Debt collection agencies

Hampton1968

Surely debt collection agencies don’t take every single client they have to court if they don’t pay ? Is there some sort of criteria of who they pick or is it just random ? 

sourcrates

The last figures i looked at were for 2019 i believe, less than 10% of defaulted debt ever see`s a court room, which seems about right  considering people in the UK owed £1,642 billion at the end of June 2019.
Although it appears there are a large number of CCJ`s for that year, standing at 1.15 million, the trend appears to be people are been sued, for smaller amounts of money.
In answer to your question, no, of the outstanding accounts collectors have on their books, very few actually go to court.
And it can be avoided altogether by making an arrangement to pay.

adamp87

Many people don’t challenge these court claims either or don’t give creditors change of addresses which means agreements are often easy to get against people too remember that probably shouldn’t even be passed.

That in mind there are certain agencies that will do court much more likely than others.

fatbelly

Hampton1968 said:

Surely debt collection agencies don’t take every single client they have to court if they don’t pay ? Is there some sort of criteria of who they pick or is it just random ? 

It's fairly random.

I agree with the 10% ballpark figure. Which accounts get chosen? You would think the larger value ones and/or those where the ccj can be enforced by a known method. But no. You might be employed and a homeowner with a 10k defaulted loan. Your friend may on benefits and rents and have an old phone contract for £200. He's as likely to get a ccj as you are.