Tracing & Investigation
Locate debtors using lawful methods. Updated contact details so we can engage and recover where others have lost touch.
A debt cannot be collected from someone you cannot find. When a customer has moved, a company has changed its registered office, or a sole trader has stopped answering, tracing is the first job. We locate current addresses and contact details using lawful, compliant sources so recovery can start.
Tracing is available on its own or as the first step of a recovery instruction. Results are reported to you with the source and confidence level, so you know how much weight to put on them.
How it works
- 1
What you know
You give us everything you hold: last known address, phone numbers, email, company name, date of birth if you have it, and the history of the account.
- 2
Desk research
We check Companies House, the electoral register where lawful, credit reference data, court records and open sources to establish a current address and, for companies, the current directors and registered office.
- 3
Verification
A trace is only useful if it is right. We confirm the result against at least two sources before reporting it.
- 4
Report and act
You receive a trace report. If you have instructed recovery, we proceed to first contact at the new address immediately.
Who this is for
- Businesses whose debtor has moved or dissolved and re-registered
- Landlords and letting agents with former tenants owing rent or damages
- Solicitors and accountants who need a current address before serving documents
What we need from you
- The debtor’s full name or company name and any previous addresses
- Any reference numbers, invoices or agreements linking them to the debt
- Your reason for the trace, so we can confirm we have a lawful basis to carry it out
Common questions
Is tracing legal?
Yes, where there is a legitimate purpose such as recovering a debt. We process personal data in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, record the lawful basis for every trace, and do not use pretexting or deception.
What if the person cannot be found?
We tell you. A no-trace result means you can make an informed decision about whether to continue, rather than spending more on an account that cannot be recovered.
Can you find out whether a debtor can pay?
For companies, public filings often show whether a business is trading, has charges registered against it, or is in an insolvency process. For individuals, we can report indicators of circumstances where lawful to do so. This informs the recovery strategy and whether court action would be worthwhile.
Steadfast Collections is a debt recovery agency, not a law firm. The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. We do not collect consumer credit debts.
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