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Debtors register

Debtors register

What is a debtor register?

A debtor register is a register of debtors who have one or more defaulted financial balances between them and a creditor. In simple terms, the lists provide an overview of bad payers.

In Denmark, there are basically two major debt registers:

What are the consequences of being in a debtors' register?

There can be many consequences of being registered in a debtors' register if you are a debtor who has ended up in one.

Many businesses, especially subscription businesses and those that have a long-term relationship with their customers and provide some form of credit, often use credit scoring and credit reports prior to engaging with a new customer.

Such a credit check is typically based, in whole or in part, on a search of one or more debtor registers. It is then up to the company's credit policy whether they want to take you on as a customer if you are listed as a bad payer.

Most companies have very strict credit policies and, as a consequence, if you are listed in one or more debtor registers, you will typically not be able to become a customer.

In other words, it can be difficult to sign everything from a mobile phone contract to taking out a loan if you are registered as a bad payer.

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Who reports to debtor registers?

In Denmark, the main registrants to the major debtor registers, such as Experian (RKI/Ribers) and Debitorlisten, are lawyers and debt collection agencies.

These debt collection lawyers and debt collection companies register the bad payers in a debtor register on behalf of their customers, which are typically businesses.

If you as a creditor want your customers to be registered in Experian (RKI/Ribers) and or Debitorlisten, it can be an advantage to find a debt collection partner with agreements with one or more of these.

When is a debt register deleted?

Basically, you will only be deleted from a debt register once you have fully or partially paid your debt to the company, debt collection agency or lawyer who registered you in the first place. In some cases, an installment plan can also trigger deletion.

If a debtor chooses not to pay his or her debts, a remark is deleted after 5 years.

When can a debt collection agency or lawyer register you as a bad payer?

A debt collection company or a lawyer may only report their customer to a debtor register once a judgment has been issued in the enforcement court or if the debtor has acknowledged the amount owed in writing.

The following can be used as documentation for a registration: voluntary settlement, judgment, declaration of debt, payment demand or a deferred payment agreement.

Who is registered in a debtor register?

Basically, anyone can be registered, but fortunately, over the past few years, there have been fewer registrations, probably because Danes have become better at paying or repaying their debts.

On average, around 200,000 Danes are registered as bad payers with Experian (RKI) and Debitorlisten.dk

Unfortunately, in the last few years, there has been a slight upward trend in the 20 to 50 age group. Statistically, older people have fewer cases and much smaller amounts owed recorded.


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