Deal With Persistent BW Legal Debt Collectors the Right Way

Debt collectors are not known for being kind and gentle, but BW Legal Debt Collectors sometimes take the concept of an aggro pit bull to a whole new level. It should be a red flag to consumers that BW Legal feels compelled to say upfront that they are, in fact, legal. And they are, by the way—registered in England and Wales (not Scotland), under Company Registration 07966978. DoNotPay can help you deal with BW Legal if they're trying to collect a debt from you, so keep reading to learn how.

BW Legal's Reputation

Most debt collectors in the UK go through a process of collecting bad debts. They start with letters, then move on to phone calls, and finally, if the amount of the debt is substantial enough, they file a CCJ in your county court.

BW Legal is notorious for filing an astronomical number of CCJs—about 10,000 per month—so they're not only hitting consumers when they're down, but they're also clogging the courts with what are effectively nuisance judgments. We're not saying that consumers should not pay their debts, only that going to court usually doesn't actually resolve any issues as even a judge can't get blood from a turnip.

BW Legal debt collectors represent some of the biggest companies in the UK, among them utilities and the government. These are a few of their clients:

• N Power
• O2
• EE
• Virgin Media
• Parking Tickets
• HMRC—the Government

Loan and credit card companies also contract with BW Legal, as do gas and electric companies, and a number of retail creditors.

How BW Legal Works

For the most part, BW Legal works within the boundaries of UK law, but sometimes individual agents go rogue and break collection statutes. Here is the general process of a BW Legal collection account.

• The staff may contact you via post, email, or telephone, asking you to contact them to discuss the debt and negotiate repayment.
• They may make excessive phone calls trying to reach you, although legally they may not call between 8 am and 9 pm. Some companies actually use monitoring technology to track when you are most likely to answer the phone.
• If you ignore their attempts to contact you, or can't reach an agreement, they can then file the CCJ. This will force your hand in dealing with the debt.

Consumer's Recourse Against BW Legal

You do have some recourse against BW Legal's harassing tactics. Tell them in writing that they may not contact you by phone, or you can stipulate the times of day when they may call, or specify one number that they may use—for example, they can't call you at work or on their home phone.

1. They Must Prove You Owe the Debt

Any debt collector in the UK must provide proof that a consumer owes the debt in question. This proof is typically a signed contract where the consumer agrees to pay the debt under the specified schedule. Unless BW Legal, or another debt collector, can give the debtor that proof within 30 days, the debt is unenforceable.

2. The Debt Must Exist

The Limitations Act of 1980 basically rolls any old debt of the books six years after the last payment date, or the last time a debtor acknowledged the debt in writing. Unless there is a CCJ against the debt, it's automatically cancelled.

3. It's Not Your Debt

Great Britain has a large population, and many people share the same name. An aggressive debt collector may send letters to more than one person, hoping they get the right one, or send letters to several known addresses for the same reasons. If you don't think the debt is yours, let BW Legal know they've got the wrong person. You can confirm the debt by checking your credit file.

You've Proven That You Don't Owe the Money but They Still Won't Leave Me Alone

BW Legal agents may imply that they are bailiffs of the court to get you to pay. They are not, and it is criminal to impersonate officers of the court. Reporting them for pretending to be bailiffs will stop this one agent, but keep in mind that you still owe the money. You can contact BW Legal online, by phone, or by post.

If you file a complaint with BW Legal and still aren't satisfied, you can go to the following agencies to file formal complaints. Be sure to include BW Legal's registration number, 07966978, and your debtor's account number from BW Legal.

• Financial Ombudsman Service
• Credit Services Association
• Solicitors Regulation Authority
• Financial Conduct Authority

DoNotPay Will Help Figure Out a Solution

If BW Legal or any other debt collector is harassing you, DoNotPay can assess your situation and determine your best course of action. With a few clicks and some data entry, we'll help you chart your course forward.

To get started, just follow these steps:

1. Search “debt collection” on DoNotPay.

2. Answer a series of questions about the debt collectors, including when you were contacted and how you were contacted, so we can determine if they have violated any debt collection laws.

3. Decide which course of action you want to take based on our guidance, such as filing a debt verification request, demanding for the collectors to stop contacting you, or reporting them to a professional trade association.

DoNotPay also shares detailed information regarding debt recovery and collection.

Some of the information includes:

• Amigo loans refund
• Lowell financial
• Moorcroft debt recovery
• DWP debt management
• Advantis debt collection
• Provident loans refund
• Marston Group Holdings

What Are DoNotPay's Other Areas of Expertise?

Our state-of-the-art AI lets our chatbot solicitors work through all kinds of things, large and small. We can cancel subscriptions—help with bills, small claims court—and help you recover missing money—large, or even pay bills online—super huge for busy people.