A London-based B2B debt collector helps you pursue overdue commercial invoices through a structured, evidence-first workflow—no guesswork, no bluster, just documented pressure that follows protocol. The coffee's strong and the process is stronger.
Office Details
Office Details
UK-wide service, single registered office
Service areas in and around London
Industries served
Typical scenarios
- Late payments
- Broken payment promises
- Invoice disputes
- Wrong legal entity billed
- Cross-border debtors
- Aged AR portfolios
Related UK locations
Should you try internal recovery or hire a London debt collector?
Hit 3+ of these? It's time to bring in the pros.
Invoice 45+ days overdue
Payment significantly past agreed terms with no concrete payment date confirmed
Debtor dodging the owner question
You cannot confirm who actually approves payments—AP keeps redirecting you
Late dispute appears
A dispute surfaces only after you chase—classic delay-as-dispute tactic
Multiple entities / group structure
The debtor operates through several companies or is part of a complex corporate group
High value / material exposure
The invoice represents a significant portion of your receivables or profit margin
Cross-border elements
The debtor has international parent companies or your contract involves multiple jurisdictions
Before you hire, do 3 things:
Why do London B2B invoices go overdue? Real delay patterns
PO / 3-way match requirements
No PO, no payment. The invoice sits in limbo until procurement finds the matching order
Dispute-as-delay tactic
Debtor raises a vague "quality concern" after 45 days of silence—buying time, not resolving issues
Contract gaps
Payment terms were never explicitly agreed, making enforcement murky
Supplier onboarding friction
You're not in their vendor system yet—accounts can't pay an unregistered supplier
Handover gaps
Your contact left, the new hire has no context, and your invoice falls through the cracks
Monthly batch runs
Large corporates process payments in cycles—miss the cut-off and you wait another 30 days
Owner ambiguity
AP processes the invoice, but the budget holder or finance director must approve—and neither knows who should act first
Group company routing
The invoice went to the UK entity but payment comes from Dublin or Amsterdam
Review loops
"Still checking with accounts" translates to "we put this in a drawer and forgot about it"
International supplier deprioritization
UK AP teams often prioritise domestic suppliers over overseas creditors
"The debtor is 'reviewing the invoice'… since last quarter."
— Every AR team, ever
Speed multiplier:
Cases with partial payment history + clean documentation resolve 3× faster on average.
What is a London debt collector—and what it is NOT
Understanding the scope helps set expectations before you engage a debt collection service.
- Structured B2B recovery: Documented, repeatable processes designed specifically for business-to-business invoices
- Amicable-first approach: Professional communication before any legal escalation
- Entity verification: Confirming the correct legal entity and decision-maker via Companies House
- Evidence pack assembly: Contracts, invoices, delivery proof, correspondence logs
- Escalation positioning: Preparing complete files for legal handover if amicable fails
- Consumer debt collection: B2C rules are completely different and don't apply here
- Harassment or aggressive tactics: Professional collectors don't threaten
- Legal advice or court representation: That's for solicitors
- Guarantees of recovery: Anyone promising 100% is selling something other than collections
The London Accountability Gates™ Method
Every case passes through 6 checkpoints. Skip one, and you'll circle back later—wasting time and money.
– Objective
– Evidence Pack
– Entity + Owner Map
– Amicable Outreach
– Pre-legal Positioning
– Escalation Routing
Pro tip: Gates 0-2 should be complete before first contact. If you're missing any, you're starting the conversation weak.
What we see in real London B2B cases (patterns and delay tactics)
The "never received" claim
Debtor claims they never got the invoice—sent to wrong email or wrong entity
Perpetual review status
"Still under review" for 3+ months with no specifics on what's being reviewed
Vendor onboarding limbo
Supplier not on approved vendor list, payment blocked until onboarding complete
IBAN confusion
Payment sent to wrong bank account (old details), now stuck in reconciliation
The "approved but queued" delay
AP confirms the invoice is approved, but the payment queue is 60+ days deep
Group company routing confusion
Invoice sent to London entity, but payment decisions happen in Manchester or overseas HQ
The new hire excuse
"Sarah handled this but she left—let me look into it" (repeat monthly)
Late-stage dispute discovery
Quality or delivery dispute raised only after 45+ days of silence
Document request loop
Debtor requests "one more document" repeatedly—credit note, revised invoice, certificate
Cross-border deprioritisation
UK entity prioritises domestic suppliers; international invoices fall down the queue
"The debtor is 'reviewing the invoice'… since last quarter."
— Every AR team, ever
Speed multiplier:
Cases with partial payment history + clean documentation resolve 3× faster on average.
Copy/paste templates (London-friendly, B2B)
Subject: Invoice #[NUMBER] – Payment Status Dear [CONTACT NAME],
If you only do 3 things, do these
Your 3-Step London Collections Minimum
- Send a final internal notice with a clear deadline – Be specific: "Payment required by [DATE] or we will engage external collection support."
- Verify the invoice is undisputed and acknowledged – Confirm in writing that the debtor received the invoice and has not raised any legitimate dispute.
- Confirm you have delivery proof or acceptance documentation – Without proof that goods or services were delivered and accepted, your case is weak.
10 fun facts about London (for humans, not just invoices)
Because even finance professionals need a break from aged receivables reports:
Big Ben is the bell, not the tower
The tower is officially called Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben is the 13.5-tonne bell inside.
️ London has over 170 museums
Most are free to enter, making it one of the best cities for culture without breaking the budget.
The Tube is the world's oldest underground railway
The Metropolitan line opened in 1863, over 160 years ago.
️ More than 300 languages are spoken in London
Making it one of the most linguistically diverse cities on Earth.
Tower Bridge opens roughly 1,000 times per year
And yes, people do still get stuck on it when it rises unexpectedly.
London has more Indian restaurants than Mumbai and Delhi combined
Chicken tikka masala was invented here (probably).
There are 8 million trees in London
Technically making it a forest by UN definitions.
The City of London has its own police force
The Square Mile operates separately from the Metropolitan Police.
Black cab drivers must pass "The Knowledge"
A test requiring memorisation of 25,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks.
London Bridge was sold to an American in 1968
It now stands in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The buyer reportedly thought he was getting Tower Bridge.
Attributions: Facts sourced and verified from Meininger Hotels (fun facts about London), VisitLondon (101 facts about London), and English Path (fun facts about London).
Now, back to invoices.
London workflow CTA
Ready to take action on your aged London receivables? Start with our locations overview or jump straight to a conversation.
FAQ
Sarah Lindberg
International Operations Lead
Sarah coordinates our global partner network across 160+ countries, ensuring seamless cross-border debt recovery.
