you should respond might depend on 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 several courses of action that you could take. These include: settling your debt 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 Idem in the first instance.
How to check if you actually owe money to Idem Servicing?
Whether you dispute a debt or not, you may wish to establish whether you actually owe the money that Idem Servicing are trying to collect. When asked, they should be able to confirm your total debt figure and name the company that your debt was originally with.
Any information provided can then be double-checked against your own personal records to make certain that all information is correct and that you owe the amount they are chasing.
Can Idem Servicing take you to court?
If you fail to engage with Idem Servicing, 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 and requires payment.
Will Idem Servicing come to my house?
Idem Servicing debt collectors can attend your property, but their field agents cannot force their way inside.
This is because they can only send debt collectors and not bailiffs. Debt collectors have very limited powers, and can only really ask for you to cooperate with them by paying off what you owe.
Do you have to let debt collectors from Idem Servicing into my house?
No, the debt collectors that work for Idem Servicing are not bailiffs and they have no authority to enter your property unless you choose to invite them in.
Can Idem Servicing send bailiffs?
Idem Servicing cannot send bailiffs of their own accord, but a court may decide to do so if you fail to pay what is required of you under a County Court Judgment (CCJ).
Without the backing of a court, the most Idem Servicing could do is send debt collectors to ask for you to cooperate with them by repaying an outstanding debt.
Do Idem Servicing buy debts?
Yes – Idem Servicing (through their parent company, Paragon Finance) become involved in the debt collection process by purchasing outstanding debt accounts from other companies who have been unable to collect what they are owed. The process involves Paragon purchasing debts at a reduced rate, before Idem attempt to collect what is now owed to them. This practice is commonplace among some debt collection companies, and credit agreement contracts frequently include terms that allow this to happen.
Can I stop them from contacting me?
You won’t usually be able to stop Idem Servicing from contacting you without the help of a formal debt solution. 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).
Idem Servicing can still contact you unless a solution such as those described above is in place, but you can ask for them to only contact you in certain ways – for instance via post and not by phone.
How to write off my debt with Idem Servicing?
Whilst Idem Servicing probably won’t entertain the idea of just writing your debt off, they may consider a full and final settlement offer put to them, even if it doesn’t fully cover the total figure owed. If such an offer is accepted, you may wish to request written confirmation that no further action will be taken against you once payment has been made.
Idem Servicing might even agree to a payment plan if you cannot afford to settle what you owe outright. Their site hosts a payment calculator page which could help you to work out an affordable monthly repayment amount.
Generally, it is only possible to write off debt via a formal insolvency solution.
How to contact them?
Communication is vitally important when you’re dealing with debt. To contact Idem Servicing, use the details set out below.
Full Company Name: Idem Servicing (a trading name of Paragon Finance PLC)
Phone number: 0345 322 7300
Email address: [email protected]
Website: www.idemservicing.co.uk
Office address:
Idem Servicing
PO Box 16619
Solihull, B91 9TU
How to complain about Idem Servicing?
If things go wrong, there are several ways you can go about complaining to Idem Servicing. They provide more information about their internal complaints process on the following webpage.
To complain directly to Idem Servicing, you can contact their customer relations team using the following details:
Phone number: 0345 322 7006
Email address: [email protected]
Postal address:
Customer Relations Manager
Idem Servicing
PO Box 16619
Solihull, B91 9TU
As Idem 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.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 Idem Servicing 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
Idem Servicing (and, by extension, Paragon Finance PLC) are a leading UK debt purchasing firm that collect outstanding debts arising from a range of original creditor accounts. Whilst any dealings with a debt collector are likely to be stressful, Idem Servicing 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 Idem Servicing, don’t panic. After reading this guide you should have a better picture of who they are and can start to plot a route forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Idem Servicing?
Idem Servicing is a trading name of Paragon Finance PLC. They are a public limited company that is authorised to conduct certain regulated financial activities in the UK, including debt collection and administration amongst others.
Does HMRC use Idem Servicing debt collectors?
No – HMRC does not list Idem Servicing Limited among the companies it currently instructs to collect debts on its behalf. For a complete list of the debt collectors used by HMRC, visit their website.
Who owns Idem Servicing debt collectors?
Idem Servicing is a trading name of Paragon Finance PLC, who are registered with Companies House under company number 01917566. In turn, Paragon Finance is a part of Paragon Bank Plc – a UK-based bank headquartered in the West Midlands.
Do Idem Servicing accept credit card payments?
No – according to the ‘Ways to Pay’ section of their website, Idem Servicing “do not accept Credit Card payments towards your outstanding balance or arrears”, although they do accept a range of other payment methods.
These include bank transfer, debit card, cheque, and direct debit.
Can Idem Servicing take my car?
Idem Servicing cannot immobilise your car or take it in full or part payment of a debt unless that debt is secured over the vehicle.
Since Idem Servicing are known to act on behalf of certain vehicle financing companies, it may be that they can exercise certain powers to immobilise or repossess your vehicle if the relevant outstanding debt relates to your car financing agreement.
Can Idem Servicing sell my home?
Idem Servicing could sell your home, but they’re unlikely to do this unless you have continually refused to repay what you owe over an extended period of time.
Idem Servicing 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.
Even if a CCJ was granted against you, Idem Servicing would still need to seek a charging order for your home to be sold.
How long can Idem Servicing legally chase my 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, Idem Servicing 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 Idem Servicing are likely to chase you for the outstanding figure and perhaps even seek a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you if you refuse to pay.
Can Idem Servicing issue a warrant?
Idem Servicing cannot issue warrants, but a court may do so if a CCJ has been granted against you.
Can I just ignore Idem Servicing?
Idem Servicing are unlikely to just forgive or forget a debt, and they could escalate the matter if you choose to ignore them.
To start with this might mean a visit from their debt collectors, but they could eventually choose to pursue legal action and may even seek a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you. 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.
Can you ignore a CCJ (letter of claim) from Idem Servicing?
Before a CCJ claim reaches court, Idem Servicing will first issue a ‘letter of claim’ to confirm what you owe and to inform you of the pending legal proceedings. This initial communication will usually come with an enclosed reply form, and debtors typically have 30 days to respond to the letter of claim.
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.
Anybody who is facing legal action over an outstanding debt should carefully consider their options and not be tempted to simply ignore the issue. For help and support, you can contact one of the organisations listed at the bottom of this article.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the way we all live our lives. Debt collection firms and debt purchasers are still operating, but many will have put special measures in place to help debtors to cope through this difficult period.
According to the specialist ‘Coronavirus’ page of their website, Idem Servicing are still open for business but wish to make clear that they “have a full range of tools available to support customers experiencing financial difficulty”. They encourage any customers who are experiencing difficulties to contact them as a matter of priority.
Ultimately they may still contact you to pay, but any reputable firm should be willing to consider your individual circumstances and may consider working with struggling debtors to find an agreeable way forward. Often, the best approach is to keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to contact them if you feel that you really can’t pay.
What if I can’t afford to pay Idem Servicing?
If you’re struggling to cope with your financial situation, there is help available. In the event that you’ve received a letter or another communication from Idem Servicing, 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