Got a letter from Azzurro Associates? Here's how to respond.

No. Azzurro Associates Limited (Companies House 10673742) is a legitimate FCA-authorised UK debt buyer specialising in SME lending and B2B receivables. They are a member of the Credit Services Association and majority-owned by Elliott Management, a US-based investment firm. They have invested over £200 million in SME debt portfolios and have been recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe's fastest growing companies. Being legitimate does not mean every Azzurro letter is correct: Notice of Assignment compliance has been a documented issue area (Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-4344971, 2023, found Azzurro had sent a NoA to the wrong person with the wrong date). Always demand documentation before paying.

Because Azzurro buys non-performing loan portfolios from alternative business lenders. Your business borrowed from one of these lenders, the account defaulted, and the lender sold the portfolio (including your debt) to Azzurro. Azzurro is now the legal owner of the debt. They typically appoint Shire Recoveries Limited as their collection agent for day-to-day correspondence, so most of the contact you receive will actually be from Shire. Solaris Law Limited (Azzurro's in-house law firm) handles legal escalation if collection does not resolve. See the Shire Recoveries page for more on responding to Shire-specific letters.

Shire Recoveries Limited is an independent commercial debt collection agency based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and is Azzurro's main appointed collection agent for SME debt portfolios. Shire is not owned by Azzurro: it is a contracted collection partner. Your underlying rights are the same regardless of whether you're dealing with Azzurro directly or Shire. Shire handles day-to-day demand letters and phone contact (typically from 01827 300326 numbers), while Azzurro retains legal ownership of the debt and handles strategic decisions about escalation. See the Shire Recoveries page for more specific guidance.

Solaris Law Limited is the Azzurro Group's in-house law firm. It is SRA and FCA authorised with both consumer and commercial divisions, built through Azzurro's 2024 acquisitions of the Equivo Legal Services business and Shoosmiths' B2B Recoveries team (bringing approximately 90 lawyers and paralegals). If Azzurro's collection effort through Shire does not resolve, the matter typically passes to Solaris Law for litigation. Solaris Law will issue a Letter Before Claim under Civil Procedure Rules pre-action conduct (not the consumer Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims), and may proceed to county court or High Court action depending on amounts involved.

Generally no, if the underlying debt is commercial. Most alternative business credit (merchant cash advances, business credit cards with limits above £25,000, peer-to-peer SME loans) is outside the Consumer Credit Act's scope. This means s.78 (request for the original credit agreement), s.87/88 (Default Notice requirement), and similar consumer protections do not apply in the same way. However, basic contract law principles still apply: the underlying loan agreement, the personal guarantee, and any Notice of Assignment must all be valid. Some smaller business credit facilities (particularly to sole traders or partnerships) may still be CCA-regulated, so check the original loan documentation carefully.

When Azzurro buys a debt from the original lender, the law (section 136 of the Law of Property Act 1925) requires you to be notified in writing that the debt has been legally assigned. The Notice of Assignment must be in writing, signed by the assignor, and notified expressly to you as the debtor. Without a valid Notice of Assignment, Azzurro lacks legal standing to sue you. This is particularly relevant for Azzurro because the Financial Ombudsman Service has previously found errors in Azzurro NoA letters (decision DRN-4344971, 2023, where the NoA was addressed to the wrong person and dated incorrectly). Demand a copy of your specific NoA and scrutinise it carefully.

Under section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980, simple contract debts (most commercial loans) become statute-barred six years after the date of last payment or last written acknowledgement, whichever is later. Under section 8 of the same Act, debts under a deed (including some types of personal guarantee) become statute-barred after twelve years. Check the form of your original loan agreement and personal guarantee carefully because this materially changes the limitation period. Do not phone Azzurro or Shire Recoveries to discuss dates, because any acknowledgement (verbal or written) restarts the limitation clock.

Only if you signed a personal guarantee or are otherwise personally liable. Most alternative business loans and credit facilities require the company director to sign a personal guarantee as a condition of lending. If you did, the guarantee is what makes you personally liable when the company fails. Demand a copy of the signed personal guarantee from Azzurro (or from Shire Recoveries acting on their behalf). Check its validity: proper execution, witnessing, dating, whether the wording specifically covers the debt being chased, whether you received independent legal advice (legally required in some circumstances), and whether the guarantee is under hand or under deed (six vs twelve year limitation). A defective or improperly executed personal guarantee may not be enforceable.