Urgh Horrid Horrid Person

PixiePie · 27 June 2007 at 2:30PM

Have been tracked down by one of the debit collection agencies - just had the most horrid phone call ever - not so much for what he was like to me, but just the depressing thought that that phone call could so easily tip someone over the edge and end things if they were almost there. What a horrid person, I know he is just doing a job, but how can he be so absolutely horrid and live with himself? Asking me all sorts of personal things he has no right to know, calling me a liar plain and short, threatening to turn up (although where I have no idea as he didn't have an address and I wouldn't give it to him) and do god only knows what, calling me stupid, all sorts of things really.

On one hand almost amusing if it weren't so horrid (him:tell me x me: I'm not telling you, it is my understanding you have no right to know. him: tell me x Me: I'm not telling you, on and on and on....). On the other hand, just really really nasty. Soooo - what do I do people? We have caller ID and I know the number, so my OH will answer the phone to that number from now on, and obviously I try and go BR asap, but any other little tips, tricks or legalities I should know about?

I know I'm being rather naive, but why on earth if someone could pay the poxy £50 a month or so, would they not and just walk away from it - madness to not be believed! Again, really horrid man, don't know how he lives with himself (not for what he does, but the manner he does it in).

bobblebot · 27 June 2007 at 2:33PM

Yea they are a horrible lot...if you can just don't answer phones until you go BR. Or submit your petitio0n online and then you will get an insolvency number which you can quote to them and this will shut them up-i did it and couldn't beleive then how nice they were lol!
I went BR today still can't believe how nice everybody at court and OR were=-best decision I've ever made I feel ten years younger...all the best

PixiePie · 27 June 2007 at 2:37PM

Oh, thank you Bobblebot - can I ask about this submitting online thingy? I don't know anything about that, any pointers as to where to start? (Back story - spoke to NDL and need to go BR asap, but have no money at all, so can't afford it and waiting for info pack from them to be able to apply for funding for the fees. If I can speed anything up obviously this is v v v v good as I want it done this very second.)

PixiePie · 27 June 2007 at 2:48PM

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

You can find the online form here-https://www.insolvencydirect.gov.uk/isolv/public/access/

You could start filling them in now and just add bits as you want

Have a look at it and let us know if you need any help with it:D

Thank you v v v much - will get back to you on the help front :P

wherediditallgo · 27 June 2007 at 3:59PM

PixiePie, you could send them the following letter (I found it on another site) regarding the phone calls.

Dear Sir / Madam,

Re accounts ref

I am writing to you to inform that I request all communications to me in writing. I do not want any further telephone calls made to me.

To continue to contact me by telephone after I have requested you not to constitutes harassment. I require all future communications in writing for future Court use. Do not telephone me again – remove any telephone numbers you hold for me from your systems.

Your telephone calls are in breach of the Office of Fair Trading guidelines. If you continue with them after the receipt of this letter, an official complaint, together with a log recording the times and frequency will be passed both to that office and to Trading Standards, For your information, all telephone calls are taped.

This type of debt collection method is contrary to the ‘Administration of Justice Act 1970’. In that it is intended to cause alarm and distress to the recipient. Your methods will not be tolerated. A formal complaint to the relevant authorities will be made.

Take further notice that continued telephone calls after receipt of a request not to call may constitute a criminal offence under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Communicate in writing and ONLY in writing. Your telephone calls will not be answered.

HOWEVER, CALLS WILL TRIGGER COMPLAINTS TO THE REGULATORY BODIES.

I trust I have made myself understood on this matter.

Yours,

PixiePie · 27 June 2007 at 4:05PM

Oh wow Where!!!

That is amazing - thank you thank you thank you

:j
HAHAHAHAHA. Take that nasty mr person - bet you had been a bit more civil to me now (well you probably don't, but hey, little things

)

Thank you so so so so so much

tigerfeet2006 · 27 June 2007 at 5:29PM

Don't forget to send it recorded delivery so that they can't say they haven't recieved it. Costs that little bit more but someone has to sign for it.

user55 · 20 September 2007 at 4:14PM

Thanks for posting that letter - my dh has an annoying little debt collector for a poxy little debt (under £100 till they whacked their charges on!). He is paying it religiously each month, and sends the receipt part of the paying in slip to them recorded delivery, and it is being signed for. And he has asked them to only contact him in writing. Yet I am still answering the phone to them on a monthly basis. While playing mind games with the idiot is quite entertaining (I have no qualms about this since dh is actually paying!!) I'd rather he just !!!!!! off to be honest. Maybe this little letter will do the job!

In the meantime, last time he paid, we figured they probably pay business rate bank charges so we spread the payment into £1 portions and paid them in to several different banks over several days. Ha!

Treadstone009 · 20 September 2007 at 8:52PM

I had (and failed) an interview with a collections department for a major bank, i can see why some would do the job, it was marketed at 16.1K plus commission.

rog2 · 21 September 2007 at 9:07AM

PixiePie wrote: »

I know he is just doing a job.

That is No Excuse Whatsoever.

Everybody has an absolute right to be treated with courtesy and respect, no matter what their circumstances.

The biggest problem with debt collectors, and their ilk, is that they are 'pre-programmed' to assume that everyone they approach is a 'liar' who wishes only to 'avoid their debt'.

The telephone caller, from the debt collection agency or call-centre, is usually only quoting information which is on a computer screen, along with his/her scripted questions. That caller will, almost inevitably, blindly accept the details on his/her computer screen over the words of the person he/she is calling.

Every answer that a caller gives is compared to a 'list' of possible/acceptable answers - when an 'answer' doesn't match the question is simply repeated, usually at higher decibels, until the caller hears what he/she wants to hear.

Of course, there will always be people who do wish to avoid their debts, but in the interests of fairness Everybody deserves a fair hearing, and should always be given the benefit of the doubt.

People who work for Debt Collection Agencies do NOT have any right of judgement - that is reserved for the courts - and should always treat the people that they need to talk to with the same level of respect that they, themselves, would wish to receive.

If these people are unable to treat people with basic common courtesy and if they continue to 'dismiss' as lies everything that a 'debtor' tells them, without first checking all facts, then they are in 'the Wrong Job' and should NOT be allowed to have any verbal contact with the public.

The same goes, in my opinion, to anybody working in the Public Sector who has to have direct contact with the public, for example in Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

user55 · 21 September 2007 at 9:53AM

I've got to say, don't know if they come under the same category, but the guys who came to repossess my car treated me with so much politeness and respect that they brought a lump to my throat! We had just got back from a camping trip so the car was fully loaded, and they offered to help me with that. And when I commented it would have been easier if they had rung first so it was sorted ready for them, they called the finance company a bunch of !!!!!!! They also told me not to worry about getting the rubbish out, as it was just going straight to the auction, and when it was done, they shook my hand and wished me well for the future. So not what I expected!

Urgh Horrid Horrid Person

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