FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

frequently asked questions...

Who are Advantis?

Based in the UK, Advantis are established debt recovery agency with a successful track record of collections working for larger organisations. Through our online service we are now able to bring our debt recovery skills to a wider market, in particular small to medium sized businesses, in a simple, effective and affordable way. We have ISO9001 accreditation, and as members of the Credit Services Association we strictly adhere to their code of conduct as well as the guidelines of the Office of Fair Trading.

You can visit our main website at www.advantiscredit.com

Who can use Advantis’ online services?

Advantis’ services are designed for businesses, large or small. Sole traders or people running part-time businesses are just as welcome as large corporate companies. For example, a private individual who lets out a second property may find our tracing and debt recovery services just as useful as a large letting company.

What information will Advantis require from me to recover my debt?

The more information we have, the better. Firstly, to use the online services, you’ll need to register. This is quick, easy and free, and will provide us with the basic information we need about your business. Alternatively we can provide downloadable forms for some our our services that may be used to instruct us 'offline'.

To place a debt we certainly need the name of the debtor, including company name and contact name; company address and telephone number; the value of the debt and details of what the debt relates to; information such as invoice numbers and dates are also valuable in ensuring that we can act knowledgeably on your behalf.

Do Advantis only collect commercial debt?

No, we can collect commercial or private debts. We are very experienced in pursuing private debtors, such as those who have defaulted on utility bills, and we are happy to take instructions online in respect of any debt incurred by a private individual e.g. tenants who have failed to pay landlords.

What will I be charged?

If you choose Advantis Chase, you’ll be charged on a per case handled basis, the charge per case depending upon the number of Chase Credits you purchase at any one time, as follows:-

Purchase 1 Chase Credit £30.00 + VAT

Purchase 5 Chase Credits £125.00 + VAT

Purchase 15 Chase Credits £300.00 + VAT

Purchase 50 Chase Credits £750.00 + VAT

If when we speak to your debtor they wish to make a payment to us , we will accept payment on your behalf by debit card, credit card or company cheque only, and then forward the payment to you net of our 3% +VAT handling charge.

If you choose Advantis Collect you won’t be charged unless settlement is made by your debtor after you have instructed us (whether the debtor pays us or pays you direct), and then you will pay a commission based on the final settlement figure, as follows:-

Debts up to 60 days old 15% of the settlement value + VAT

Debts between 61 and 180 days old 20% of the settlement value + VAT

Debts between 181 and 365 days old 25% of the settlement value + VAT

Debts over 365 days old 35% of the settlement value + VAT

Please note that for debts of a lower value a minimum settlement charge of £50.00 + VAT is applicable to all Advantis Collect instructions when any value of debt is collected in line with your original instructions. Should for any reason you instruct us to close an account before the debt has been paid we may invoice you for the value of full settlement commission.

Sometimes it’s sensible to negotiate a payment plan to secure settlement. Advantis may agree a payment plan with your debtor if we think it’s the most appropriate course of action to recover the debt. We’ll only agree payment plans where the instalments are over no more than six months.

When will I pay it?

If you choose Advantis Chase you will pay upon instruction. You may purchase 1 or more Chase Credits at any time using a valid debit or credit card, and then use those Chase Credits as and when you wish to instruct us to pursue a debt on your behalf. We will accept payments of the debt on your behalf by debit card, credit card or company cheque only, and then forward the payment to you net of a 3% +VAT handling charge. No charge is made for payments that are sent directly to you when you’ve instructed us using Advantis Chase.

If you choose Advantis Collect you will pay the agreed commission rate to Advantis only when the debt is collected. Normally debts recovered in this way are settled directly with Advantis, and we will then forward the settlement figure net of the commission charge. Please note that we have a minimum settlement charge of £50.00 + VAT which applies when the normal commission value would result in a payment under £50.00. In the event that a debtor pays you directly after you have instructed Advantis to pursue a debt on your behalf, the appropriate commission is still payable by you to Advantis.

I’d be prepared to accept a lower amount in settlement to get paid. Can Advantis manage that for me?

Yes. When you instruct us to pursue a debt on your behalf, you will be given the option to enter a ‘lowest settlement figure’ (if you do not enter a figure we will assume that only the full amount is acceptable). Advantis will always seek to recover the full debt, but should it be expedient to do so we may accept a lower settlement figure, to the minimum prescribed by you. We will never accept a lower settlement figure than that which you instructed without first contacting you for approval.

What is Advantis’ debt recovery process?

We find that a combination of letters and telephone negotiation by our skilled call centre agents is usually enough to secure payment.

If you choose Advantis Chase, then we will send up to 3 collection letters approximately two weeks apart. The third letter will give warning of pending legal action to recover the debt (it’s up to you whether or not you wish to take legal action, but we can handle that for you if required. We will also utilise our outbound call centre to make contact with the debtor, and make our call centre agents available to receive calls from your debtor. Accounts remain open until payment is received, you instruct us to close the account or after 45 days have elapsed from instruction, whichever is the sooner.

If you choose Advantis Collect we will apply a similar process but to differing degrees of intensity depending upon the age of the debt. We may utilise a variety of data enhancement techniques to help us make sure we have the most up-to-date information on your debtor available, and if it is expedient to do so we may seek to ‘trace’ the debtor, should their current whereabouts be uncertain. We will keep Advantis Collect accounts open for up to 90 days or until payment is received.

Will Advantis guarantee to collect my debt?

No, it’s simply not possible for us or any other debt recovery business to make this guarantee. Factors such as the contact information available, previous action taken to collect the debt and the age of the debt will all contribute to the success rate. Generally speaking, though, acting early and involving a third party does tend to deliver better results. That said, recovering your debt is the basis of our business and as such you can be assured that we will make every practical effort to do so within the terms of your instruction to us.

When and how will I be paid?

Where a payment is taken on your behalf by Advantis we will forward the settlement value, net of commission and VAT, to you normally 7-14 days after payment has been made by your debtor to Advantis. Payment will be via electronic bank transfer to your nominated bank account, and you will receive a confirmation email when the value is posted.

What if a debtor pays me directly?

If you choose Advantis Chase then your debtor may pay you directly. Simply advise us that this has happened to stop the collections process.

If you choose Advantis Collect and your debtor pays you directly after you have instructed Advantis to pursue the debt on your behalf, you must advice Advantis immediately providing evidence of the settlement value. Advantis will then invoice you directly for the commission payable on the settlement value where evidence of a reduced settlement value is received. If such acceptable evidence is not received within 7 days of notification of settlement direct with you, Advantis will invoice you for the commission on the full value of the debt placed. Advantis also reserve the right to withhold the value of any unpaid invoices from any future collections made on your behalf.

Please note that until you advise Advantis that a payment has been made directly to you, we will continue to pursue your debtor as instructed.

How will I know what’s going on once I’ve given Advantis my instructions?

You will be able to log on and view the status of all debts you’ve instructed us to chase at any time. This will include information such as when letters have been sent, when telephone contact is made with the debtor, a debt being disputed or paid etc.

Can I get a refund on any unused Chase Credits?

No. Once Chase Credits are purchased they may only be used for the purpose of collecting debt for the company who purchased them

Are Chase Credits transferable?

No. Chase Credits may only be used to pursue debt for the company against which they are initially registered.

Can Advantis collect international debt?

We only accept instructions from UK based businesses where the debt to be pursued was incurred by a UK based business or resident. However, should we discover that a debtor has gone overseas we will contact you to agree how you would like us to proceed (additional charges may be applicable that would be advised to you at this time).

If you issue legal proceeding against my debtor, will I be guaranteed payment?

No, unfortunately not. ‘Going legal’ is the final option, and should only really be considered if all other attempts to recover your debt have failed. Even then, it is still not a guarantee of payment. Your debtor may successfully defend your claim, or simply be unable to pay. We would recommend a Pre-Legal Assessment before proceeding with legal action.

Why do I have to pay for a County Court Claim in advance?

When taking an action against a debtor you are required to pay court costs and fees in advance. Failure to do so will result in the court papers being refused for submission. Should you be successful the costs and fees you pay Advantis are added to the debt, and as such are recoverable direct from the debtor. However, if the Courts do not find in your favour, then you cannot recover these costs.

Are Advantis Solicitors?

No, and we never offer legal advice. However, our extensive knowledge of debt recovery means that we are able to offer our opinion as to when legal action is probably a worthwhile course of action. We use external solicitors where necessary to issue legal proceedings on your behalf, and due to the volume of work we carry out we’re able to pass our preferential rates onto our clients. We will never incur any legal costs without your prior approval.

What if my debtor pays me after I’ve issued Court proceedings?

You must tell us straight away if you are paid after we have applied to the Court for a County Court Judgment (CCJ). If you do not, and your debtor offers no defence, we will automatically apply for judgment in your favour which will result in a CCJ being issued against your debtor. Revoking this CCJ will result in costs which you will be liable for.

What information do you need to start tracing a goneaway?

At the very least their full name and last known address. Additional information like date of birth or previous address are helpful, as are partners name, next of kin, parents and siblings names, or any known aliases etc. These are all pieces of information that will allow us to verify that a new address is for the correct individual.

How do you locate goneaways?

When someone moves on without leaving a forwarding address it isn’t usually long before they start to leave a new ‘electronic footprint’ through such routine activities as registering to vote or applying for credit. Advantis have access to a variety of data sources to ‘trace’ and link these electronic footprints together. Where necessary, usually to verify that we’ve found the right person, we will use telephone calls to finally establish residency.

How often will you find someone?

That varies upon the data you’re able to provide us in advance and the individual concerned – some people will go to great lengths to hide their whereabouts. However, we are able to locate many of the individuals we try to trace.

Will you be discreet when tracing an individual?

Yes. In most cases we won’t ever need to talk to the individual concerned, or any of their acquaintances. In the event that we do, in order to finally verify their residency for example, we are always very discreet and never let them know that you were tying to trace them without your express permission.

How accurate will the new address details you provide be?

We utilise a variety of different data sources to establish the most recent address for an individual, and seek to verify that from more than one source wherever possible, so we’re confident that we will provide the most up-to-date address details available.

What can I do if I don’t think the new address details you’ve provided are accurate?

In the unlikely event that you believe we have supplied inaccurate data we will be pleased to run the trace again for you. If we get a different result then we will happily provide you with this information free of charge, but if the same result is returned then you will be liable for an additional £35.00 + VAT charge for the second trace.

Can you collect debts from traced individuals on my behalf?

Yes! Once we have provided you with new correspondence details for an individual you can use these to instruct us to collect any outstanding monies on your behalf using one of our online debt recovery products – Advantis Chase or Advantis Collect.