Has a parking fine ,look back for date , this was paid for actual parking at time , said I put zero instead of o on reg they tracked me to my address , I rang them said this was paid for ! give them... See more
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Company details
- #9 of 10 best companies in Debt collection agency
- #2 of 2 best companies in Bailiff
- #10 of 11 best companies in Debt Collecting
About Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Written by the company
Widely recognised from the popular Channel 5 TV series “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away!”, we provide effective recovery solutions to both SMEs and large corporate clients across the UK.
Backed by a 98% client retention rate, we have successfully recovered in excess of £85 million in the last 12 months.
Our dedicated team delivers a stress-free, 'One Solution' service designed to protect your reputation while securing the money you are owed.
Learn more about our debt recovery and high court enforcement expertise.
Contact info
Direct House, Greenwood Drive, WA7 1UG, Runcorn, United Kingdom
- 0203 434 6132
- enquiries@dcbltd.com
- www.dcbltd.com
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Replied to 49% of negative reviews
Typically takes over 1 month to reply
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Great advice & service
I am highly impressed and delighted by…
I am highly impressed and delighted by the professionalism and prompt response demonstrated by the Bailiff team, DCBI. Within a short period of time, they handled assignments efficiently and delivered productive results. Their commitment to due process, excellent communication, and high standards of service is truly commendable.
I highly recommend this efficient and reliable team, and I am proud of the way they carry out their work with integrity and professionalism.
michael answered all my questions and…
michael answered all my questions and dealt with everything very efficiently and very proffesional thankyou for your help and support
Entered into a payment plan
Entered into a payment plan, 10days later on the 13th received a final reminder notice from them stating I still owed them money. Look at the information you have before sending out these letters.

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
DCBL should be ashamed of themselves
DCBL should be ashamed of themselves, awful company, terrible paralegals who do not reply to e-mails! DCBL were instructed by Smartparking to collect a fine from me just before the point it became statute barred - insisting I owed over £300 for parking at an office where I had a right to park. They sent bullying e-mails, refused to backdown when I told them they'd served court notifications to an address I no longer resided at and flouted GDPR rules.
Will be reporting them and taking legal action, companies like this need regulating properly.

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
a parking charge notice for…
Received a parking charge notice for £170 on the 23rd April 2026
The date of contravention occurred on 30th August 2025 spoke to an adviser who was more bothered about a log book relating to the car as the car had not been updated to dvla
Well forgive me as I had a stressful house move the death of my husband the death of my auntie all in the space of 6 months oh and I also work full time !!!!!
So sorry must of slipped my mind !!!
By the way I did pay for car parking and I also have it on my banking app !!
As for the guy o spoke to I would suggest a course on customer service as yours was despicable !!!!

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
RUDE AS HELL!!!!
What a farce. Rude call centre staff who refuse GDPR requests, refuse to give an email for complaints, lie at least twice during the conversation then when they agree to a payment plan then hang up

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Efficient and friendly
We had a business bad debt and this company made it very easy for us to recover it quickly and efficiently. Each member of staff we spoke to were friendly and knowledgeable and talked us through the process. Would highly recommend
So far so good
So far so good.
After filling in a form and being in contact with Michael S, they explained the process and how they handle things. Clearly explained fees I need to pay and other fees are taken care of by debtor.
They’ve found the debtor within a day which was impressive after I lost contact years ago.
They’ve made the process very clear and have updated me every way with obtaining a Writ.
So far, couldn't recommend them more. Service and communication top notch
Legally questionable behaviour.
Someone cloned a plate of a car I scrapped 8 years ago and used it to steal fuel. Apparently this makes me liable for this, but when I asked for evidence, DCBL refused. I have now asked 5 times, and they still refuse.
I will be taking this further.
Would give minus stars if I could.
Edit: I forgot to add, I asked 1 week ago (as of this addendum) for a manager from dcb to ring me about the lack of evidence, etc, and they STILL haven't. They have autocalled me and then hung up of course.....

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Had a £170 parking ticket for parking…
Had a £170 parking ticket for parking in an unmarked bay , it was a pick up parking area no red lines or signs saying how long to park for , easy money and won't get a penny , jokers

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
DCBL delivered exactly what they promised
Great experience from start to finish with DCBL. I had a CCJ against an estate agency that had refused to engage throughout a lengthy dispute.
I made an enquiry online one evening, and Mike Sedman called the next morning and clearly explained the process of transferring to a High Court Writ of Control. The whole process was straightforward and professionally handled throughout.
The estate agency refused to engage with DCBL, so they arranged a site visit. When the defendant attempted to claim they had filed a stay application to halt enforcement, the agent correctly pushed back and advised that an application alone does not cease enforcement action. They proceeded to list assets, at which point the defendant paid in full on the spot.
From initial enquiry to full payment, the process was efficient and the communication was excellent.
They were very efficient - it took just over a week from the writ being issued to getting payment.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend DCBL - they did exactly what they said they would do, when they said they would do it.
SCAMMERS...
SCAMMERS.... Trying to force me and bully into paying a parking fine for a £170 saying i did not pay parking when I have the proof on my bank statement that I paid for parking, not willing to accept the proof that I have and now way of settling the case other than paying £170 for parking i already paid.

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Swift Collection Success
This was so easy from start to finish and very fast.
The team members I dealt with were profession and friendly and the whole process was seamless.
Thank you DCBL
Great Experience
Great experience from start to finish. The team were friendly, professional, and very easy to deal with. They kept us updated throughout and explained everything clearly. The process was smooth and stress-free, and we are very happy with the outcome. We would definitely recommend their debt recovery services.
terrible customer service
terrible customer service, asked for a manager and a rude woman told me no unless I told her a good reason she wouldn't raise a ticket for me to get a call back in 72-80 hours time, she then just tutted and hung up. disgusting

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Sorry State of Affairs
I’m absolutely flabbergasted this company can possibly be regulated by the FCA as surely they will have failed on all levels. Threatening letters, no options to appeal, no hold periods offered, state they’ve sent letters but none received. “Can’t Pay, Take It Away” on their letters is extremely threatening & worrying for vulnerable people who could be bullied into paying something they disagree with. The slogan actually relates to a program they appeared in & I’m very surprised this is something they feel proud of. This programme was cancelled & Channel 5 were sued. No empathy, no duty of care. Not customer focused only cash driven. I’ve written to the FCA, my local MP & Watch Dog as someone needs to investigate this company.

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Disgusting company
Couldn’t even show me proof of the alleged “offence”, just sent threatening letters to my house. Pathetic bunch of scammers, hope the company goes bankrupt or the government puts a stop to this criminal company.
For anyone reading this, please don’t reply to the complaints email in the response below. They will just use it to continue to harass and threaten you.

Reply from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd
Very Quick Turnround
Meeting with Dave and setting up required details, very informative, and guided me through the process and potential steps, Jack was very quick in getting the issue resolved, the debt was recovered in 7 days from instruction, thank you DBCL for the quick action and recovery process resolving a long standing issue for me
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