If you ignore your debts with Advantis Credit, they have the choice of a few different approaches to recover your debt.

Advantis Credit may make a court claim against you, which is a cheap but popular way for them to reclaim their money. If they choose this method, you will receive a claim form through the post and you would either have to pay the money in full, following their instructions, or dispute the bill. If you dispute the bill against Advantis Credit, you should take legal advice, as a lot of defences will not work in this situation, and incorrect action will increase your chances of further trouble. Make sure your legal representative gives you clear information, so you understand the implications of disputing your debt.

It may be possible to write off any debts that you have with Advantis Credit if you have a total of £5000 or more of unsecured debts. This approach can include loan debt, credit card debt, catalogue debt, payday loans, overdrafts and any other unsecured debt.

Advantis Credit are a debt collection agency; this means that they can buy debts from numerous businesses and legally pursue them, as long as they meet specific standards and guidelines, to make a profit. The majority of debts for collections agencies relate to council tax arrears, car payments, parking fines, benefit overpayments, loans, credit cards, telephone bills, water and electricity bills.

Suppose you have a credit agreement with one of these businesses. In that case, the terms and conditions allow them to sell on your unpaid debt to Advantis Credit Ltd, other debt collections agencies or they may chase you directly for payments.

Yes, Advantis debt collectors organise debt repayments from people who owe money to HMRC.

Advantis Credit Ltd incorporated in September 2004, under company registration number 5223252. They are registered in England and Wales with the following registered office address: Floor 9 Peninsular House, 30-36 Monument Street, London, England, EC3R 8LJ.

They are a legitimate debt collection agency.

You can contact the company about debt collection in the following ways:

• Phone: 01782 971 346
• By post: Advantis Credit Ltd, Minton Hollins Building, Shelton Old Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom ST4 7RY
• Email: admin@advantiscredit.co.uk

You can also find a lot of information on their website at https://www.advantiscredit.co.uk/

Customers have reported that Advantiscredit called them on 01782 401125.

If you have a complaint relating to the performance of Advantis debt collection, address a letter to Advantis Credit Ltd – Complaints Department, Minton Hollins Building, Shelton Old Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 7RY.

Alternatively, you can contact them in the following ways, quoting your reference number:

• Phone: 01782 401100 (should be free for most mobiles)
• Email: admin@advantiscredit.co.uk

If you are unhappy with how Advantis debt collection have dealt with your complaint, you can refer the details and your circumstances to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is no longer involved in this process. Make sure to keep a copy of all communications the company has sent you, as evidence.

At the time of writing, HMRC uses the following debt collection agencies to collect monies due following a County Court Judgement:

• 1st Locate (trading as LCS)
• Advantis Credit Ltd
• Bluestone Consumer Finance Limited (trading as Bluestone Credit Management)
• BPO Collections Ltd
• CCS Collect (also known as Commercial Collection Services Ltd)
• Moorcroft
• Oriel Collections Limited
• Past Due Credit Solutions (PDCS)

One of the reasons you are likely to receive so many phone calls, perhaps followed up by text message, is that Advantis staff are likely to be paid a bonus for the money they collect, so they have incentives to be persistent. They may also use automated calling systems, which could mean you receive a regular phone call throughout the day from different numbers.

When they send bailiffs to reclaim items of value from your property to repay your creditor, you may incur collection charges if they are not able to enter your property.

The easiest way to pay your debt letter is by making a payment through the link on their website. You can speak to them to see if you can negotiate an arrangement to make part payments, or instalments on your account, rather than letting their bailiffs take your possessions, or making a lump sum payment that you can’t afford. The last thing you want to do is leave yourself without money in your budget to pay for vital things such as rent, which will put you further into debt.

Alternatively, contact one of our debt specialists to take control and see what other option could be in your interest. Our team of experts have knowledge about debt collection rules, debt collection guidance, charges, doorstep collectors, bankruptcy, individual voluntary arrangement (IVA), and the tricks that a debt collection agency may use on a debtor. Feel free to call us for a chat and some tips to help you to get your life back on track. You are not alone; there are many others in the same situation.

If you think the debt collection agency (DCA) has made a mistake in the record of your debt, you can ask them to supply proof that you owe this money and to list what costs, interest rate or charge they have added to your case. You have the right to ask a question or make a point on anything that you think is unclear or not correct, and to expect a response.

It’s not uncommon to receive a notification about a debt relating to someone else’s activities. The agent may ask you to prove your identity before they will remove your address details from their collection database. It’s important to ensure that your family’s names are not associated with someone else’s debt.

If you would like debt collection guidance, then several institutions such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and StepChange can support you with the steps, industry guidelines and support from others to get your life back on track.

Please note that debt is something that impacts millions of people around the world, so don’t feel that you have to have the strength to deal with everything on your own. It can often feel that there is no end in sight, but in fact, by reading just one article or resources and posts from a supportive body, you will see there is a lot you can do. You’ll also see example after example of a person who has become fed up with living with unrealistic levels of debt, and then sought help to turn their life around; then the rest is history!

If you are receiving threats or have a question, then reach out to one of these bodies, or to our team of experts who will answer your questions and turn your money problems into results. Remember, at this moment, there is someone in the same place with their money as you, and there are things you can do today to start on the right road out of this difficulty.

Our staff make it their business to look after your interests, to support and guide you through the process and give you peace of mind. Call us for free on 0330 1228447.