Nonsense from debt collector

Loretta

My son who is 21 got a capital one credit card, against my advice, spent £900 on it on nothing and was then stuck. We discussed it and contacted them and despite many conversations and letters from them saying they wanted the whole lot in one go, he offered a small regular amount he knew he could pay, and I helped pay a little occasionally to encourage him and despite them saying they refused the offer he kept on paying it and has now got it down to about £150.

During all this he continued to receive letters and phone calls from Capitol One and Capquest threatening court, visits etc but just kept on going with the regular payments.

He then received a letter from Capitol One a couple of weeks ago from Capitol One to say they were pleased with him and he could start his credit card again and gave him a credit balance for £750 including the £150 still owing. They have worked out that he does pay eventually and there is a chance of making money out of him. He has learnt and is not going to have a credit card again and is not at all impressed by Capital Ones behaviour through all this and for the appallingand harrassing behaviour of their debt collectors Capquest. I have been reading this site carefully to make sure I know what to do and have also reported it to Trading Standards who were very interested.

Despite all this Capquest continue to phone several times a day and continue to send letters on an almost daily basis, the 2 obviously don't communicate. They phone during the day when he is at work, after so many phone calls surely they must have realised that he is not at home during working hours. Luckily reading this site we took no notice when they were threatening and tried to make him pay it all at once - from what - and for him to take another loan to pay it, he just kept on steadily paying, I am very pleased with him.

The funny bit was yesterday, Capquest phoned several times and I kept saying he is not here, he is at work during the day, Capquest asked where he worked! as if I am going to tell them that, I have read on here the awful time people have had when debt collectors phone at work. I said I would not tell them and Capquest told me

IF I ASK FOR THE NAME OF THE FIRM HE WORKS FOR, BY LAW YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THE NAME OF THE FIRM UNDER THE RULES OF THE COMPANIES ACT!!!!!!!

I hope that anyone who is really worried about persistant and harrassing debt collectors and the stories they spin and the threats and harrassment they throw at you will read this silly remark and realise that these people will say ANYTHING to try and con you.

We must all make sure exactly what our rights are, anyone can always ask on here there are so many helpful people with loads of information, and stop these awful people making out lives a misery

---lee---

Loretta_Tucker wrote:

IF I ASK FOR THE NAME OF THE FIRM HE WORKS FOR, BY LAW YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THE NAME OF THE FIRM UNDER THE RULES OF THE COMPANIES ACT!!!!!!!

I've not heard of that one before. A company has to give it's trading adr and names of directors if requested.

Anyway, you don't have to even speak to them, let alone give them information. It's not your debt. If they call when your son is not there just tell them he's not in and hang up.

I know you are only trying to help your son but at 21 it would probably be an idea if he took responsibility for himself financially. It seems to me that you are taking on responsibility for his debt and therefore mitigating it for him. Why should you be harassed over his debts, this is something he should be able to sort out himself. Obviously I don’t know the circumstances. If your son has special needs or something then that’s a different matter.

From 18 onwards, I have managed my own finances and I would have been embarrassed to ask my parents to help me out.

Loretta

---lee--- wrote:

I've not heard of that one before. A company has to give it's trading adr and names of directors if requested.

Anyway, you don't have to even speak to them, let alone give them information. It's not your debt. If they call when your son is not there just tell them he's not in and hang up.

I know you are only trying to help your son but at 21 it would probably be an idea if he took responsibility for himself financially. It seems to me that you are taking on responsibility for his debt and therefore mitigating it for him. Why should you be harassed over his debts, this is something he should be able to sort out himself. Obviously I don’t know the circumstances. If your son has special needs or something then that’s a different matter.

From 18 onwards, I have managed my own finances and I would have been embarrassed to ask my parents to help me out.

I do say he is not in and hang up but they phone several times a day, this is about the first time I have entered into a conversation, on Friday, as they had phoned about at least once an hour from about 8.30am until 9.0pm

I know what you mean but he has taken responsibility, we nearly all make this mistake with a loan or credit card and I am pleased that after just once he has got the message. I have just advised him from what I know and what I have read on this site. He has realised his mistake and as I said he has nearly paid it off, it did seem a long slog and I didn't mind encouraging him once I knew he had got the message and was trying hard

He was phoning them every Friday when he got paid to pay the amount he had offered and every time they would say they would not accept this amount and give him a really rough time, and he would phone them several times until he got someone who just took the payment without any comment, sometimes phoning as many as 8 times. I spoke to them and said that he was trying to pay but I could understand if he gave up because every Friday he had to speak to someone rude and threatening which I thought was unnecesary and would put anyone off. Since then he has been paying by internet banking so that he does not have to speak to anyone and I do know from the statements that he has been paying and that they have received the payments. I don't know why these people have to be so nasty just for the sake of it. I suppose that this is one of the qualifications for the job.

What I was trying to say is that Capital One now seem satisfied but they seem to have forgotten to tell Capquest the debt collectors they instructed and they are being a real nuisance. My son has done what he should have been doing but he could not have had more hassle if he hadn't bothered to pay at all.

Every time they phone I just say he is not in but they phone constantly. On Friday I was in all day trying to do something and was constantly disturbed so for once I entered into conversation saying he was not in and I did not know when he would be. Then they asked for an alternative number for him. They would not leave a message or say what they wanted, although I know, and I asked them that as they phone all day and all evening and have not got hold of him could they stop phoning and write instead. and I was told they could not give me any information and only he could tell them to write but they would probably carry on phoning anyway. I said that this phone was MY phone and number and they must know by now that they will not find him on it and I considered it harrassment for them to keep phoning MY phone number, knowing they will not find him in and will they stop and they said no they would continue. What I have been doing today, they have once again phoned continuously is to say hello and then when I know it is them I just put the phone down on the side and walk away until it makes that funny noise. As soon as I replace the handset they phone again. What else can I do. If they are resorting to lies and don't mind phoning about 15 times a day I don't suppose they will listen to anything I say about the nuisance.

I would be grateful for any advice. He has nearly paid his debt and at 21 has a straightforward life with no worries. Someone who has debts they cannot pay plus all the other problems with children, husbands illness etc that crop up in life must really suffer, if they have several debts and have this level of contact from every debt I really do not know how they survive the constant harrassment it really must destroy them.

wigginsmum

Can you screen your calls, let it go to answerphone and hear their voice before picking up?

Jules

Loretta

While I was posting just now they rang and I answered and said he is not here. Since then they have phoned again, I answered and I said he's not here, do you know how many times today your firm has phoned, and he said no, and I said 18 times, it is too much, he said it wasn't me I have only just come on, I said again your firm has phoned 18 times today, it is too much and I am find the calls intrusive, he said when will he be in, I said I don't know and he said I will phone again and put the phone down. I have a caller display but all it says is number withheld, I am self employed and earn my living from the phone. If I don't answer they leave a message and the message thing gets full up.

elisebutt65

By simply even talking to you about your sons debt - they are breaking the data protection act - they are not supposed to talk to anyone apart from him. - You can take the tone that this works both ways and you can't give out his work details as this is breaking the DP - lol

Seriously though - this is harrasssment - pure and simple, i would get down to trading standards ASAP and the CAB - they must be stopped from doing this.

Harassed_2

Suggest you drop a line to Trading Standards in Hampshire, who are investigating Crapquest. Address here, they are very interested in stories about this lot.

The Manager,
Regulatory Services,
Mottisfont Court,
High Street,
WINCHESTER
SO23 8ZE

---lee---

I'm sure you can get a call barring service from BT, but that probably only works if the number is not withheld.

BT also offer another service which stops withheld numbers from getting though, but that could affect your biz.

Could be worth giving BT a ring to see what they can offer? I know it's not a solution but it could be a quick short term answer.

keith_lard

I have got Caller display (free) from BT also 'anonymous caller reject' anyone who withelds there number can not get through (your phone wont even ring) :beer: and I also have BT's 'choose to refuse'

If Capital one do get through I press 14258 then ** and that number is now BLOCKED from ringing me! :snow_laug :snow_laug :snow_laug

Not had a phone call of any Collections agencies for about 6 months now!

All my accounts are going through CCCS. :santa2:


K. :xmassign: :xmastree: :xmassign:

Loretta

keith_lard wrote:

I have got Caller display (free) from BT also 'anonymous caller reject' anyone who withelds there number can not get through (your phone wont even ring) :beer: and I also have BT's 'choose to refuse'

If Capital one do get through I press 14258 then ** and that number is now BLOCKED from ringing me! :snow_laug :snow_laug :snow_laug

Not had a phone call of any Collections agencies for about 6 months now!

All my accounts are going through CCCS. :santa2:


K. :xmassign: :xmastree: :xmassign:

I can't have all number witheld calls blocked because I get most of my work phone calls from big firms and they are nearly always witheld because they go through some sort of switchboard. I will do that number thing next time they phone and I will call Trading Standards and the Hampshire one on Monday. What annoys me most of all is apart from them not catching on that they are not going to reach him during working hours, I would have thought that after months of maybe average 12 phone calls a day they may have realised that, perhaps this shows the level of intelligence that seems to be a qualification for this job, but that it is a complete waste of time, the debt is more or less over, Capitol Gold ar happy, what can Capquest gain, it seems a waste of their resources. I must be terribly frightening for someone in real trouble, I can understand how people commit suicide over this harrassment. As I said apart from this my son's life is problem free, it is not a secret he told me about this and asked me how to deal with it, and then did deal with it and if things got really heavy, court etc, I would pay this odd £150 for him, lend it to him.

It is the sheer inefficiency of these firms that amazes me. He only has this one debt, if you had multipe debts each seperate one doing this it would make you ill.

---lee---

Loretta_Tucker wrote:

I must be terribly frightening for someone in real trouble, I can understand how people commit suicide over this harrassment. As I said apart from this my son's life is problem free, it is not a secret he told me about this and asked me how to deal with it, and then did deal with it and if things got really heavy, court etc, I would pay this odd £150 for him, lend it to him.

It is the sheer inefficiency of these firms that amazes me. He only has this one debt, if you had multipe debts each seperate one doing this it would make you ill.

As you need your phone for your business, it may be worth lending your son the money to pay this off - if you can afford it.

You seem certain that he has learned his lesson – I’m sure you can reinforce how much stress, hassle and worry this has caused you. Hopefully, that will prevent any repeat episodes.

That would get them off your back and you can get on with enjoying Christmas without having to worry about them. After all, it seems to be your that’s getting all the hassle, not your lad.

:xmassign: