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 QDR Solicitors Limited (also known as QDR Recoveries). Whilst not a traditional debt collection agency, they are a firm of solicitors that act on behalf of creditors who are trying to collect outstanding debts.
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 QDR Solicitors are and how they go about collecting debts.
Who are QDR Solicitors?
QDR Solicitors are a UK-based law firm that collects outstanding debts on behalf of banks, building societies and financial institutions. The company operates from offices in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
Why am I being contacted by QDR Solicitors?
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 QDR Solicitors are acting on behalf of, so you won’t necessarily recognise their name to start with.
Are QDR Solicitors legitimate?
QDR Solicitors Limited is a legitimate firm that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They are registered with Companies House under company number 07561541.
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 QDR Solicitors regulated by the FCA?
QDR Solicitors 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 721508.
They are also regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and operate under SRA number 560560. You can find their entry in the SRA register at the following link.
What debts do QDR Solicitors collect?
QDR Solicitors collect debts on behalf of various companies and organisations, including financial institutions and utility firms. These include EE and Virgin Media, amongst others.
What action can QDR Solicitors debt collectors take?
If you’ve been contacted by QDR Solicitors, their debt collection process has already begun. Taking a similar approach to many other debt collection agencies, there are a number of stages to the QDR Solicitors debt collection procedure.
The first you’ll probably hear from them will be a letter or maybe even an automated telephone call which states what you owe and encourages you to contact them to make payment. They might direct you towards their website where payments can be made via an online portal.
If you don’t pay at this stage, they may continue to contact you regularly in the hope that you will give in and pay up. This could eventually lead to QDR Solicitors sending debt collectors to your home, but these are not bailiffs and they cannot enter without your agreement. If you continue refusing to engage with them, they could seek a County Court Judgment against you and if this is granted, you’ll be ordered to pay up or expect a visit from court bailiffs.
How to deal with QDR Solicitors?
The best course of action for dealing with QDR Solicitors 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 QDR Solicitors 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 do owe money?
QDR Solicitors should be able to provide more information on request, and this could help you to check that everything is in order. You might want to ask them to provide evidence of how much you owe and who to. You can then check this off against your own records to ensure that it’s correct.
Can they take you to court?
It is possible that QDR Solicitors could take you to court in order to make a claim against you on behalf of their creditor clients. In most cases, any court action would see the company seeking a County Court Judgment (CCJ) formally confirming that you owe money to them or one of their clients. This is more likely to happen if you simply ignore QDR Solicitors’ 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 debt collectors come to my house?
QDR Solicitors Limited could send their field agents (‘debt collectors’) to your house if you fail to respond to their attempts to contact you. If this happens, keep in mind that debt collectors are quite different from bailiffs and 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 QDR Solicitors 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 QDR Solicitors send bailiffs?
Anybody who receives a letter from a debt collector might be worried about bailiffs attending their address, but QDR Solicitors 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 QDR Solicitors buy debts?
QDR Solicitors act on behalf of other organisations who have outstanding debts to collect. This means that if you have been contacted by them, it may be that they have been appointed to collect the money you owe for one of their clients.
It is not known if they purchase outstanding debts from other creditors, however this is a practice that some firms engage in. Once they have purchased the debt from an original creditor, the debt collection agency can then go about trying to collect what is owed.
Can I stop QDR Solicitors from contacting me?
You won’t be able to stop QDR Solicitors 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.
QDR Solicitors 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 QDR Solicitors?
QDR Solicitors are unlikely to write your debt off, but they and their clients 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. If you feel that a payment plan could suit your circumstances, getting in touch with QDR Solicitors could help you to get the ball rolling.
How to contact QDR Solicitors Limited
Effective communication is essential when you’re dealing with debt. Contact should be made via the details provided on any correspondence they send to you, however if you are unsure you can check their details on the FCA Register.
Full Company Name: QDR Solicitors Limited (also trading as QDR and QDR Recoveries)
Telephone number: 01926 758736
Email address: [email protected]
Website: www.qdrsolicitors.com
Office address:
Olympus Avenue
Tachbrook Park
Warwick, Warwickshire
CV34 6BF
How to complain?
If things go wrong, there are several ways to make a complaint about QDR Solicitors Limited.
To complain directly to QDR Solicitors Limited, you can call 01926 758736 or email [email protected]. You can also write to them by addressing your complaint to:
Customer Assurance Team
QDR Solicitors
Olympus Avenue
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV34 6BF
As QDR Solicitors 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 QDR Solicitors Limited 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
QDR Solicitors Limited is a UK-based firm of solicitors that specialise in debt collection. They act on behalf of their clients to collect outstanding debts – and any communications received from the firm should be taken seriously.
If you have 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 finding a positive way to move forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HMRC use QDR Solicitors?
No – QDR Solicitors do not currently act on behalf of HMRC in debt collection matters. HMRC uses a number of private debt collection agencies, and a complete list can be found on their website.
Who owns QDR Solicitors debt collectors?
QDR Solicitors Limited is owned and operated by Wright Hassall LLP – a UK based law firm with a history dating back over 170 years.
Wright Hassall LLP operate in the UK under registered company number Oc315843, and are overseen by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They appear on the SRA register at the following link, under SRA number 427848.
Do they accept credit card payments?
They offer various ways for debtors to pay, and accept direct debit, debit card, All Pay card and Cheque. It is not clear whether they accept credit card payments, however more information can be found on their website at myaccount.qdrsolicitors.com, or by calling 01926 758736.
Can QDR Solicitors take my car?
QDR Solicitors cannot immobilise your car or take it in full or part payment of a debt, unless the relevant debt is secured over the vehicle.
Can QDR sell my home?
QDR Solicitors could sell your home, but this really isn’t that likely. They 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 still need to seek a charging order for your home to be sold.
How long can QDR Solicitors 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, QDR Solicitors Limited 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 QDR’s 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.
Can QDR Solicitors 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 them?
You may think that QDR Solicitors (or their clients) 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). This potential escalation is even referenced on their website which notes that they may be instructed to commence litigation. If A CCJ judgment is made, 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 QDR Solicitors?
If QDR Solicitors or their clients 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 QDR Solicitors still 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 collection firms 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 QDR Solicitors?
If you’re struggling to cope with your financial situation, help is on hand. If you’ve received a letter or another communication from QDR Solicitors, 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: