Following on from our mock interview with Dodgy Dave the Debt Collector below you can find an infographic containing Nine Top Tips to avoid dodgy B2B Debt Collectors.

The tips are from the pen of our MD Sid Home.  Sid is a former British Transport Police officer and has been the Managing Director of Safe Collections since the company was incorporated in 1984.

The Nine Tips are:

1. Never pay a Debt Collector in advance (if the company is as good as they claim, let them charge you after they have recovered your money not before).
2. Research References (Check the references they provide, are they from real companies or unnamed sources. Use a search engine and double check the companies named really do exist).
3. Get a referral (If in doubt, ask. Check if your accountant, bank manager or another business owner you trust can recommend a reputable agency).
4. Avoid Spammers (Yes, the fax is still big in Japan but dodgy agencies regularly spam every UK number in an effort to find suckers customers).
5. Get a Credit Report (It is good practice to check on any new supplier, it is critical when choosing an agency to handle your accounts.  Get 99 Experian credit reports for £99 here.)
6. Check the website (An easy way to get a view of the company. Does it tally with your expectations? A "home-made" website littered in basic spelling and punctuation errors should be a warning sign).
7. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is (beware of companies with pushy salespeople that make grandiose claims.  Yes it is theoretically possible to make a Director personally liable for a company debt, in practice it is almost impossible).
8. Read contracts carefully (Read and review any contract or terms as these will form a majority of the contractual agreement. Don't sign if you are unhappy with any of the clauses within and remember businesses do not enjoy a two week "cooling off" period, once a contract is signed it is legally binding!)
9. Never pay and agency in advance (yes this is the same as number one but it is a critical point worthy of repeating.  Never, ever pay any money to a Debt Collector in advance!)

If you have fallen victim to a dodgy debt collector in the past why not contact us today and find out how we do things differently.