The laws which say what bailiffs can and cannot do are complex and varied. You should seek advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau, an independent advice centre, a solicitor or a law centre before starting a complaint.
You can complain if:
Their behaviour has been unduly aggressive, rude or threatening.
They have levied illegally. This means that they have levied on goods which cannot be seized.
The law on what can and what cannot be seized differs depending on the type of debt you owe. You should tell them if any items in your property are rented, hired, leased, or belong to another person.
They have levied irregularly. This means that the correct goods have been seized, but the procedures followed were not correct e.g. the bailiff sells your goods after you had paid the debt.
You must keep in touch with the bailiff while he is dealing with your debt.
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The bailiff has levied excessively. This means that the value of the goods seized from you is more than the amount of the debt, or that you have paid an excessive amount to the bailiff. If more money is raised at auction than the debt, (this includes the fees, the cost or removing your goods and the cost of selling them), the balance should be returned to you. A levy is not excessive if there are no other goods that can be seized.
It is important to remember that auction prices are usually significantly lower than high street prices.
