Apex Credit Management Debt Collectors

Apex Credit Management Debt Collectors: who are they?

When you owe someone money, they are your creditor. If you don’t pay the money you owe to them, they are allowed to ask for the money back and continue to ask, within reason, until it is repaid. If you do not pay, or fall behind with payments, they are entitled to contact you by letter, telephone or visit you in person at your house.

The person or business you owe money to may not contact you directly, they may pass or sell your debt onto debt collection agencies, such as Apex Credit Management Debt Collectors.

Is Apex Credit Management Debt Collectors a legitimate debt collection agency?

Yes, Apex Credit Management is a legitimate debt collection agency. They collect debts owed to individuals, businesses and organisations. They are also an accredited member of the Credit Services Association, having passed the Accreditation Initiative. This requires its members to operate in a fair and legal way and in compliance with their code of conduct.

Who do Apex Credit Management Debt Collectors collect for?

They collect debts for businesses, organisations and individuals. The list below is by no means exhaustive:

• • HMRC (unpaid tax and tax credit overpayments)
• • NPower
• • O2, EE and other telephone companies
• • United Utilities and other gas & electric companies
• • Council Tax
• • Parking Tickets
• • Catalogues
• • Credit cards and payday loans
• • Defaulted court fines

Apex Credit Management collect on the behalf of your original creditor but they also buy debt ‘bundles’ which makes them the owner of your debt.

Why is Apex Credit Management contacting me?

If you receive a letter from Apex Credit Management your debt has probably been passed to them to collect from your original creditor. It is important that you first confirm that the debt they are contacting you about is yours. You can use credit agency sites such as Experian to find any unpaid debts should you be unsure.

Should I pay Apex Credit Management the money I owe?

Debts, where affordable, need to be paid. If it is unaffordable, there are debt management options available to you. Before you pay Apex Credit Management, you are entitled to explore alternative options:

1. You can agree a payment plan with Apex Credit Management which needs to be realistic and affordable, without excessive charges, interest or penalties.
2. You may be able to write off Apex Credit Management debts. In England this involves an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) which consolidates all your unsecured debt into one affordable monthly repayment over a set term. After that term the debt is written off. In Scotland a similar scheme is a protected trust deed.
3. Other routes include a Debt Management Plan, Debt Consolidation Loan, Minimal Asset Process, Debt Arrangement Scheme or Bankruptcy.

You should always seek impartial, professional debt advice to discuss your options in detail.

Should I ignore contact from Apex Credit Management?

In short, no, do not ignore them. Ignoring the situation will not make the debt go away and leaving letters unopened or not taking telephone calls could risk Apex Credit Management taking further action. You are entitled to take advice and they should allow time for you to consider your options, as per the Credit Services Association code of conduct mentioned above. Once you have decided upon the best course of action for you, it is best to inform them.

Apex Credit Management can be contacted via telephone or via their website:

• • 0345 8498889
• • https//www.apexcm.co.uk

What action can be taken by Apex Credit Management?

Apex Credit Management can contact you regarding your debt and chase for repayments. You are permitted to request that they contact you via a particular method or at certain times, within reason, i.e.only via email. They are not permitted to:

• • harass you
• • call at unreasonable times
• • call you at your place of work if you have asked them not to
• • discuss your debt with family members or your employer
• • take payments that you have not authorised
• • refuse you time to consider the debt management options provided by debt advice services
• • ask you to borrow more money to pay off this particular debt
• • use confusing legal or technical language
• • demand payment after a debt is legally too old to pursue: ‘statute barred’
• • threaten legal action that they know is unlikely to happen
• • send letters that look like court documents or falsely claim to have legal powers they don’t have

Apex Credit Management are permitted to send debt collectors to your home if you do not make payment. They are not and cannot claim to be bailiffs. They are not entitled to enter your home or remove goods.

To issue a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you, send bailiffs or apply for an attachment of earnings/charging order, Apex Credit Management must first take you to court.

Do my Apex Credit Management debts put my home at risk?

Apex Credit Management mainly deal with unsecured debt, which means the debt is not set against an asset, such as your home. For them to secure the debt against your home, they have to first successfully obtain a CCJ against you and a Charging Order before this is possible.

Can I put a stop to Apex Credit Management contacting me?

Apex Credit Management may be legally obligated by the organisation for whom they are collecting to contact you. You are permitted to tell them how you would prefer to be contacted, for example only in writing or via email rather than taking telephone calls. As per the code of conduct, they should respect your preference.

If you have cause for concern about the actions of a debt collection agency, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman and the Credit Services Association:

The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
0300 1239 123

Credit Services Association Ltd
2 Esh Plaza
Sir Bobby Robson Way
Great Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE13 9BA
complaints@csa-uk.com
0191 2170 775