Debt Recovery

[mikeyboy]

I posted a few months ago about outstanding payments from an agency. Polaris LTD. That situation was resolved when I got the client involved.
However, the same situation has occurred again. They are now 12 weeks behind in payment and no amount of e-mails and phone calls from myself and the client are doing any good.
It looks to me like the agency are about to go down the swannie. A credit search on them revealed a CCJ for £40k issued on the 15th October. So I ain't the only one chasing them!

Any advice on getting this debt recovered? Never had to do this before. I'm owed £10k and I am prepared to pay to get it quickly before the Receiver moves in.

[Not So Wise]

First off obligatory IANAL

Now taking that into consideration. Stop working via them, you are just building up the debt. Talk to the client today, book a few days off while this gets sorted. (this is especially important because at this stage if you continue working client cannot pay you direct, they have to pay the agency and that money will be most likely be lost to you forever)

Next go to lawyer, bring your contract and any copies of any communications you have with them about missing payments payment (hope you have not been doing it all over the phone), he should be able to confirm they are now in breach of contract, which should free you to go direct to client (or another agency if you prefer). Client will probably need to do the same with their contract to make sure they can actually hire direct/via other agency

Next, start debt recovery and legal proceedings against the agency immediately, general rule of thumb is those who first claim are first served when the liquidators come in

Now all that said, sadly got to say you are probably screwed, liquidation takes forever and because agencies generally don't have many assets to sell off beyond existing contacts (which are normally lost during the events leading up to the crash) you will be lucky to see a fraction of the money owed a year or two down the road

Went though this exact same problem about 10 years ago, took a wait and see while I argue with the agency approach like you seem to have been doing, ended up getting absolutely nothing, obviously regretted it ever since

Now I never accept more than 5 weeks exposure to any agency and if they are more than a week late paying I down tools immediately

[pmeswani]

I posted a few months ago about outstanding payments from an agency. Polaris LTD. That situation was resolved when I got the client involved.
However, the same situation has occurred again. They are now 12 weeks behind in payment and no amount of e-mails and phone calls from myself and the client are doing any good.
It looks to me like the agency are about to go down the swannie. A credit search on them revealed a CCJ for £40k issued on the 15th October. So I ain't the only one chasing them!

Any advice on getting this debt recovered? Never had to do this before. I'm owed £10k and I am prepared to pay to get it quickly before the Receiver moves in.

Send them a final reminder by post & by recorded delivery. Advise them that they have 14 days to pay the amount in full (plus any lost interest, if that is permitted), or you will invoke legal action to recover the debt. If the legal action works in your favour, you can employ a company to recover the debt.

[ratewhore]

Now all that said, sadly got to say you are probably screwed, liquidation takes forever and because agencies generally don't have many assets to sell off beyond existing contacts (which are normally lost during the events leading up to the crash) you will be lucky to see a fraction of the money owed a year or two down the road

You could sell the debt to a debt recovery agency for arond 45-65 pence in the pound...

[DS23]

I posted a few months ago about outstanding payments from an agency. Polaris LTD....

are you still working through them?

iirc there are a couple of recruitment firms called polaris. i worked through one and had terrible trouble getting paid - i had to down tools and get the client involved - most unpleasant. i vowed never to use them again.

if you are working through them get the hell out of there now because you are paying for the privelege of working for nothing. or something like that.

i would get a professional debt collector firm involved right now. i used one who were pretty prompt at reacting to my plea for help - lemme see if i can dig out the details...

[DS23]

it was www.debtclaim.com

i am not affiliated with them & i can't even see if the link works as it is restricted at current client site.

[oracleslave]

it was www.debtclaim.com

i am not affiliated with them & i can't even see if the link works as it is restricted at current client site.

It redirects to their UK site but it does work

[mikeyboy]

Thanks for the advice.

October's invoice was sent direct to client and should be paid next week. So it's just the outstanding £10k I am worried about. They have 7 other contractors through these jokers, all in the same situation. Client is no longer paying invoices from Polaris until the situation is resolved.
Thanks for the link, I will get in-touch with Debtclaim and see what they advise. Fee's may be high but a solicitor will just eak the whole process out and charge me a fortune. Rather get it sorted quickly even if it costs 10-15%.

Will keep you posted.

[DS23]

It redirects to their UK site but it does work

thanks os. goodluck mb

[TykeMerc]

Sorry to hear this Mikeyboy, I had hoped you had things back on track as per the last time you posted.

Like many here I've lost out through bad payers in the past, for the last 6 or 7 years I've made it a policy to only accept contracts that're paid at most 14 days in arrears so I at least limit my exposure.

Best of luck (again).