PDCS is a debt recovery agency that buys and then collects outstanding debts. They will purchase a bundle of debts originally owed to other companies and then pursue the collection of these debts. Agencies such as PDCS buy the bundle of debts from the original creditors, paying them a fraction of the debt owed. They then seek to recover to the whole amount from the debtors.
You may be confused when you receive a letter from PDCS because it is quite likely you have never heard of them. PDCS is a debt recovery agency that buys and then collects outstanding debts. They will purchase a bundle of debts originally owed to other companies and then pursue the collection of these debts. Agencies such as PDCS buy the bundle of debts from the original creditors, paying them a fraction of the debt owed. They then seek to recover to the whole amount from the debtors. If your debt is one of these debts you will owe the money directly to PDCS rather than the company you originally contracted with.
PDCS also collect unpaid phone and utility bills for many companies including from Scottish Power, United Utilities, Vodafone and O2.
If you receive a letter or phone call from PDCS, do not ignore it. Ignoring it will not make the debt go away and it is likely to have already been marked as a default. Ultimately, if you ignore a debt then the creditor could obtain a County Court Judgment against you to then instruct bailiffs to collect the debt or to apply to the court for an order against your home if you are a homeowner. Problems with debt can damage your health and family life and ultimately life is too short to bear the burden of bad debt indefinitely.
The first thing you should do is to check that you actually owe the debt. It is for the creditor to prove that you owe money, so if they cannot provide proof they will have to treat the debt as settled. It isn’t unheard of for debt collection agencies to write to several people with the same name, hoping to reach the correct debtor eventually. Through our letter writing service, Debtbuffer helps people write letters to help buy the time they need to deal with their debts.
If you can pay the debt, the sooner you pay the sooner contact from PDCS will stop and you can move on with your life. If you cannot pay in one lump sum there are several options which may be available to you depending on your circumstances, which may include agreeing to an instalment plan, bankruptcy or entering into an IVA or Trust Deed.
If you are being contacted by PDCS it is because they believe you owe a debt, either directly to them through a debt they have purchased from your creditor or a debt that they are managing on behalf of your creditor.
Debt collection agencies, including PDCS, must follow the rules and guidance for debt collection which are set down by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”.) If a debt collection agency does not follow these rules then it is possible for the FCA to disqualify them from collecting debts.
The rules are designed to prevent debt collection agencies from acting in an unfair manner. For example, any charges for collecting debts cannot be unfair or excessive, and debt collection agencies cannot do anything which harasses or threatens debtors. An example of a threat which is unacceptable is the agency threatening to seize your property when they have no legal power to do this.
If, as a debtor, you have appointed someone to act on your behalf and manage your debts then a debt collection agency cannot ignore this and contact you directly.
PDCS cannot simply turn up at your home without providing advance warning. They must give you advance notice if they intend to call at your home. If they do, you are not obliged to let them in. They are not bailiffs.
PDCS cannot simply turn up at your home without providing advance warning. They must give you advance notice if they intend to call at your home. If they do, you are not obliged to let them in. They are not bailiffs.
Debtbuffer provides helpful advice to people who find themselves in debt. We can help you understand how the system works and what options may be available to you. Our AI chatbot can help you understand your options by taking you through a series of simple questions. Depending on your circumstances it may be possible to write off some of your debt or at least start the road towards becoming debt-free.
