Bristow & Sutor Reviews 

I received a text message today whilst at work, stating that an ANPR marker had been placed on my vehicle and that it was at risk of being clamped and removed. The message instructed me to call an agent named Paul at 01527389785 immediately to prevent additional charges.

Upon calling the number provided, an individual identifying himself as ‘Paul’ answered. My interaction with him was immediately concerning due to his rude, condescending, and aggressive tone.

Mr. ‘Paul’ demanded my name and address without first providing any proof of his identity or the validity of the debt. When I expressed my hesitation to provide sensitive personal information to a suspected scammer, his demeanor escalated.

Instead of attempting to establish a professional dialogue or verify his legitimacy, Mr. Paul became angry and instantly resorted to threats, stating that since I had not "complied," he would be sending enforcement agents to my house and hung up.

The entire interaction was conducted in a disrespectful manner, and no attempt was made to act as a legitimate business seeking to resolve a matter. The level of aggression and condescension was shocking.

The alleged charge in question (DART CHARGE) does not even seem to be a valid debt. I have recorded the call and will be submitting a report to Action Fraud this afternoon, as the behavior exhibited by your agent is not only unprofessional but also borders on harassment.

After this incident, I reviewed public forums and complaints online and was frankly disgusted, though not surprised, to see that my experience is not an isolated one, nor remotely close to the horrific ordeals other individuals have been subjected to by these crooks. Multiple accounts detail similar aggressive tactics and threats from your agents.

While your company may respond to these complaints with a standard line about the behavior not aligning with your training, it is clear that there is a systemic issue with your staff's conduct and your company's culture. This pattern of behaviour suggests a direct or indirect incentivisation of such aggressive and threatening actions. I am also writing to my local MP and all council authorities I’ve found connections to, to question their association with an organisation that operates in such a manner, particularly in a way that could exploit vulnerable individuals.

If you are a legitimate company, I suggest the following immediate actions:

A formal and thorough investigation into the conduct of the employee named ‘Paul’.

A complete review of your staff training protocols and internal company culture to address and rectify these recurring issues.

I highly recommend anyone who has dealings with this company to record all interactions and reach out to your local MP, local authorities and action fraud.

Absolutely disgusting spoke to a man called Ian! Who was very very very rude made me feel very uncomfortable! Basically said I have till a certain date to pay in full no if or but about it and today I’ve received a text saying people are attending my property before the due day he gave!! I’ve explained my mental health and cancer I’ve been threw since all this has started and they don’t care he couldn’t answer one of my questions I asked! He advised me ten things to go and do and I did those and he still cannot do anything! I’m definitely taking this a lot higher regarding this rude company and there staff! It’s unacceptable behaviour! How would you like it if this was a member gold your family being called and spoken to how you take to all your so called customers! Not one good review says a lot about the company yet they’ve done nothing to improve it!

I can't give any advice for PCN debts but if you have a council debt I urge you to call your local council and Step Change before engaging in any conversations or correspondence with this company.

When I initially spoke to Bristow & Sutor they said I had to pay the full balance within 3 months. They then increased this offer to 5 months. Unfortunately, following a job redundancy (the reason I was in arrears!) I literally didn't have the funds to cover this. This didn't matter to them though and so the threats and nastiness began.

I spoke to a number of advisors and unfortunately my experience was entirely negative, they had no interest in working with me when I asked if I could pay over an extended period. They said no and that if I didn't agree to their terms they'd contact my employer and send debt collectors within the following 7 days. They also have no concerns about someones disability status (I raised this and was told it was irrelevant) or their means to actually be able to make payment.

I also found that some of the advisors searched viewed my LinkedIn profile during/after our conversations which I just found really weird.

I ended up speaking to Step Change and then my local council directly, who were extremely understanding and made an arrangement with Bristow & Sutor for me to pay my debt over 12 months instead. This was a huge relief and I was just glad I didn't have to speak to any more advisors directly after this.

I also understand in some circumstances, and depending on the size of the debt, the council can also sometimes take this back and you can arrange paying off your arrears with them directly.

I'm close to paying my final instalment and hopefully will never have a dealing with this company again. There is something seriously troubling about the culture of a place which allows their employees to speak to people in the way they do.

Hopefully they are investigated at a regulatory level because in my experience their behaviour is aggressive, threatening and unprofessional.

Actually have no words apart from horrible bullies. I spoke to the most antagonising horrible woman ever. I have proof of me contacting and making a payment plan. She said they’ve emailed back and refused it. Yet to find this email???? How funny!! She was horrible on the phone. Threatening to go to my dad’s address also. I will be taking this so much further. How they’re operating I’ll never know. They are saying they’ll go there on Wednesday if I don’t pay £400? Yeah cause people can just pull money out their pocket like that. I am genuinely seething

Conversation wiv lady called Stephanie absolutely outstanding cud not fault the girl helped me massively she's a supper star
As for Luke needs sacking as he was not professional towards me hence y I had to call up again

My stepson discovered a warning of immobilisation on his car parked on my drive. The car, however, was not immobilized, so a misrepresentation, or as I like to call it, a blatant lie in order to get a response. Also, there was no time recorded on the warning, as required by law. I called the number on the warning and Richard Jones told me that he doesn't like to clamp the car straight away, especially when 'its the first time'. However, the warning clearly states the vehicle has been immobilised, so blatantly misrepresented. I am still waiting for a response from the company having messaged both them and the local authority they are representing and who issued the parking fine. Today, he has received a notice of enforcement for another unpaid parking fine (yes he's an idiot, but he thought he had paid it). Today is the 21 august and it says to pay by 23rd. The notice says date of issue is 15th, so why has it only arrived today and does this breech the 7 clear days that is legally required before further proceedings can commence? There is no bailiff name on the certificate, only a reference number, so I can't check if they are registered. I tried the reference number on the register search and that gave no result. Absolute joke of a company that seems to be a law unto themselves.

Update: my stepson received another notification of enforcement for another unpaid parking fine (yes, he's a Muppet). The letter was dated as ' issued on' 15th August. However, it didn't arrive until 21st August and said payment needed to be made by the 23rd August. Having read other reviews, this seems to be a regular tactic of theirs, giving folk much less than the legally required time to pay! They'll no doubt blame the postal service, but happens to often it seems, to be coincidentally snagged up in the post.

I also got a reply to the message I sent via their contact form online, rather later than they said they'd reply. Unfortunately it is merely a reply to say they will reply within 10 working days. Plus, it's a one way email system that you can't contact them on. How convenient.

Absolutely awful! My ex and I have an overdue council tax bill to pay of £3000, today I have received a text saying B&S are due to attend my address tomorrow to Execute the Court Order for the unpaid balance. I was asked to call a man called David which I did and he was extremely rude and unhelpful. I explained that I could not afford to pay half of the debt today and he said there was nothing he could do, can anyone advise further as I am very scared of what might happen and want to sort this in an amicable way but they seen unwilling to do that.

Big thanks to Kerry, Beth , lisa and Martin. Went above and beyond to help me , really appreciated

Spoke to a lady called Siobhan on the 14th August did not want to be helpful at all very rude trying scare tactics over the phone.

I have no words to describe the full extent of their incompetence and threatening tactics.

They continue to harass my father, 82 years old, first by email, then by an enforcement notice through his door, for a parking offence.

He doesn't have a driving license or a vehicle, and hasn't driven for many years.

I have communicated this to them by email many times and received a reply stating "duly noted." But they continue to pursue it!

The WhatsApp chat they offered in the enforcement letter was useless; they didn't respond at all, except to acknowledge the message I sent.

This surely can't be a serious company when it's so hard to communicate with them?

Currently making an official complaint due to gdpr breach, issues when in communication with the collector/bailiff, Amy, Please learn the law and how it affects your position going forward. A GDPR BREACH IS A SERIOUS OFFENCE

Received the first letter from B&S on the Friday 01.08.25, appealed on Monday, £75 penalty reached £600 by the following Thursday. I received a hand posted letter through the door from the enforcement officer ‘Ollie’ who showed no compassion and did not care that I was disputing the PCN or that I’d provided evidence that I was not the keeper of the vehicle, or that I’d only just received the letter.
Once I had complained and forwarded my appeal to B&S, Ollie decided that he would now be coming the same day to our property to collect the dept, although he’d never mentioned he would be coming today before. He said, ‘ You didn’t want to hear what I had to say so, now I’m coming today.’ He followed this with a text to say be at the property by 5:00pm, even after advising B&S that I was alone with two children and I felt that he had a personal vendetta and trying to be intimidating. I was advised that I can’t dictate to which agent comes. When escalating my complaint I was given around 15 minutes before B&S called me back for Steve to tell me that the senior officer had decided to allow Ollie to continue to come to the house today with a dog barking in the background. This agency will not allow time to appeal, contact you at the wrong address and use intimidation techniques. Surely this behaviour is not approved by the FCA? We asked for a few more days for our appeal to be processed but Ollie declined.

Don’t understand why these guys have so many negative reviews, If you’re not willing to work with them then they won’t work with you, But if you talk to them openly and honestly they will 100% work with you. Special thank you to Anah on behalf of my sister

I called them to solve a problem with a payment. I waited for hours every day for a week, but no one answered. I started paying a weekly amount that I could afford to cover my debts. Over the second week, I woke up to find a collector at the door. He told me that today was the last day for payment. I explained that I had tried to call the office all week, but no one had answered. He replied that he could not do anything about it.
I don't know what to do now. I've stressed myself out and I don't know how to react!
I feel like I'm going to steal from them so they leave me alone!

Never in my life have I met a company that get away with regularly breaking the law. They have bad practices, lie and do not follow procedures. My council debt was sorted with the council on the 08/06/2025 but even as of today I still have Birstow and sutor harassing me. Threatening to gain access to my property. Well that won’t be happening trust me. My property will be defended by any means necessary. Time to take things further. DSAR, complaints and a harassment claim incoming.

This Company does not follow ANY correct procedures. You receive no correspondence until they threaten to clamp your car! If you try and pay online, their payment website is unsafe so you can’t access it.
I felt sorry for the agent who came to my house actually, but these people are enabling this criminal activity, which is everything that’s wrong with this country.
The owner of the company has a criminal record which you can view online. He also works from home s you can hear his kids screaming in the background. Again, everything that’s wrong with this country!

I found Kim who I spoke to very helpful and set up a payment plan with no problems

I don't know how this company can say they are ethical - disgusting to receive such threatening letters from them, received a letter on 31stJuly demanding we pay on 30th July the day before, put us straight into arrears with no compassion just awful how the government can use an organisation like this is criminal.

I have proof they back date letters and send them out late.
I work at a postal station and know how it works. Definitely going to panorama investigations about you.

The way I was spoken to today by Paul the enforcement officer was unbelievable what a vile rude man embarrassing that he represents your company so unprofessional . I understand he had a job to do but his attitude and tone is not appropriate or acceptable . my mistake I didn’t pay 100% take full responsibility and paid in full straight away today when I received the letter but the way Paul spoke to me was unbelievable I’m lucky and grateful that I could pay and rectify my mistake but I worry for people who can’t and need surport too . Total rudeness from the start of the phone call you really should give him some coaching because that could make someone who is suffering with mental health suffer more unnecessarily worse it’s shameful and when I complained and asked for the phone call to be listened back by a manager I was told managers don’t talk to customers . I am genuinely worried about the wellbeing of other people who have to deal with Paul .

The comment below from them over a week ago still haven’t contacted me !!!!