DCH - The Debt Consumer Helpline -beware?

soiherduliekmudkips

i'm not sure lawstudent85 is really giving the best advice here guys. when unsolicited sales calls were made illegal in the UK, a lot of call centres where opened in India as they don't have to abide by our telephone preference service laws. as such, any company based in the UK who use Indian call centres are only subject to liability if the call centre are calling on their behalf. i used to work for a loan company who used Indian call centres to generate client interest, but as we used to purchase client data from them, we weren't subject to liability as they were a seperate entity. it is worth checking fact first before launching into any kind of legal threat that could easily turn sour.

as for encouraging people to call this repayment management company, i would suggest that this amounts to enciting harassment. the company will undoubtedly record calls and numbers, so before you call, just check if they buy data from a call centre, or if they are a real UK based subsiduary of the call centre.

i don't mean to spoil anyone's thunder here, you've obviously made a lot of headway getting as far as a name and number, but it's important to realise the difference before getting yourself into any potential trouble. i always used to say to clients who felt that they were being harassed, that if you really are getting too many calls, ask to speak to someone in the UK, tell them that you aren't interested and that you'd like the calls to end. whilst this isn't the ideal solution, it should work. you'll at least feel you're being listened to and understood. the more calls that pan out this way, the more likely the UK based company will stop using the call centre due to bad PR.

lawstudent85

thankyou for that inciteful comment! to answer...
the tps and the office of fair trading can do nothing to stop companies that phone from india - true.
however, after speaking to the above company at length, they confirmed that the south east asian companies are contracually obliged to deal under the terrestrial laws : i.e. data protection, (a right to recieve a copy at minimal expense of the information held on a computer - a question i have asked on the south east asian company, and recieved an answer in the affirmative.) and the laws regarding the use of phonenumbers under the tps system. soooo... whereas they are not legally obliged to act under our laws, they are contractually obliged... any breach of contract should be dealt with between the english company and the south-east asian company. and any thrid party recieving abuse therefore has some kind of action against the british company involved...

the office of fair trading have confirmed that if the S.E.asian co. are acting as a subsidiary of the english company, that a complaint can and should be made regarding their behaviour. the difficulty is finding the english company.

PLEASE DO NOT THINK I AM INCITING HARASSMENT. simply requesting that a firm should not call two/three times a day, as in some of the previous posts is an affirmation of our consumer and human rights, not tantamount to harassment - and whoever has linked the action of making sure the british company are aware of the behaviour of their subsidairies should be ashamed of themselves.... no consumer should be afraid of ringing a company when the effect of their behaviour is the distress of an individual who HAS NEVER ASKED NOR REQUESTED any help in the area of debt management.

the english company didnt seem to be aare of the problem, indeed their representative had to contact me back, as he was unaware of the process of complaint... which leads me to suggest that if more people went straight to the british company with their complaints regarding the ILLEGAL behaviour of their subsidiaries, this type of harassment wouldnt happen nearly so often.

FURTHERMORE... the last post... spuriously stating that to call the company in charge to tell them of your problems turned up suspiciously soon after i informed the british company of my post... in response to the complaints on the previous page...

i wonder if soiherduliekmudkips (nice name?) has anything to do with the company itself, anxious not to have to answer the queries and complaints of the many people who have these phonecalls CONSTANTLY... sounds a bit contrite and anti consumer action to be a person seriously concerned with stopping these illegal and annoying phone calls.

please feel free to disregard my advice, and that of 'soi'..(cant be bothered to write that out again) and get in contact with the OFT/INFORMATION COMMISSION yourself.
and please... dont just take this, if everyone stood up and said no... it would stop.
))

marleyboy

soiherduliekmudkips wrote: »

i'm not sure lawstudent85 is really giving the best advice here guys. when unsolicited sales calls were made illegal in the UK, a lot of call centres where opened in India as they don't have to abide by our telephone preference service laws. as such, any company based in the UK who use Indian call centres are only subject to liability if the call centre are calling on their behalf. i used to work for a loan company who used Indian call centres to generate client interest, but as we used to purchase client data from them, we weren't subject to liability as they were a seperate entity. it is worth checking fact first before launching into any kind of legal threat that could easily turn sour.

as for encouraging people to call this repayment management company, i would suggest that this amounts to enciting harassment. the company will undoubtedly record calls and numbers, so before you call, just check if they buy data from a call centre, or if they are a real UK based subsiduary of the call centre.

i don't mean to spoil anyone's thunder here, you've obviously made a lot of headway getting as far as a name and number, but it's important to realise the difference before getting yourself into any potential trouble. i always used to say to clients who felt that they were being harassed, that if you really are getting too many calls, ask to speak to someone in the UK, tell them that you aren't interested and that you'd like the calls to end. whilst this isn't the ideal solution, it should work. you'll at least feel you're being listened to and understood. the more calls that pan out this way, the more likely the UK based company will stop using the call centre due to bad PR.

I suspect your a plant!!!! Im with Lawstudent on this, who has gone to some lengh to at least do his\her research and I would advise EVERYONE in this thread to follow his advice.

sillyvixen

i used to get alot of phonecalls at my new address (new number as well) from asian call centers asking if i was mrs pearce, as i am not i also told them i was not and that there was no person of that name at the address - they always told me that they would call back later, despite me telling them not to. i was also getting loads of mail for a mr pearson - rented the house 5 years ago - and i was sending these back not known at this address... untill i got a debt collecter turn up for mr pearson, after that i opened all his mail and contacted his creditors (no one ever got funny about me opening his mail) in the last 6 months i have had no letters for mr pearson or no phonecalls for mrs pearce. it took me 18 months to sort out but was worth it ... i cant help thinking mrs pearce and her phone calls were somthing to do with mr pearsons debts.

lawstudent85

hi all,
just an update on the above matter. the call centre responsible has been fired from that particular contract, a full apology has been issued both on behalf of the UK and the supra-national call centre. I also recieved £100 and a case of wine.
well worth complaining and being determined, not just the comp., but the peace of mind AND HOUSE... no phone calls for a week or so.
so... when they call... GET A UK COMPANY NAME... write down the times of the calls, and if any of the callers were rude and obnoxious. Know your rights, after 9pm or before 9am - harassment. rude and awful people that upset you? - criminal harassment.
they are responsible for the gross intrusion into our lives... and they should be held to account.
good luck

SotightIsqueak

Just had a call from these comedians, below is my transcript:

Mobile Phone rings.....

Me: Hello?

Me: Hello?

Pause 4-5 seconds

Me: Hello

DCH: Hello, is this Mr Je*******?

Me: Yes, (thinks here we go again)

DCH: Hello, my name is Bob from DCH, Debt..... (inaudible)....., I see from our records that you have outstanding unsecured debts, is that true?

Me: Interesting, can I have you company name again please?

DCH: Debt Consumer Helpline, D....C.....H.....

Me: Ahh, ok thank you, what is your phone number?

DCH: I am sorry Mr Je*******, It is against policy to give our phone number..

Me: ....you are a helpline and don’t have a phone number, do you know what a helpline is?

DCH: (Agitated) Mr Je*******, if you will stop interrupting me and listen to me, I cannot give you our number, do you have unsecured debts?

Me: You have just told me so....

DCH: I did not tell you, I asked if you had.....

Me: (Interupting and containing laughter)....let me get this right. You are a debt helpline and dont have a helpline number, you said I have unsecured debts, but now are asking me...can you hold on please? (I move the phone away and start to laugh

DCH Hangs up.


In short, good sport and fun to waste their phone bill on, but don't bother with ringing them for help, as they don't have a phone number!!!!


All the best savers

Pete

marleyboy

:T:T:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:BRILLIANT!!!!!!