Catch the messages that change what collections may do next

Is this a message from a person about a customer's account or debt? Yes / No

Count messages from the customer, a relative, an attorney, an executor, or someone saying we reached the wrong person. Yes: A person wrote this message about a customer's account, a debt, or our contact with them. No: Spam, marketing, an auto-reply, a delivery failure notice, or a blank or unreadable message.

Does the message ask us to stop or limit contact, or refuse to pay? Yes / No

Count any clear request, however polite or informal: stop all contact, stop calls, stop texts, stop emails, not at work, not at certain times. Count a plain refusal to pay, such as "I will not pay this", because it ends contact in the same way. A refusal tied to a dispute, such as "I won't pay until you remove the fee", is a dispute, not a refusal. Do not count a complaint about how often we call that does not ask us to stop, or "stop" used in another sense, such as "stop charging me interest". Yes: The message asks us to stop or limit contact, or refuses to pay. No: The message makes no request to stop or limit contact and does not refuse to pay.

If the message asks us to stop or limit contact, how far does the request go? Choice

Pick the widest limit the message asks for: all contact first, then whole channels, then a place or a time. Choose No stop request when the message asks for no limit.

• All contact Stop contacting the customer about this debt by any means, or a plain refusal to pay.
• Some channels Stop one or more channels, such as calls, texts, email or letters, without refusing all contact.
• A place or a time Stop contact at a place, such as at work, or at certain times, such as before 9am, while other contact stays open.
• No stop request The message does not ask us to stop or limit contact.

Does the message say an attorney represents the customer on this debt? Yes / No

Count a statement that the customer has hired or is working with an attorney or a legal aid lawyer on this debt or on a bankruptcy, or a request that we contact their attorney, with or without the attorney's details. Yes: The message says an attorney acts for the customer now. No: No attorney acts for them. A relative or friend helping them write, a credit counseling agency, or a threat to hire a lawyer later does not count.

Does the message say the customer has filed for bankruptcy, or plans to? Yes / No

Count a filing already made, a case number, a planned filing, or an attorney preparing one, under any chapter. Yes: The message says the customer has filed for bankruptcy or plans to file. No: Bankruptcy is not mentioned, or only as something the customer wants to avoid, such as "I don't want to go bankrupt".

Does the message say the account holder has died? Yes / No

The sender will usually be a relative, an executor or an attorney. Yes: The message says the account holder has died. No: No death of the account holder is mentioned. The death of someone else, such as a parent of the customer, does not count.

Does the message say the customer is on active military duty or has been called up? Yes / No

Count active duty, a deployment, orders to report, and National Guard or Reserve service called to active duty. Yes: The message says the customer is serving on active duty or has orders to. No: No active service is mentioned. A veteran who has left the service does not count.

Does the message dispute the debt or a charge on it? Yes / No

Count saying the debt is not theirs, the amount is wrong, it was already paid, there are charges they did not make or authorise, identity theft, a request for proof or verification of the debt, or a question about who the original creditor is. Yes: The message disputes the debt, the amount, or a charge on the account. No: The message accepts the debt, even if the customer cannot pay it. A complaint about fees that does not say they are wrong does not count.

Does the message say what we report to credit bureaus about the customer is wrong? Yes / No

Count a statement that a late payment, balance, status or account we report is inaccurate, or a request that we correct it with the credit bureaus. Yes: The message says our credit reporting about the customer is wrong or asks us to correct it. No: Credit reporting is not disputed. A worry that their credit score will suffer does not count.

Does the message say we reached the wrong person? Yes / No

Count a writer who says they are not the customer, that the number or address belongs to someone else, or that the customer no longer uses it. Yes: The message says our contact reached someone other than the customer. No: The writer is the customer, or writes on the customer's behalf.

Does the message say the customer is struggling to pay because their circumstances changed? Yes / No

Count a stated reason such as losing a job, fewer hours, illness, a death in the family, a divorce, rising costs or a disaster. Judge only what the message says; do not infer hardship from tone. Yes: The message gives a reason the customer cannot pay as agreed. No: No such reason is given, or the message only says the customer will pay.

Does the message mention self-harm, suicide, or having no money for food, medicine or heat? Yes / No

A message like this should reach a trained person on the specialist team before anything else happens on the account. Yes: The message mentions self-harm or suicide, or says the customer has no money for food, medicine, heat or housing. No: None of these is mentioned.

Is this a message from a person about a customer's account or debt? Yes / No

Count messages from the customer, a relative, a debt adviser, a solicitor, an executor, or someone saying we reached the wrong person. Yes: A person wrote this message about a customer's account, a debt, or our contact with them. No: Spam, marketing, an auto-reply, a delivery failure notice, or a blank or unreadable message.

Does the message ask us to stop or limit contact with the customer? Yes / No

Count any clear request, however polite or informal: stop all contact, stop calls, stop texts, stop emails, not at work, not at certain times. Do not count a complaint about how often we call that does not ask us to stop, or "stop" used in another sense, such as "stop adding charges". Yes: The message asks us to stop or limit contact in some way. No: The message makes no request to stop or limit contact.

If the message asks us to stop or limit contact, how far does the request go? Choice

Pick the widest limit the message asks for: all contact first, then whole channels, then a place or a time. Choose No stop request when the message asks for no limit.

• All contact Stop contacting the customer about this debt by any means.
• Some channels Stop one or more channels, such as calls, texts, email or letters, without refusing all contact.
• A place or a time Stop contact at a place, such as at work, or at certain times, such as before 9am, while other contact stays open.
• No stop request The message does not ask us to stop or limit contact.

Does the message say a debt adviser, a solicitor or another representative acts for the customer on this debt? Yes / No

Count a debt advice charity or service, a debt management company, a solicitor, an insolvency practitioner, or an adviser who is setting up a plan or has asked us to deal with them. Yes: The message says someone of this kind acts for the customer now. No: No representative acts for them. A friend or relative helping them write, or a plan to seek advice later, does not count.

Does the message say a breathing space has been applied for or granted for the customer? Yes / No

Count a standard breathing space or a mental health crisis breathing space under the Debt Respite Scheme, whether the customer or an adviser applied for it. Yes: The message says a breathing space has been applied for or granted. No: No breathing space is mentioned. An informal request for more time, such as "I just need some breathing space" or "can you give me a month", does not count.

Does the message say the customer is in, has applied for, or is about to enter a formal debt solution? Yes / No

Count bankruptcy, an IVA, a debt relief order, sequestration, a Protected Trust Deed or the Debt Arrangement Scheme. Yes: The message says the customer is in one of these, has applied, or is about to. No: None is mentioned. An informal debt management plan does not count.

Does the message say the account holder has died? Yes / No

The sender will usually be a relative, an executor or a solicitor. Yes: The message says the account holder has died. No: No death of the account holder is mentioned. The death of someone else, such as a parent of the customer, does not count.

Does the message dispute the debt or a charge on it? Yes / No

Count saying the debt is not theirs, the amount is wrong, it was already paid, there are charges they did not make or authorise, identity fraud, or a request for proof of the debt or a copy of the credit agreement. Yes: The message disputes the debt, the amount, or a charge on the account. No: The message accepts the debt, even if the customer cannot pay it. A complaint about fees that does not say they are wrong does not count.

Does the message say we reached the wrong person? Yes / No

Count a writer who says they are not the customer, that the number or address belongs to someone else, or that the customer no longer uses it. Yes: The message says our contact reached someone other than the customer. No: The writer is the customer, or writes on the customer's behalf.

Does the message say the customer is struggling to pay or cannot pay as agreed? Yes / No

Count saying they cannot afford the payments, have fallen behind on bills, have lost income, or asking for lower payments or more time. A reason is not needed. Judge only what the message says; do not infer difficulty from tone. Yes: The message says the customer is struggling to pay or cannot pay as agreed. No: No difficulty is stated, or the message only says the customer will pay.

Does the customer say they have a health condition, an addiction, a recent bereavement, abuse, or trouble dealing with the debt? Yes / No

Count a physical or mental health condition, an addiction, a recent bereavement, domestic or economic abuse, or a stated difficulty reading, understanding or managing the debt. Count only what the message states; do not infer from tone, spelling or language. A person decides what, if anything, is recorded. Yes: The message states one of these circumstances. No: None is stated.

Does the message mention self-harm, suicide, or having no money for food, medicine or heat? Yes / No

A message like this should reach a trained person on the specialist team before anything else happens on the account. Yes: The message mentions self-harm or suicide, or says the customer has no money for food, medicine, heating or housing. No: None of these is mentioned.