If you have debts of over £5000, you may be able to write off your debt with an IVA
Link Financial is the trading name of Link Financial Outsourcing Limited, a debt collection business based in London. They operate in a number of European countries, including the UK. The business is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You may occasionally hear people refer to the company as Link Financial Services, Link Finance, Link Financial Debt or Links Finance.
Link Financial provide debt collection services to lenders who want a collection company to deal with their delinquent accounts. They are members of the Credit Services Association (CSA), so they have to abide by a strict code of practice when dealing with debt recovery.
If Link Financial are chasing you for money, do not let the situation escalate. You are welcome to contact our team for free support and guidance to understand your options. Call us on 0330 122 8447 or click ‘Get Started For Free.’
We understand that dealing with collection businesses can cause pain and distress, and we’re here to help you to change your situation for the better.
Yes, Link Financial Outsourcing Limited are a genuine company that is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 606817). They are registered in England and Wales with the following information at Companies House:
- Company Registration Number: 7059696
- Registered Office Address: The Peak, 2nd Floor, 5 Wilton Road, London, England SW1V 1AN
We recommend that you do not ignore messages from this company, because your money problems may escalate.
At IVA Online, we pride ourselves on the amount of people we assist in turning their lives around after debt problems. We do not have an affiliation with any specific company, so we are able to look across the whole of the debt solution market to find you an arrangement that sees you repaying an affordable amount.
If you have received letters, phone calls, text messages or even visits from Link Financial Outsourcing Limited, it’s likely that you owe money to a lender who has instructed them to recover your debt. You should receive a ‘Notice of Assignment’ letter explaining which creditor has employed Link Financial to deal with your debts.
If you don’t recognise the debt they have contacted you about, you can contact their customer disputes team. You can ask them to provide confirmation and proof of your debt, such as a credit agreement with your signature on it.
What types of debt do Link Financial collect?
Link Financial work with a variety of institutions including:
- Banks and finance companies – loan accounts, credit cards, overdrafts
- DVLA
- NPower
They provide services to owners of debt portfolios but don’t buy the debts themselves.
Should I contact Link Financial directly?
We appreciate that it can feel intimidating to make contact with a debt collection business. However, ignoring Link’s demands is often the worse thing that you can do, as their debt recovery process will escalate the longer you leave it.
If multiple creditors are chasing you and you would appreciate some help to know what your options are, you can contact our team of debt experts on 0330 122 8447 or by clicking ‘Get Started For Free.’ We understand the debt collection tactics that collection agencies like Link Financial use, and what your rights are. We are committed to offering free debt help to everyone who contacts us.
How do I contact Link Financial Outsourcing?
If you are confident contacting Link Financial directly you can do so with the following details:
- Phone number: 0800 064 4499
- Post: Link Financial Outsourcing Limited, PO Box 246, Caerphilly CF83 9FA (Please note this is not the same as their registered office address at Wilton Road, London)
- Email: info@linkfinancial.co.uk
- Website: www.linkfinancial.eu (you can delete or block cookies from this website by changing the settings in your browser)
You can also manage your account online in the customer portal section of their website.
You’ll need to quote your Link Financial customer number in all of your interactions with the company.
Do Link Financial add interest to my account?
The Notice of Assignment that Linked Financial sends to each debtor explains the arrangements for each debt they handle. In most cases, they do not add interest to debt accounts while collecting repayments. However, some loan accounts continue to attract the same rate of interest that the debtor would have been paying to the original lender.
If a person fails to make efforts to repay their loan, then Link Financial add a statutory rate of interest up to the court judgement date. For example, up to the date the court grants a County Court Judgement (CCJ).
You have the right not to feel like the victim of harassment when dealing with a debt collector like Link Financial. It’s essential to pay attention to the communications they send you by letter, phone call or even text message. Ignoring these could lead to penalties and more money to repay.
The quickest to way end the chasing is to make a full or part payment for your account, if you can afford to do so. Alternatively, another method is to appoint another party to represent you, such as a debt solution company.
If you’d like to make an enquiry into what is the best option and the best steps for your situation, contact us on 0330 122 8447. We look right across the market to find the best solutions to help solve our customers’ problems.
What rights do I have if Link Financial are chasing me?
The government has tightened up the guidelines and law relating to the debt industry in recent years. However, we know that when you are on the receiving end of the collection methods used by a collection firm, their primary tactic still seems to resolve around intimidation.
Some of our clients have also reported experiencing bullying from a debt company. The reality is that these companies focus on making a profit rather than on your health and your welfare needs. In some cases, they may be paying the representative who is dealing with you a bonus in relation to how much money they recover from you, which has the effect of motivating them to be persistent.
The debt industry rules give you the following range of rights:
- The company can not speak to your friends, neighbours or family about your debt
- They can’t pretend that they have powers, which in fact they do not have
- You can request that the company puts everything in writing rather than calling you
- Bailiffs can only visit at specific times – between 6 am and 9 pm
- There are certain items that bailiffs are not allowed to seize
- In many cases, a bailiff needs your permission to enter your home if they want to make a list of your possessions.
If you would appreciate some help to deal with Link Financial, or you need an answer to a question about your options, we’ll be happy to point and guide you in the right direction. You can call our phone line on 0330 122 8447 or click the ‘Get Started For Free’ button.
Do Link Financial send bailiffs?
Suppose that you do not respond to any communication from Link Financial or make an arrangement to repay your account. In that case, they have the power to take you through the courts and to seek a County Court Judgement (CCJ) to force you to take the legal responsibility for your debt. Following this court claim they may send a bailiff, also known as an enforcement agent, to make home visits to agree how you will repay the money. If you ignore their visits, you may incur additional collection charges on top of your existing balance.
They may take an inventory of your possessions and ask you to sign a Controlled Goods Agreement. This agreement gives them the right to remove your possessions up to the value of your debt if you do not meet the repayment terms. They often now wear a video recorder during visits as proof of what action they have taken and what they discussed with the debtor.
It’s essential to take a set of proactive actions on your account before it reaches this stage. If you don’t believe you are the owner of this debt, but you wait until court action stage, many forms of justification will no longer work for you. You’ll have a lot more options if you seek help earlier in the process.
By the time your original lender, such as a credit card company or a bank that offers loans, makes a request for Link Financial to collect your debt, you will have already missed payments, giving them grounds to put a default notice on your credit file.
If you don’t comply with the collection process, Link Financial may take you to court to seek a County Court Judgment. Unless you pay this in full within the 30-day deadline, it will stay on your credit report for six years and negatively impact your credit rating.
We recommend that you do not let your initial financial mistake escalate to this stage and severity. Contact a debt advisor at IVA Online by clicking ‘Get Started For Free’ to get free help, tips and answers to your debt questions. What’s more, we may be able to find a debt solution for you that allows us to deal with Link Financial on your behalf.
What is a charging order?
Suppose Link Financial successfully apply for a CCJ for your debt and they still don’t receive a debt repayment that they are happy with. In that case, they may proceed to apply for a charging order, which enables them to secure your debt against your property. Then if you fail to make payments in accordance with your agreement with Link Financial, they have the ability seek an order for sale. An order for sale will force you to sell the property your debt is secured against, for example, your home or a car. They’ll then seek repayment in full for their debt claims.
Do not let your debt escalate to the stage that Link Financial are taking charge of your life in this way. Click ‘Get Started For Free’, for help and support from IVA Online.
We know the tricks that these companies use when chasing you for money and how it often feels like there is nothing you can do to regain control. We make it our job to look across the market to find you an outcome that sees you repaying the minimum amount possible. What’s more, we will treat you as an individual and with respect in the process.
Rest assured, there is always something that you can do to improve your debt problem.
Can Link Financial take money directly from my wages?
If they apply through the courts for an ‘Attachment of Earnings Order’, then the debt collection agency (DCA) has the ability to ask your employer to send them money before paying your salary each month. These conditions can be quite embarrassing for an employee as their employer will become aware of their issues.
Can I pay down by my debt with a credit card?
Link Financial do not accept credit card payments towards debt accounts because this encourages the debtor to get into more financial difficulty. They take the following payment methods:
- Debit card (you can pay online or over the phone)
- Direct debit (you can set this up on their website)
They also accept the following payment structures:
- Lump sum payment of the entire debt
- Settlement agreement to pay an acceptable amount of the debt balance in one go – you’ll need to convince them that these numbers are the best they can get from you
- Repayment by debt installments (a payment plan)
Link Financial have sent a debt letter to my home but it is addressed to someone else.
If Link Financial send information about someone else’s debt to your address, then it’s crucial to let them know as soon as possible. This action will avoid their collection activities escalating to a visit from an enforcement officer, previously known as a bailiff. Their collection database may contain out of date debt addresses if the debtor has moved without informing the original lender of this change.
The debt may relate to a previous resident of your address, a family member or someone who has given a false address. Link Financial may ask you to show ID documents to prove your identity and address before they remove it from their collection database.
By nature, debt collectors focus on collecting as much money from you as possible. They are unlikely to write off any amount of money without good reasons. If you have the mental strength to negotiate with them, you could try to negotiate a settlement agreement in which they write off part of your liability in return for a lump sum payment.
Alternatively, you could seek help from industry experts. If you owe £5,000 or more in unsecured debts, you may qualify for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). Your total debts can include payday loans, an unpaid council tax bill, debt related to mobiles, benefit overpayments etc.
With an IVA, you pay one affordable monthly payment for around five years, after which time your creditors will write off your remaining balance. You will get assistance from an Insolvency Practitioner who will work with your creditors to help them see that this is a better option for them than your bankruptcy.
For help to see if an IVA could work for you, contact us in one of the following ways:
- Phone number: 0330 122 8447
- Website: Click ‘Get Started For Free’
You can also read our IVA article and other posts to find out more.
Each member of our team understands the standards in place in the industry. We know how frightening dealing with collectors can be. We operate with understanding and we complete investigations across the market to find the best solutions for you.
Do Link Financial have a good reputation?
Link Financial do not appear to have customer reviews on Trustpilot. At the time of writing, the only reviews were from staff members on Indeed. These reviews show mixed feedback about the experience of working for the company. As is typical for a debt collection agency, there is evidence in the comments that they push their employees to get results by collecting as many payments as possible from the debtors.
How can I raise a complaint about how Link Financial have treated me?
Sadly we hear many stories from individuals who have experienced poor treatment from debt collectors. In the first instance, you should raise your dispute directly with Link Financial Outsourcing Limited, through the following details:
- Telephone: 0330 024 7050
- By post: The Complaints & Dispute Resolution Team, Link Financial Outsourcing Limited, PO Box 246 Caerphilly CF83 9FA
- Email: complaints@linkfinancial.co.uk
Please remember to cover the key points of why you are complaining, to include your customer reference number and to keep a copy of anything you send to Link Financial in writing in case you need to escalate your issue to other bodies.
What if Link Financial don’t deal with my complaint?
If you are dissatisfied with the response Link Financial Outsourcing Limited deal send to your complaint, you can escalate your complaint to another body. You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) through the following channels:
- Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Telephone: 0800 023 4 567 (calls to this line are free on mobile phones and landlines)
- Post: The Financial Ombudsman Service Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR.
The FOS will typically review cases linked to the debt collection process for products with a credit agreement, such as credit cards. The Credit Services Association often review escalated complaints for other types of debt that are not subject to the Consumer Credit Act.
Where are Link Financial Outsourcing based?
Link Financial Outsourcing operate across the UK and have a registered office in London at The Peak, 2nd Floor, 5 Wilton Road, London, England SW1V 1AN.
Where can I get free debt help?
There are numerous consumer debt support organisations in the United Kingdom that you can approach for debt advice such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and StepChange. Still, it can be challenging to know where to start when you are under pressure from debt collection agencies like Link Financial.
At IVA Online, we offer a free phone call to anyone who is having to deal with a debt collection company, no matter what their circumstances are. You can call us on 0330 122 8447 or click ‘Get Started For Free’ at the top right-hand side of this page. We care about the welfare of our customers, and we don’t speak in legal jargon.
Do Link Financial Outsourcing collect for HMRC?
No, Link Financial do not provide debt collection services to HMRC.