ACI debt collectors (ACI-UK): who they are and what to do

Company

ACI-UK Limited

Regulation

Authorised by the FCA (FRN 708400), CSA member

Group

Part of Perch Group

Based

Blackpool

Who are ACI?

ACI-UK Limited is a debt collection company based in Blackpool. It is part of the Perch Group, which also includes Perch Capital, a debt purchaser, and TM Legal, a debt recovery solicitors firm. ACI is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a member of the Credit Services Association.

Are ACI legitimate?

ACI is authorised by the FCA and follows the Credit Services Association code of practice. You can check it on the FCA register.

Scam messages imitating debt collectors are common. Only use the web address and phone numbers on your letter or on ACI’s official website, which uses the address aciuk.co.uk.

Why are they contacting me?

ACI collects for organisations that have placed accounts with it, and also for debts owned by companies in its own group. Where the original lender sold your debt to a Perch company, that company is the legal owner and ACI collects on its behalf. A letter should say who owns the debt, and you can ask for the notice of assignment, the document that shows the debt was transferred.

In some complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service has accepted a notice of assignment as enough to show a collector is entitled to contact you. Check the details match your records.

What can ACI do?

ACI is a debt collection firm, and a debt collector has no special legal powers of its own. It can write, phone, text and email you, and may offer a payment plan, but it must not mislead you, harass you or threaten action it cannot take.

• Court action: if you do not engage and the debt is genuine, the creditor or collector can start a county court claim. Never ignore court papers: a judgment can follow, which harms your credit record and lets the creditor enforce it.
• Bailiffs: for most ordinary debts, bailiffs can only be instructed after a court judgment. You do not have to let anyone in.
• Prison: you cannot be sent to prison for owing money to a debt collector.

Before you pay anything

• Ask for a letter showing the original creditor, the account number, the amount and how the balance is made up.
• Do not confirm personal details or read out card numbers on an unexpected call. Ring back using the number on a letter or the official website.
• Check your credit reports to see whether the account appears.
• Be careful with old debts. In England and Wales a debt can become unenforceable in court after six years (five in Scotland), but paying or admitting it can restart the clock. Get advice first.

How to deal with ACI

1. Open every letter and keep copies. Ignoring contact tends to make things worse.
2. Check the debt is yours and the amount is right.
3. If it is yours and you can afford regular payments, work out a budget first, then offer an amount you can keep to and get the agreement in writing.
4. If you cannot afford to pay, do not agree to a plan you cannot keep. Get free advice first.

Free advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice.

If you cannot afford to pay

• A debt management plan for steady income.
• An IVA for larger debts.
• A debt relief order or bankruptcy where income and assets are low or debts cannot be repaid.
• Breathing Space gives 60 days of protection while you get advice.

How to complain about ACI

Complain to ACI first. Its website has a complaints page. If you are not satisfied with its final response, or it has not resolved the complaint within eight weeks, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free.

ACI contact details

We are not associated with ACI. This information is provided to help people contact their creditors. Contact details change, so check the company’s website before you write or call. Last reviewed 11 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions