Complaining about a debt collector or sheriff officer in Scotland

Decide what you are challenging

There may be more than one issue:

• Liability or balance: you dispute the debt, a payment allocation or a fee.
• Conduct: you believe communication, a visit or a claim about powers was unreasonable.
• A court decision or procedure: you may need a legal application, not only a complaint.

Keep these distinct in your correspondence. A complaint does not automatically suspend a deadline, reverse a decree or stop diligence. Get advice promptly about any urgent legal response.

Complaints about sheriff officers

Scottish Government guidance identifies three routes: the officer’s company, the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO), and the Sheriff Principal through the local sheriff court. Read the official routes.

Ask the firm for its complaints process and use the current SMASO procedure for that body’s requirements. Follow current contact information rather than an old address copied into a third-party guide.

A sheriff officer is not the same person as a sheriff who makes judicial decisions. Complaining about an officer’s conduct and challenging the court’s order are different matters.

Complaints about an ordinary collection agency

Identify the business actually contacting you and request its complaints process. For regulated financial-service complaints, an ombudsman route may be relevant; professional or trade-body routes depend on the firm and activity involved.

Do not assume that every council-tax or sheriff-officer complaint falls within the Financial Ombudsman Service’s jurisdiction. An adviser can help identify the appropriate route. Citizens Advice’s Scotland guidance explains creditor conduct and sources of help.

Reasonable reminders are not automatically harassment. Keep evidence of the particular behaviour you want investigated rather than relying on a general allegation.

Prepare a clear evidence pack

Include the firm and officer names, reference, dates, copies of letters and a short chronological account. Explain what you believe was wrong and the outcome you are requesting: for example, a balance explanation, correction, investigation or change in communication arrangements.

Keep originals and send copies where possible. Record when and how you submitted the complaint and retain the response. Avoid including unrelated sensitive information or posting private debt records publicly.

If you are already in a trust deed

Send relevant correspondence to your trustee as well, particularly if a creditor appears to be pursuing a covered debt. Ask the trustee to confirm the debt and protected status rather than assuming every letter is unlawful.

For concerns about the trustee rather than a collector, use our separate trust deed complaints guide. This website cannot submit a complaint or intervene in a case for you.