I presume, Dodgy Geezer, that you are talking about the enforcement bailiff? Not once have mentioned paying an enforcement bailiff, because I completely agree with you on that, they are money grabbing, unlawful, nasty people. I am talking about when the very first letter arrives saying the company have taken over the debt. For those who don't want the hassle of repeated bailiff calls and trying to get fees taken off etc then I think, from experience, that the best thing to do is agree a payment plan immediately. As I said before, half the time the first calls/levy bailiff won't even call if the payment plan is already in place. It is the complete ignoring of correspondence and total refusal to deal with it that will lead to enforcement action with the enforcement bailiff. I totally agree that the law has to come out and people needed to be educated and nobody should be ripped off by an enforcement bailiff, or even a levy bailiff if he tries it on. This thread has been completely misunderstood. It was aimed at people who have received a first letter saying a bailiff company has taken over the debt, and with my personal opinion that it is easier to just make the payment plan, and also exactly what to do to make sure it is done properly. I am not encouraging people to deal with enforcement bailiffs in any way, I actually think everybody should fight a bailiff company when the case has gone to an enforcement bailiff. If you don't want the hassle then do as I first said, but do it properly. If you want to fight from the start then just ignore this!

Sorry to clog up the board a bit tonight. I'm just wondering if anybody is paying a fee when paying their monthly/weekly payments by debit card? Surprisingly there are companies who charge as much as 2 pound per payment from a debit card, calling it an 'admin fee'. These are completely extortionate and, in my opinion, unlawful. There is definitely a way we can stop this and save money for thousands of people out there. If anyone is willing to help (it is as simple as a phone call or email) then please let me know! Thanks

Hi all, just a bit of inside info for anyone who might have lived in this area at any time. Telford & Wrekin council have been going through their archives recently and finding old unpaid council tax cases going back as far as the early 90s! They are sending these directly to a bailiff company (or more than 1, I'm unsure). I personally think they are just trying to make some quick money or someone there is being really picky. However, a lot of these cases have no information in their files at all so they have no way of proving they are legitimate. They don't have the dates of the missed council tax so my thought is they literally just have a list of names and an amount owed by each. They're basically trying it on. What to do if you have one? Fight it with the council as soon as you hear about it, ask for proof and exact dates of when council tax was missed, if they can't provide it then there is no way they can force you to pay. Ask for a manager. Threaten legal action if necessary. Also, important - Ask them to contact the bailiff company to put the case on hold while it is investigated, otherwise you will have a bailiff at your door for a debt you know nothing about. In my experience, if the council contact the bailiff company then they have to put the case on hold because they are effectively just working for the council. Oh and there is of course this very useful post about cases over 6 years: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/bailiffs-sheriff-officers/195735-council-tax-bill-over.html In the case of telford, I still think it is easier to ask them for proof first. I hope this helps someone out there!

I'm most definitely NOT an ex bailiff! I just worked for the company. I agree most enforcement bailiffs are awful and the law means nothing at all to them, first calls (levy) bailiffs are usually ok and can be pretty helpful although you get a bad one now and again. I've got lots to say and information to give, I'm also hoping people can join me and help to stop illegal fees but I'll go into this more later.

I agree completely that a lot of the people suffering are the poorer people and a lot won't see the forum but in my experience if they are on benefits or they go through the CAB then the company will set an affordable arrangement. I've just spoke to a friend who advised me that if an arrangement is made with the company before the levy bailiff goes out then at the moment, half of the time the bailiff won't even bother going, they will just add the 42.50. Paying the council is one option but the bailiffs aren't just going to give up and let that happen because they lose out, they will still add fees and send it to enforcement. As I said, this is aimed at people who don't want to go through that. Law means very little to bailiffs companies and the councils are usually on their side anyway. The police don't know what to do because they don't know who they should be assisting. I've seen lots of cases where removal has taken place with police help. If you want to fight them and refuse to pay them direct then that's great, possibly the best thing to do if it works out but it's not for everyone.

I can assure you I have seen more people lose when 'battling the bailiff' than those who have won. Many many more. I'm not talking about those who are fighting bailiffs who have added illegal fees or are there for payment in full etc, just those who want the case paid off without the hassle and problems. After all, a lot of the time, the debt is legitimate. My view is not tarnished in any way, I despise them all, I hate the industry but for the sake of one fee I don't think it is worth it. Everyone is different...I have a young son and can imagine that those with children and having an enforcement bailiff calling round making stress just because they wouldn't allow a levy, it just isn't worth it. As I said, I will be writing more towards enforcement soon and also what to do if you really do want to fight the bailiff right from the start and if you have a legitimate reason etc. I don't agree with bailiff fees, I am trying to explain the best way in my opinion and experience to deal with a debt. If all cases were dealt with like I said then bailiff companies would make no where near the money they make now, they make almost all of their money from people who refuse to set up a payment plan or those who set one they can't afford. It's a fact. I'm also presuming most people who come on here don't come to say 'I'm going to fight these bailiffs' but probably to say 'what the hell do I do?'. So many people think a levy bailiff is there to threaten them and remove goods, I used to get asked if they did that on a daily basis.

Spamheed, you don't seem to have understood at all. There are so many people like this who just think 'bailiff companies are impossible and will rip me off so I'm not going to deal with them'. Not true. You just have to know how to deal with them. What I meant was yes set a payment arrangement with them but if they get pushy then back off and threaten to contact council or CAB because the last thing the bailiff wants is no payment plan at all. I don't know if I stressed this enough either...You do NOT have to pay up front to set up a payment plan so don't be pushed into it. TRUTH...the CAB have a deal with the company I used to work for that if they call then the company have to put the case on hold for 2 weeks and call the case back from the bailiff. They are also trying to strike deals with other companies too but I'm unsure about the outcome. The company I worked for really do have to take notice of the CAB though. They always adhere to the rules when they're involved. Oh and if anyone wants to know who I worked for then PM me. Again, I'm trying to help, don't put people off sorting out their problems the simple way. Out of all the people I ever dealt with, the happy people who were friendly were the people who allowed the levy and agreed a sensible payment plan, not those who fought it from the start. I've seen so many cases escalate for abolutely no reason.

Greetings again all, I didn't think I would make such a stir, I think perhaps I didn't explain why I was writing this and to who I was aiming it very well. I have dealt with thousands of cases. Let me describe the most typical case I have ever dealt with.... Case is passed to bailiff company to deal with, letter sent to debtor, debtor refuses to allow bailiff to levy and bailiff is sent back to the company saying 'debtor refuses to pay'. Ok, this is what almost ALWAYS happens now...the case goes to the enforcement bailiff, who adds a charge of 90 pound to the case. Yes the 42.50 would already have been added despite no levy. I assure you the charge is added on 80% + of cases even when no levy taken. Ok so enforcement bailiff calls, threatening locksmith and removal (yep, even when no levy done). At this point I would say 30% plus of people pay at least half of the balance, quite a lot pay in full too. So what happens to the people who still refuse to let bailiff in? They battle for weeks trying to get the council to take the case back (and they don't always do this...there are some strict councils such as Solihull, Wigan, Luton, London Boroughs etc etc). I would be very surprised if the fees would be removed so debtors end up paying them anyway...this all often leads to immense stress and problems. I have seen many cases sent for commital to prison because people won't pay or allow levy. Not that many actually go that far but with certain councils it can happen. Now you might say 'they can't do that, it's all illegal' etc etc. Fair enough, but they do! We are talking about the most corrupt industry in the world as far as I'm concerned. Let's take my original message now and do what I suggested... Debtor receives letter from bailiff company about debt, agrees to pay over x amount of months (guidelines are usually 6 months or 3 months for the strict councils I mentioned, unless benefits then they will accept 5 pound per week).... Debtor agrees to levy so levy bailiff turns up (levy bailiffs are not usually horrible people, they are friendly and very helpful..yes you get some bad ones but not often), does levy, watched carefully by debtor so nothing can go wrong, double checks all details with the office as I said to and then pays as requested...debt is cleared, no stress or hassle, the only down side? Levy fee, usually about 40 pound but it can be a & of the debt, never seen one over a hundred pound though. If you want to battle the bailiff company when it is a legitimate debt then you're just asking for trouble. I hope it clears up who I was aiming it at. I really really despise debt companies, I am trying to help because they make millions in unfair fees every year. I will get to the other replies soon and will be writing a 'what to do when enforcement action has been taken' thread soon. Take care

HI and yes I agree if it is possible in any way to make a payment plan with the council then please do that but I am trying to offer my personal experience here. I have taken thousands of calls from people who have had their debts passed to a bailiff and on many occasions been to scared to deal with the bailiff or have tried to have the case passed back to the council and ended waiting so long they have paid the bailiff company in installments (after having fees added). All I am trying to do is warn people against waiting for weeks and months and then end up paying huge amounts (again I have seen this so many times). As I said, if people are willing to fight it enough to get the case sent back to the council then that is great but in my extensive experience that happens in much less than a quarter of cases. And again, I am happy to help if this is possible. Thanks

Hi all. I am ex-employee of a bailiff company, as you might have seen from my previous post, I am going to be posting lots of useful information because I am sick of people being ripped off by these money greedy people. This is my first message and it is aimed at people who have only just received details of a debt from a bailiff company. I know a lot of this seem very very obvious but you would be surprised how often I have seen people being charged hundreds of pounds just because they haven't kept to these simple steps...so please read carefully! You need to read all of this to make sure you are doing everything correct in order to avoid HUGE fees and bailiffs threatening you! If you receive a notice of a debt from a bailiff company then I am presuming that you are agreeing that you owe the debt, and if not then you should be contacting the council or client to seek more details. OK, so you have received details of a debt you owe from a bailiff company? There are two options for you here: either you agree to pay the bailiff company in installments or you completely refuse to deal with them and try to get the case sent back to the council. Unless the bailiff company are being very threatening and demanding right from the start or you have very good reason for the case to go back to the client / council then I advise to deal with the bailiffs. It isn't as difficult and scary as you might have thought! This is very important: There are two types of bailiffs, First call or Levy bailiffs and Enforcement bailiffs. Just because you hear the word 'bailiff', there is no need to freak out. Usually, when a case is passed to a bailiff company, it will go straight out to a levy bailiff. The levy bailiff is there to set a payment arrangement with you and is NOT there to remove your goods! Yes they will ask for a payment up front but you do not have to offer this as they will agree to set a payment arrangement / plan anyway. If they become threatening then back off and say you will go back to the council or Citizens Advice Bureau. Levy bailiffs are usually quite easy to deal with though so this is not usually required. This is also very important...DO NOT agree to a payment plan that you cannot afford because this is the start of your downfall and is the main reason, in my experience, that most people end up dealing with enforcement bailiffs threatening to remove their goods. One thing I must mention...A levy/first calls bailiff WILL charge for the service but this is legal so there is no way of stopping it unless you really really want to force the case to be sent back to the client but to be honest I have seen so many cases go to an enforcement bailiff while waiting for the client to sort it out that I don't recommend this at all. An enforcement bailiff will usually charge around 90 pound for calling out, even if no goods are removed. What if the bailiff is not accepting your offer? Try to show the bailiff some kind of proof of your income or benefits, as this is usually good enough to send them off accepting the lowest possible payment plan. If they are still not accepting the offer then tell them you are going to the Citizen's Advice Bureau as most bailiff companies will accept an offer from them. OK, by now I'm hoping you have a payment plan in place? If not and you have been dealing with a first calls / levy bailiff then let me know and I will try to help! I don't have knowledge and experience of every bailiff firm but I will do my best. **Very important** You have a payment plan in place? Good. Call the bailiff company to confirm this and if you have more than one case with them then you should ask them to confirm that the plan is to cover all cases because these companies often 'forget' to cover all cases so one of the other cases will default and they will send an enforcement bailiff so they can add more fees. **Also very very important** Check the exact details of the payment plan with them. You need to know exactly when it starts and when the first payment is due and also how often payments are due because first calls bailiffs get this wrong so many times. You have the right to request the payment plan to be sent to you in the post. I don't think any companies charge for this either so ALWAYS request it! One final tip for now... Can't call a mobile phone when the bailiff is on the road? Don't worry, call the call centre of the company and they can ask the bailiff to call you back. Don't waste all your credit on calling them! They will always call you back as it is in their best interest. This should be enough information for most people who receive a letter stating they owe a debt. If you keep to this then you should have no problems and the debt will be paid off. Ask me anything you need to know or let me know anything I have missed. I WILL be updating this! Thanks for reading. Don't let them beat you!

Hi all, I have recently finished working for a bailiff company and I want to help as many people as possible. I did join the forum recently but I think this name is more useful. I am going to be posting some useful information for you all over the next few days. I expect nothing in return. I will start with information for those who have just received a first letter about their debt and work my way through to people who have bailiffs on their door. I am sickened by the disgusting nature of these bailiff companies and how many illegal acts they get away with. All I ask is you read carefully and try to follow what I write. If you have any questions then you are more than welcome to ask me! I must state that I am NOT an expert on bailiff law but I know a lot about the actions of bailiff companies and how to avoid fees and removals etc. I am now aware that there are people on these forums who are fakes and just trying to gain information. I assure you I am not one of these and I just want to help. You will see this from my posts though. Thanks