Doorstep visit from Face to Face? Here's exactly what they can and can't do

If you’ve been told to expect a Face to Face Debt Collection visit, the underlying account has reached the field-agent stage — usually because letters and calls have not produced an agreed payment plan.

Face to Face are doorstep collectors, not bailiffs. They have no enforcement powers at the door. You don’t have to open the door, talk to them, or sign anything. This page covers exactly what their agents can and cannot do, your absolute right not to engage, and how to bring the matter to a close in writing — including how an IVA legally stops them.

Who Face to Face Debt Collection are

#

Face to Face Debt Collection is a UK doorstep / field-agent specialist, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer-credit collection activity. They operate within the FCA’s Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC) and the Credit Services Association Code of Practice.

Two important framing points:

• Doorstep agents are debt collectors with extra steps. They have no powers beyond those of any other debt collector — they cannot force entry, take goods, threaten arrest, or insist on entry to your home.
• Their job is to make contact. Their incentive is to get a face-to-face conversation that leads to an agreement. That works in some cases and very much against you in others.

What Face to Face agents can and cannot legally do at your door

#

Face to Face doorstep agents can:

• Visit your home at reasonable hours
• Ask to speak to you by name
• Hand over a letter or leaflet
• Ask whether you would like to discuss the account

They cannot:

• Force entry, even peacefully against your wishes. You are under no obligation to let them in or speak to them.
• Take goods. Doorstep agents are not bailiffs and have no power of distraint.
• Threaten arrest, court action or police involvement. The matter is civil, and false implication of police involvement breaches CONC.
• Disclose the debt to anyone else — including your spouse, family or neighbours — without your express consent.
• Continue the visit if you ask them to leave.
• Refuse to identify themselves or refuse to show ID.

If a Face to Face agent does any of the things in the second list, that is a complaint-worthy CONC breach. Note the time, the agent’s details, and what was said.

What to do when a Face to Face agent calls

#

1. You do not have to open the door. If you do, you do not have to invite them in or have a conversation. “I am not willing to discuss this at the door, please leave the leaflet and I will follow up in writing” is a complete answer.
2. Take the leaflet, close the door, follow up in writing. Almost everything they want to discuss can be handled by post or email at a more measured pace.
3. Send a written contact-by-post-only request. Under CONC, Face to Face must comply. The visits stop.
4. Run the standard checks — section 77/78 CCA request, statute-barred check — before agreeing to any payment plan.

What the underlying creditor is trying to achieve

#

Doorstep agents are rarely instructed cold — they appear in the chain when the underlying creditor or debt owner has not been able to reach you any other way. Before paying or arranging anything via the doorstep agent:

1. Identify the underlying creditor. The leaflet should name them. If not, ask in writing.
2. Decide whether to deal with the underlying creditor directly. Often more efficient than going through the doorstep firm.
3. Run the section 77/78 and statute-barred checks so you know whether the debt is enforceable before discussing settlement.

What happens if you don’t engage at the door

#

Doorstep agents have no enforcement powers — so refusing to open the door is not the same as ignoring a court claim form. The likely escalation:

1. Repeat visits — typically a small number over a few weeks
2. The file passes back to the underlying creditor or debt owner
3. The owner decides whether to pursue litigation through the Northampton county court bulk centre
4. If a county-court claim is issued and ignored, default judgment follows

The leverage is highest before a CCJ is entered. A doorstep visit is a signal that the underlying creditor is preparing to escalate — it’s a good moment to take action in writing.

Routes out

#

• Pay the underlying creditor or debt owner directly in lump sum or instalments — Face to Face’s role ends once the account is resolved at source.
• Affordable repayment plan with the underlying creditor, based on the Standard Financial Statement.
• IVA to combine the underlying debt with every other unsecured debt over a 5–6 year term, with the unpaid balance written off at completion. Eligibility starts at around £5,000 of total unsecured debt.
• Debt Relief Order for total debt under £50,000 with very low spare income.
• Bankruptcy where no realistic monthly contribution is possible.

Pitfalls at the door

#

• Don’t agree to anything at the door. Pressure on the doorstep is the precise reason the visit was scheduled. Take the leaflet, follow up in writing.
• Don’t share bank details with a doorstep agent. Pay through the underlying creditor’s official payment channels.
• Don’t sign anything. Even seemingly innocuous “acknowledgement” forms can have implications for the limitation clock and any future dispute.
• Don’t engage if you suspect impersonation. Ask for ID, take down the agent’s details, and report any concerns.

Frequently asked questions

#

Are Face to Face bailiffs? No. They are doorstep debt-collection agents with no enforcement powers.

Do I have to let them in? No — absolute right to refuse entry.

Will an IVA stop the visits? Yes — once approved, all creditors and their agents must stop contact on the included debt.

Can they tell my neighbours? No — that would breach CONC.

Related guides

#

• Resolvecall — doorstep collector owned by Lowell
• Lowell Financial — major debt purchaser
• Do debt collectors give up?
• How long can I be chased for a debt?
• How do I apply for an IVA?