The Ultimate Guide to Phoenix Commercial Collections

Phoenix Commercial Collections have contacted you and now you want to know what your next steps should be. Well, you’re in the right place.

Our Ultimate Guide to Phoenix Commercial Collections will answer all your pressing questions and give you helpful tips and advice on how to deal with them.

Phoenix typically collects debts for unpaid parking tickets, council tax and rent. If Phoenix has been in touch and you are interested in reducing your debt by up to 85%, then fill out our online form below.

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It’s time to combat your debt, keep reading to find all the information you need on how to handle debt collectors and reduce your arrears. 

Who is Phoenix Commercial Collections Ltd?

Phoenix Commerical Collections Ltd is a debt collection agency that collects outstanding debts for an array of clients.

They can offer law enforcement services; this sets them apart from standard debt collection agencies who have no legal power and aren’t able to repossess any of your belongings.

Phoenix, on the other hand, can provide the court service by sending collectors to obtain payment or to even remove possessions from your home as collateral.

It has been suggested that Phoenix doesn’t carry out the repossessions themselves but that they outsource bailiffs, meaning in reality Phoenix, themselves, still have limited legal powers.

However, this does not mean that Phoenix is to be taken lightly or dismissed, as they can still wreak havoc on your life if you don’t know how to deal with them.

Keep reading to find helpful tips on how to deal with debt collectors. 

Where is Phoenix Commercial Collections based?

Phoenix Commercial Collections Ltd is based in Bolton, England.

Its address is as follows: Paragon House, Paragon Business, Chorley New Rd, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6HG.

Is Phoenix Commercial Collections a legitimate company authorised and regulated in the UK?

Phoenix Commercial Collections is authorised, in the UK, by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The FCA have regulations that all debt collection agencies must abide by. It prohibits the following behaviour:

  • Contacting debtors at unreasonable hours, typically between 9 pm and 6 am.
  • Entering a property without permission.
  • Taking payment without consent.
  • Pretending to have legal powers which they actually don’t.
  • Pressuring an individual into taking out loans to repay debt.

If you want to learn how to complain if Phoenix breaches any of these rules, then keep reading our Ultimate Guide to Phoenix Commercial Collections.

Phoenix Commercial Collections council tax collection

Phoenix is best known for collecting outstanding payments from parking tickets, unpaid rent and, most likely, unclaimed council tax.

If you receive a letter or call from Phoenix, chances are you’ve not paid your council tax and the debt collectors are coming to make you pay.

During COVID-19, debt collection for council tax slowed down, however, as the epidemic has eased up slightly, council tax is being chased once again.

So, if you’ve been avoiding paying your council tax, it’s time to pay up or you can expect a call from Phoenix.

Do Phoenix Commercial Collections have good reviews?

To put it bluntly, no. Phoenix Commerical Collections do not have good online reviews, in fact, they have highly negative reviews.

The majority of the reviews elude to threatening comments, aggressive collectors and underhanded techniques.

There are multiple reports of debt collectors clamping the wrong people’s cars and bullying individual’s who don’t even own the debt.

Obviously, these complaints are from the debtors and not Phoenix’s clients. Their customers may have a different view of Phoenix and its methods.

How can you report Phoenix Commercial Collections harassment?

Many of the negative reviews focus on how Phoenix use harassment and scaremongering to force them to make payments, techniques which are prohibited by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The FCA’s website details all of the restrictions against debt collection agencies, so follow the above link to find out more.

Phoenix doesn’t appear to have a regulated internal complaints procedure, so your best bet is to report them to the FCA, who can then investigate your claims.

You can find more information on the FCA’s complaints procedure here.

An alternative option is to report them to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) who deal with disputes between businesses and consumers.

You can find the FOS’s complaints procedure here.

Make sure you record and document all interactions you have with Phoenix as this may help support your complaint.

How can you contact Phoenix Commercial Collections?

Phoenix Commercial Collections doesn’t have a website or recognised email address, so the ways by which you can contact Phoenix is limited.

You can contact Phoenix via the following options:

  • Call on 0333 323 0333
  • Send letters to Paragon House, Paragon Business, Chorley New Rd, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6HG

Phoenix’s phone lines are open from 8 am-6 pm on weekdays, but they are closed on the weekends.

How to send a Prove the Debt letter to Phoenix Commercial Ltd

If you have received a debt letter from Phoenix, your first step should be to send Phoenix a Prove the Debt letter, which essentially will confirm that the debt in question is yours.

It is important to respond or take action in a timely matter, in order to prevent a debt collector from showing up at your door.

Keep a copy of the Prove the Debt letter for your records and ensure you document the date it was sent.

It will help you, in the long run, to keep hold of all documentation and record all interactions with Phoenix as that way if anything did escalate to court, you will have proof of your efforts to communicate.

The are various Prove the Debt letter templates available on the internet, however, if you wish to write your own, follow these guidelines:

  1. Make sure any reference numbers from previous letters with Phoenix are included.
  2. Request Phoenix provides you with proof of debt and remind them that this is a legal requirement in order to collect debts.
  3. Mention that any further calls or letters, without proof of debt, will be classified as harassment, which is prohibited by the FCA.
  4. State that any misconduct will be reported directly to the FCA.
  5. Do not sign the Prove the Debt letter with your signature, simply print your name at the bottom.

If you receive a debt letter from Phoenix but don’t think it is correct, or even yours, then you should still send a Prove the Debt letter, as this can highlight any errors Phoenix may have made.

Debt advisory charities can provide helpful services which will aid with writing Prove the Debt and statute-barred letters.

Keep reading the Ultimate Guide to Phoenix Commercial Collections to find our list of professional debt advisory services.

Is my Phoenix Commercial Collections debt statute-barred?

Statute barred debt is debt with the following characteristics:

  • The debt is over six years old.
  • You haven’t made any payments towards the debt in the past six years.
  • No company has chased you for this debt in the past six years.
  • A County Court Judgement (CCJ) has never been issued for the outstanding debt.

If you believe your debt may be statute-barred, then instead of a Prove the Debt letter, you should send a statute-barred letter instead, informing Phoenix they aren’t legally permitted to chase the debt or escalate the matter to court.

You can find templates for statute-barred letters on the internet, with many debt charities providing free layouts.

While you don’t legally have to pay a debt if it is statute-barred, it may still be a good idea to do so as outstanding debts can impact your credit score.

What if I definitely owe Phoenix Commercial Collections the debt?

If Phoenix has confirmed the debt is yours and the debt isn’t statute-barred, then your first step should be to speak with a professional debt advisor.

Payment Plan

Debt advisory charities can help you assess what your best option is moving forward and can help to set up a monthly payment plan with Phoenix.

Payment plans mean you can pay a small instalment each month until the debt has been repaid in full.

When negotiating your payment plan, make sure to never agree to payments which you, realistically, won’t be able to meet, as this could push you further into debt.

Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA)

Another option to consider is an IVA, which is an agreement made by specialist companies.

An IVA is a plausible option for individuals who have various debts totalling over £1,700.

How an IVA works is by allowing the debtor to pay larger monthly instalments over five years, then after five years, your debt is cleared.

In certain cases, individuals only end up paying around 20% of their total debt before the debt is classed as written off.

Companies will agree to an IVA as it will guarantee some payment, rather than none.

Find our list of the best IVA companies in 2021 here.

Where can I find debt advisor help?

Debt charities are there to help and support those who are struggling with debt. Our recommended free debt advisory services are as follows:

List of Debt Collection Agencies UK

Here is a list of all the debt collectors in the UK.