Commercial Debt Collection
Helping UK businesses get paid. Specialists in professional services, recruitment and commercial credit.
Sensible Collections
Professional and trustworthy debt recovery
We act for UK businesses carrying overdue commercial invoices, from individual overdue accounts to whole ledgers. Our work is on a no collection, no fee basis for straightforward pre-legal recoveries.
Recovery need not cost you the customer. We contact your debtor as your appointed recovery agent, clearly identifying Sensible Collections and the creditor we represent, in measured commercial terms under the Credit Services Association code of practice.
Specialist industries
Professional services
Unpaid consultancy, agency and practice fees, pursued with complete discretion.
Professional services debt recovery
Recruitment
Placement fees, temp margins and rebate disputes, pursued without losing the client.
Recruitment debt recovery
Commercial credit
Corporate cards, unsecured business loans and revolving facilities owed by UK companies.
Commercial credit debt recovery£4.2m
Recovered on behalf of clients
87%
Resolved before legal action
21 days
Median time to payment
Scope
The debts we are instructed on
From unpaid invoices and retentions to contractual charges, statutory interest, recoverable compensation and defaulted payment arrangements; if it is a commercial sum owed to a UK business, we will assess it.
Our process
How we recover your debt
- Step 01
Assess the debt and supporting evidence
An experienced account director reviews the nature of your claim, the reasons for non-payment and the debtor's position. We agree a No Collection – No Fee percentage for successful recovery and advise whether statutory interest and late-payment compensation can be claimed.
- Step 02
Demand letter
We prepare and dispatch bespoke demand letters for payment, sent by post and email. Each letter is tailored to the contractual position, applicable jurisdiction and nature of the debt, and to the product or contract the debt arises from.
- Step 03
Telephone negotiations
Where payment has not already been received, your account director contacts the debtor by telephone to understand the reasons for non-payment. Many claims are resolved through structured dialogue and negotiated payment terms without damaging the trading relationship.
- Step 04
Legal action
Where commercial recovery does not resolve the matter, we can coordinate referral to specialist commercial solicitors and other approved partners, with every step explained in plain terms.
Fees
Costs stated in writing, before we act
- Pre-legal commercial claims
- Commission on sums recovered. No recovery, no fee.
- Letters before action
- Fixed fee, agreed in advance and credited against commission.
- Litigation and enforcement
- Quoted case by case through our panel solicitors.
- Contract terms
- No tie-in period and no minimum volume of instructions.
Where recoverable, statutory interest and compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 are claimed on your behalf.
Conduct
Standards we hold ourselves to
Aggressive collection costs you customers and creates disputes that end up in court. Our collectors keep the conversation commercial: establish the reason for non-payment, agree a realistic settlement or payment plan, and record it properly.
We work to the Credit Services Association code of practice, apply the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims where it applies, and treat indications of financial difficulty or vulnerability seriously. Data is processed under UK GDPR.
A substantial proportion of our clients continue trading with the debtor after recovery.
Instruct us
Request a case review
Provide the outline of the debt and we will respond within one working day with an honest assessment of recoverability and the likely cost of pursuing it.