People get into debt for all sorts of reasons – most often for reasons beyond their control such as a job loss or due to poor financial advice, mismanagement or an unanticipated dispute or fine, or more rarely because they have deliberately chosen not to pay for goods and services. 

Many organisations use debt recovery companies to retrieve their money. However the dreadful experience of debt can be exacerbated for many by rogue debt collectors and bailiffs exploiting the situation and using threatening and intimidatory tactics to recover money.

Reported examples include using official looking documents that mislead debtors, such as paperwork that resemble court orders, pressurising debtors to raise funds by further borrowing, making threatening statements or gestures and by publicly embarrassing the debtor through revealing the debt to third parties such as close relatives, employers or friends.

John Mann identified companies such as Excel Parking who use similar tactics to recover disputed fines.  He has seen letters written as if they were court orders which scare people into making the payments.

John Mann said, "Its time to name and shame these companies, whilst organisations have a right to recover their debts, no-one should have the right to threaten, bully or intimidate people just to collect cash they are owed. The regulation of bailiffs is an important part of protecting householders in disputes over debts and fines and will ensure only licensed agents are able to enter a property. This will raise the level of professionalism among bailiffs and will also ensure the public is protected by a properly regulated sector."

John Mann is supporting action to regulate the bailiff and debt collection industry.  New measures will mean more training for bailiffs to stamp out cowboy practices, set qualifications to raise standards and a powerful independent regulator to monitor standards and manage complaints.