They said this… · Credit & debt

“You complained, but we can keep collecting exactly as normal”

It depends

Making a complaint does not automatically extinguish a debt, but firms and collectors may have obligations about fair treatment and genuinely disputed balances.

Not sure which right applies? Check your situation →

Why this answer

What actually matters

  • Distinguish “I cannot pay” from “I dispute that this sum is due”.
  • A creditor should be able to explain the balance and investigate a substantive dispute.
  • Regulated firms must also consider applicable FCA rules and vulnerability/fair-treatment requirements.

What you could say

Keep the response tied to the actual rule.

Evidence

What to have beside you

  • Agreement, statements and full account history
  • Payment records and any repayment arrangement
  • Complaint correspondence and collection letters
  • Any statutory notice relied on by the creditor

If they still refuse

Move the dispute forward.

  1. Put a genuinely disputed balance or process issue to the creditor with precise reasons.
  2. For regulated financial firms, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be an individual-redress route after the complaint stage.
  3. Keep data-accuracy and debt-enforcement issues conceptually separate; different rules may apply.

Read the full rules

Go deeper before escalating.

Primary guideRead the detailed ConsumerWise guidance.Disputed balancesRead the full guide.Consumer Credit ActRead the full guide.Debt collectionRead the full guide.