Gladstones Solicitors 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 their Accreditation Initiative.
Why are Gladstones Solicitors chasing me?
When you owe someone money, they are your creditor. If you don’t pay the money you owe to them, they are permitted to request the money 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 home.
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 Gladstones Solicitors Debt Collectors.
Is Gladstones Solicitors a legitimate debt collector?
Yes, Gladstones Solicitors 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 their Accreditation Initiative. This requires its members to operate in a fair and legal way that is compliant with their code of conduct.
Who do Gladstones Solicitors collect for?
They collect debts for businesses, organisations and individuals. The list below is not 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
Gladstones Solicitors collect on the behalf of your original creditor but they also buy debt ‘bundles’ which makes them the owner of your debt.
Can I stop Gladstones Solicitors from contacting me?
Gladstones Solicitors 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 receiving telephone calls. In line with the code of conduct, they should respect your preference.
Should I ignore Gladstones Solicitors letters or calls?
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 Gladstones Solicitors taking further action. You are entitled to take advice and they should allow time for you to consider your options, in keeping with the Credit Services Association code of conduct mentioned above. Once you have decided upon the best course of action, it is best to inform them. Gladstones Solicitors can be contacted via telephone or via their website.
Should I pay Gladstones Solicitors the money I owe?
Debts, wherever possible, need to be paid. If this is unaffordable, there are debt management options available to you. Before you pay Gladstones Solicitors you are entitled to explore alternative options.
Is my debt to Gladstones Solicitors statute-barred?
Some debts have a time limit, typically six years in England and five years in Scotland. This timeframe begins from the last payment made or when the debt was acknowledged via letter to the creditor. The debt needs to meet the below criteria to be classed as statute-barred and not enforceable by law:
The creditor has not registered a CCJ against you No payment has been made against the debt in the limitation period You have not admitted to the debt in writing in the limitation period
You may need to seek legal advice to confirm this.
I can’t afford to pay Gladstones Solicitors. What now?
You can agree on a payment plan with Gladstones Solicitors which needs to be realistic and affordable, without excessive charges, interest or penalties.
You may be able to write off Gladstones Solicitors’ debts; see below Other routes include a Debt Management Plan, Debt Consolidation Loan, Minimal Asset Process, Debt Arrangement Scheme or Bankruptcy.
Please seek professional debt advice to explore and discuss your options further.
Can I write off my Gladstones Solicitors debts?
You may be able to legally write off Gladstones Solicitors 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. Please seek professional debt advice to discuss your options.
What action can Gladstones Solicitors take?
Gladstones Solicitors 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 or at your place of work if you have asked
• them not to
• Discuss your debt with family members or employer
• Take unauthorised payments
• Refuse reasonable time to consider the debt management options
• Ask you to borrow more money to pay off this debt
• Use confusing legal or technical language
• Demand payment after a debt is statute-barred
• Threaten unlikely legal action
• Send letters that look like court documents or falsely claim to have legal powers they don’t have
Gladstones Solicitors 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, Gladstones Solicitors must first take you to court.
Could my Gladstones Solicitors debts meant that I lose my home?
Gladstones Solicitors mainly deal with unsecured debt, which means the debt is not set against an asset such as your home. In order 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.
Explore Debtbuffer further for more useful information, such as our letter writing services which help to buy time from creditors. Or use our AI Chatbot to find if you are suitable for one of the possible debt management solutions. Debtbuffer aims to help you take back control of your life and money.
