Debt Collection Agencies: everything you need to know

A Debt Collection Agency or DCA is a company that collects outstanding balances on behalf of another company. Here’s some information on why they may contact you, how they can help, and how to contact them.

We may send your account to a DCA if: 

• You’ve missed several consecutive payments, and we’ve not been able to speak to you about your repayment options 
• You’ve missed several consecutive payments, and we’ve not been able to find a repayment solution that suits you 

If we’ve sent your account to a DCA, you should contact them directly to discuss your outstanding balance. 

The DCAs we work with can do an income and expenditure assessment to help you understand your finances. They’ll also help you choose an affordable repayment plan that’s right for you. 

If your circumstances change, please let the DCA managing your account know as soon as possible. They’ll be able to update your repayment plan to make sure it still suits you. 

And if you’re in a vulnerable situation, please let the DCA know so they can give you the support you need. 

If your account is being managed by a DCA, they’ll contact you by email, letter, or text using the contact details we had for you. They’ll let you know that they’re now managing your account and how much you owe. 

They’ll include their contact details in the emails, letters, or texts they send you. But here are the DCAs that we use and their contact details: 

Ardent (Debt and Revenue Services)

Telephone: 0151 545 1500 
Website: my-drs.co.uk/get_in_touch

Credit Resource Solutions (CRS)

Telephone: 0142 232 4510
Website: paycrs.co.uk

Creditlink Account Recovery Solutions (CARS) 

Telephone: 01256 512 500
Website: carsuk.org/how-to-contact-us

Past Due Credit Services (PDCS)

Telephone: 0131 447 0554 
Website: pastduecredit.co.uk

Your Airtime plan and device plan agreement are separate accounts. So, if you miss payments or fall behind with either of them, they may be sent to different DCAs. 

Each DCA will still collect on our behalf and will be in touch to find a repayment solution that works for you. 

The DCAs we use are regulated by the Financial Contact Authority (FCA). They must comply with FCA rules and regulations to ensure everyone’s treated fairly. 

We regularly check how the DCAs we work with interact with our customer too. 

So, we hope you’ll never be treated unfairly but if you have been, you can raise a complaint with us.