Being harassed by creditor despite payments - Cabot

shanmoo · 3 September 2016 at 3:11PM

Hello
In the last month Ive been bombarded with calls, letters, and now texts from Cabot.
They bought 3 debts from my banks. I got very sick 5 years ago and had to default on a credit card, overdraft and a loan. I am left with long term illness. 1 Loan so old its since been written off. I still owe about £9k. I have been making payments ever since the default, admittedly its not a lot but although I work full time I just cant seem to manage the month, living on my own and having suffered a massive drop in income due to the illness affecting my work. I now also have a huge utility debt (electricity).
Cabot sent a letter to me when I was out of the country, and at the same time, called me when I was away, I asked if they could call me when I was back, I missed their call as they rang at 7.30 pm!! however they have done nothing but ring and ring since. I just started in a new job and to be honest, I can not deal with these people right now, as Im in intensive training, I get home late, I have no privacy during the day and really no time right now to go through income and expenditure!!. I wrote an email to Cabot, and suggested that they call me at the weekend if they wanted to discuss anything and explained why, however they have ignored this and continued to send text messages asking me to ring them at a time they are closed!
They are getting their money and I think this level of calls for a "review" is out of order. Especially when I suggested an appropriate time for them to ring me. Im too busy right now with 1 million other things to sort out (not least as my airline carrier lost my luggage when I was away!!) Im totally stressed when Im supposed to avoid stress at all costs and they are not my priority Im afraid.
Ive sent them my email again with a complaint, and asked that they respond to it by 5pm on Monday or it will be referred on, however Ive since decided to complain to the Ombudsman anyway as they ignored what I told them was an appropriate time to ring me.

Anyone had recent contact with these muppets ?

sourcrates · 3 September 2016 at 3:22PM

Hi,

Ok its important when dealing with Cabot, or any other collection agency, to deal with them correctly.

Stay off the phone to them, insist on written contact only, now you can do this one of two ways, either ring up and speak to the call handler ask them ever so nicely to remove all phone numbers they have for you and to contact you in writing only from now on, (this will be the quickest way to stop them calling) or put it in a good old fashioned letter.

They will only do this when requested, if they refuse, escalate to a complaint, then the ombudsman.
The FOS wont do anything until the company concerned has had a chance to settle the complaint.

Also mention your health problems, and that there constant calling is not helping the situation.

Can you just elaborate on the debts, you say one loan was written off ? how do you know this ? are Cabot now chasing you for this money ?

Just a little confused.

shanmoo · 3 September 2016 at 3:26PM

Thank you!
I will do that. Will get a letter off to them this weekend.

shanmoo · 3 September 2016 at 3:34PM

Yea theres now only 2 debts referred to on the statement. They told me that they had had advice to write it off due to the age of the debt and I stopped payments to it a year ago and nothing else has happened with that one.
The other two I still get statements for.
I told them in a conversation a year ago about my health problems.

What really annoys me is that they have an email address there, yet dont take any notice of email correspondence!
I suggested it was appropriate for telephone calls at weekends due to my work, and said I was aware they had been contacting me, they could have actually called me today and Id have been more receptive however instead I got a text this afternoon when they were closed telling me to ring them.

sourcrates · 3 September 2016 at 4:30PM

Ok after you have advised them of contact in writing only, block there numbers on your phones so they can't harras you any more.

When you receive something in writing from them (as you are not obliged to respond to texts or calls) send the provit letter to them for each debt they say you owe.

Link here :
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2607247

This basically asks them to provide proof they have the legal right to collect these debts, something they must do when asked.

No proof = no debt essentially.

See what response you get to that, then we will take it from there.

shanmoo · 3 September 2016 at 6:37PM

Thanks, I think actually, the "owner" of the debt has changed yet again, so I was thinking of challenging them on the debt now anyway due to this as Im fairly certain that I havent been informed of the new "creditor". If I hadnt been paying anything these debts would be statute barred next year, I wonder if this is why they are harassing me so they can get it into court to cover themselves.

Being harassed by creditor despite payments - Cabot

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