I Am Being Badly Hounded By Creditors!

WoodruffsDad · 23 July 2007 at 8:40AM

I have been trying to get out of debt but because of a huge barrage of phone calls from creditors I have largely given up and I am working with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service.

The calls start at 8.00 am and continue until 9.00 pm including Saturdays and Sundays. I receive about 8 to 10 per day on EACH of my home phone, mobile phone and work phone making around 30 calls in total. It is wearing me down and it is not fair on my wife who is an innocent party in this. I now just press "ignore" when I see these calls on caller display.

I have explained my situation to the companies concerned by phone and by many, many letters.

The calls come in from 0800, 0870, 01236, International and Witheld numbers and the offenders are MBNA (and their agency Global Vantedge), Morgan Stanley (Goldfish) and Barclaycard. I have received 3 calls in the last 10 minutes, 2 on mobile, 1 on house phone! I think I'm going to have a breakdown!

Is there any way to stop these calls? They really are debilitating.

Crown · 23 July 2007 at 8:56AM

Hi Julian, The calls amount to Harrassment and can be stopped. No Creditor has the right to talk to you over the phone if you do not wish it. You can request that all communication is sent in writing only.

When you receive any call from the creditors and they ask you to complete security when they ask your name, DOB ect refusr to give this and they cannot legally continue as its against the data protection act. Tell them that if they need to speak to you to put it in writing. In the meantime send a copy of this template letter to them filling in ytour own details of course:

----

"Dear

I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the telephone calls that I have received from your company.

I am now formally requesting that all further correspondence be made in writing only.

I demand that these phone calls stop immediately. I am familiar with the terms of Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1970 and I believe your harassment places you in breach of these acts.

If you continue to call, you will also be in breach of the Wireless Telegraphy Act (1949) and, as such, I will report you to both Trading Standards and The Office of Fair Trading.

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

You will be deemed to have been served notice of my request and I will deem it served by (FULL DATE), I am advising you that any calls received after this date will be recorded with the intention of them being used as evidence.

Yours faithfully,"

If I was you I would also add that you are in contact with the CCCS and quote your cleint ref number. I found that after sending the letter and putting in writing I was with the CCCS the calls stopped although I do receive letters from them from time to time.

Do not let them bully you! If the calls continue report them as these laws are in place to protect us.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

WoodruffsDad · 23 July 2007 at 10:00AM

Crown, you are a life saver. I will carry out your suggestion at once.

Many thanks.

thefool · 23 July 2007 at 10:14AM

Julian,

Hang in there !

I'm in the exact same situation as you, with the exact same companies, and also the Co-operative Bank (So much for their ethical banking, isn't harrasement unethical ??).

Anyway, I have draughted a letter as recommended above, I'm with Payplan, so I've told them that Payplan have my written authority to act on my behalf, I've included my client number, and told them, as per the template letter above to only contact me in writing from now on.

It's a real pain in the a**e having to screen my telephone calls but hopefully this will put a stop to it. One other thing, if they call you at work refuse to engage with them in conversation but politely ask for a name and a telephone number to call back. At a convenient time, give them a courtesy call explaining the situation and that continued calls constitute harrrassment.

All the best !

MCBIRNIE25 · 23 July 2007 at 8:58PM

Good advice,come backto us if they keeep hassling you.My favourite trick is to rope some close pals in at work, who knew i was in debt, and we kept on transferring the DCA between each other ;-)

WoodruffsDad · 29 July 2007 at 11:03AM

I am still being badly harrassed mainly by one creditor in particular, namely MBNA Europe Bank Ltd. via their collection agents Global Vantedge Private Ltd. in India and Surrey!

GVP are phoning me 6 to 8 times per day starting at 08:30 and going on to 21:00 on my home, work and mobile phones. They are also texting me regularly and MBNA themselves keep writing to me. It is relentless!

I have explained the situation in full to both parties and informed them that I am working with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. I have also sent both of them the letter mentioned in a previous post demanding that the phone calls cease but still they are relentless. It seems that the phone never stops ringing with 08 and International calls!

Sainsburys Bank are almost as bad!

This is wearing me down. Please, what can I do?

fuzzgun19 · 29 July 2007 at 11:28AM

I'm in a similar situation to you, and am getting calls from the creditor AFTER I sent the 'stop calling' letter.

I have been making a note of the dates & time they call, and if I answer one I will attempt to record it (on my phone lol).

What can we do about them still calling?

Can we report them for harassment?

calamity · 29 July 2007 at 11:49AM

Get a bar on your phone for witheld numbers--Bt can do this if you are with them. Or ask for a new number due to obscene phone calls--they will normally do this once free of charge--it is not that much hassle giving it to those that really need it compared to what is going on now. Make sure it is ex directory.
Get a new sim card with a new mobile number and only give it to the poeple who really need it
I know this can be done because I have had to do it in the past --not debt related --threatening calls from ex.

If friends/family ask why tell them you were getting nuisance calls and leave it at that.

fuzzgun19 · 29 July 2007 at 12:18PM

The letter states

"I will report you to both Trading Standards and The Office of Fair Trading."

How can we do this, online?

Is there a minimum amount of information we have to provide?

I'm with Virgin media, and the creditors are using a couple of different numbers to call me, could I put a bar on individual numbers with Virgin?

WoodruffsDad · 29 July 2007 at 6:01PM

Since 09:30 this morning I have received 8 calls spread over my mobile and home phones. It's now 18:00. This is really wearing me down!

Crown · 29 July 2007 at 6:27PM

Hi Julian,

You need to give them the correct amount of time to have received the your request for the phone calls to stop. If they do not then phone the complaints department and and so not hold any punches back. Let them know that you aware that you owe them money but they have no right to harrass you by phone when you have requested contact by post only. Let them know that you are going to report them to trading standards and the OFT and then do so! I found at this point they hold the calls for at least 2 weeks.

When you also speak to them ask them why they havent acknowledged your letter and details from the CCCS.

Rememeber its thee job to try and get the money back and the banks will harrass and bully you. The law is on your side if you are making efforts to repay your debts. The bootom line is you need to stand up to them. If the loans are unsecured then there isnt much they can do tou you at this point. They could take you to court and have a charging order put on any assetts you own meaning that if you sold them they would get there money back and normally a interest charge of 8%

In most cases though the Judge will look at the statement you provided via the CCCS and will agree to the repayment plan.

Stay strong mate. they are trying it on, if they call just hang up as you have already explained yourself and sent the the paperwork you need. just make sure the payment you said you are going to make to them is set up and paid regulary!

I Am Being Badly Hounded By Creditors!

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