Personal Debt Collection – 5 Valuable Ways to Help Get Paid

Personal Debt Collection

Have you loaned money to somebody in good faith, only to be let down by false promises of payment?

Frontline Collections are the UK’s leading private debt collection agency and have experienced every possible scenario related to personal debt recovery.

There are many reasons why someone may owe private individuals money, and the types of debt can vary.

Personal debts can be owed by a variety of individuals, including friends, relatives, customers, employers, and employees.

A friend may have asked to borrow money with the promise of paying this back, only to leave you out of pocket.

You may have left a job and the employer hasn’t paid you the full amount in your final wage.

No matter the situation, it is important that you take appropriate action to recover the debt as soon as possible.

Unpaid debts can create a very stressful and uncomfortable situation for all involved, making you feel like you have nowhere to turn.

Five main ways will help you recover money that is owed to you:

• Ask for payment upfront
• Polite payment reminders
• Send the debtor a letter
• Make a phone call or send an email
• Hire a personal debt collection agency

Recovering a private debt shouldn’t have to feel like a challenge to complete, especially as the money is rightfully yours.

Knowing which debt recovery method to choose can be a task in itself, which is why we have produced this helpful guide.

Continue reading to find out how to successfully carry out personal debt collection and recover what is owed.

How to Recover Money From Someone Who Hasn’t Paid

When a promise of payment has been broken by an individual, a boundary will have been crossed within the relationship.

The debtor has not only taken advantage of your good nature but has demonstrated a lack of respect towards you.

When money is owed, many individuals gravitate towards using the small claims court, high court proceedings, county court judgements, debt recovery solicitors etc.

This is mostly due to a lack of knowledge of the different debt collection services available and the best methods to use.

Following the below methods are known to assist in the debt collection process and help you get paid what you are owed.

Ask for payment upfront

The first, and most obvious, way of getting your money back is to prevent this from happening in the first place.

Requesting that the person pays upfront is the best way of achieving this, as this ultimately stops any occurrence of the money going unpaid.

This is mostly related to business owners, sole traders or self-employed individuals who get paid by their customers for goods or services.

For those who loan money to other types of individuals, there are other options available.

Polite payment reminders

If payment cannot be made upfront, the first step in any debt recovery process is to make a polite reminder to the person that owes the money.

This can either be done face to face or through written formats such as emails, texts or letters.

You should state that the payment is due, when it was due and how much is left outstanding.

Any reminders that are made to the debtor must remain professional and calm in tone.

Send the debtor a letter

If you have made a polite reminder to the debtor, it is a good idea to reinforce this by sending them a letter.

The letter should include details on the specifics of the debt that is owed, including the total amount that is due.

This will give you something to fall back on should you have to escalate this to a professional.

It is important to ensure the letter is delivered properly, which can either be done via recorded delivery or by hand.

Make a phone call or send an email

In addition to the communication methods above, engaging with the debtor via telephone is a good way to prompt an answer.

Phone calls are harder to ignore than a text or a letter and will show how willing the debtor is to cooperate in paying.

A multi-channel approach when chasing the debtor gives you the best possible chance at recovering the money that is owed.

Hire a personal debt collection agency

If the above methods have failed to produce the payment from the debtor, it is recommended to take a stronger approach.

Using a personal debt collection agency, that is experienced in recovering debts from individuals, is the next best option.

Frontline Collections are one such agency and are known as the UK’s leading recovery agency for collecting unpaid debts.

Since 2005, we have helped thousands of individuals and small businesses collect money owed by their debtors.

Don’t hesitate to contact our team of debt recovery specialists today.

Personal Debt Collection – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to undertake personal debt collection?

Whilst there are many ways to recover debts, it is best to use a professional personal debt collection agency.

Can an individual recover a debt from a business as well?

Private and Business Debt Collection Agencies can recover debts from both individuals and businesses.

What happens if the person that owes the money is based overseas?

If the individual that owes you money is based overseas, we will use our specialist international debt collection practices to recover this.

What is the personal debt collection process?

When you instruct us, we will request all relevant information regarding the debt that is owed.

We then provide you with a FREE pre-action assessment which will outline how successful recovery will be.

What is the cost of using a debt collection agency?

We provide our clients with a cost effective, fixed fee service, meaning no damage to their cash flow.