Debt Collection Agencys Are They Immoral?

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

if people are getting abusive phone calls left on there answear phones they must inform the police especially if they are threatening,the police will and have to investigate an offence (which has taken place} and believe they do follow it up ,also contact the creditor and remind them they are reasponsable for the dca actions ,also make a payment you can afford and stick to it

manicdays

Xbigman wrote:

You are still welcome here manicdays. I'm just wondering how long you have done you current job? I couldn't help thinking 'nice person, I give them six months in that job'.
I don't mean that in a nasty way, more as a compliment.
Regards




X

I've been in the job for just over 8 months! Am still nice!

Lisa

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

good, if that is the case but i know i did some upleasant things in the forces well what some would say unpleasant ,now out of it i can reflect, im not ashamed ,but ive learned compasion,now i would not talk to people etc in the course of my job like SOME not all in the dca business they should hang there head in shame

LILLYBET

Tootsie Roll sounds too good to be true. Not criticising but if there were debt collectors and agencies out there who treated us out here with a little respect there would be less debt and less harrassment.

I have just "won" a little battle with an agency who collect payments for several catalogue companies. They have bullied and belittled me in various ways for 5 months and I tried to get support for a formal complaint about the way the staff behaved, talked to me on the phone, etc.

No agency ( Financial Ombusdsman, Financial & Leasing Association or FSA) could or would help. WHO CAN IN CASES LIKE THIS?
I wrote to the MD of the catalogue company and the MD of the payment agency. I withheld payments to get their attention to reply to me and all I got was more abuse on the phone but no replies to letters or requests. Just threats and demands. They did not honour an arrangement I had made a year ago about payments - and stuck to.

I had a bar put on my telephone and it stopped some of the harassment.

I stuck it out though and finally, (big sigh) someone took notice at Head Office after I repeated my complaints over and over again, and now the debt is cancelled.(£140)

The someone - a nameless, faceless someone did not really acknowlege that they have a problem with staff and made it seem as if the problems were all mine but the balance of the account is paid off now. These agencies do not like to be challenged or questioned and will just ignore you if you let them.

No, I am not a spendthrift - just tried to make ends meet and fell by the wayside.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

Yes I Agree ,no One Is Asking Dca To Be Lovey Dovey , All I Expect Is That They Provide What They Are Obliged To In Documentation And Stay With In The Law It Is Very Easy To Threaten And Intimidate People Down The Telephone ,my Answear Is To Deal With The Creditors Only Make A Payment You Can Afford And Stick To It If The Dca Are Reasonable And The Creditor Wants You To Deal With Them Fine ,my Rule If They Are Civil,polite,proffesional,and Provide What They Are Bound By Law To Do Then I Deal If Not Then I Simply Remove Them From The Chain,there Is An Horrendous Story On Here From One Debtor About The Abuse And Threats The Solicitor From My Place Viewed The Thread He Said The Poor Chap Should Have Brought In The Police Who Have A Duty To Investigate Recorded Messages And The Info Given In Them Would Have Been Easy To Trace Back To The Originator,etc,etc ,that Is Why I Have Never Threatened Or Been Abusive To Any Dca Who Contacted Me By Telephone After All It Works Both Ways ,so No Matter What, Any Dca Be Polite And Civil Then Hang Up, Any Abuse Threats Etc Keep A Record Etc And Make A Complaint

KingCanute_2

I had the misfortune of working as a credit card collector for one of the major UK banks - I only stuck the job for 6 months cos I needed work, money to pay the bills and couldnt find anything else at that time

I hated the job with a passion - most days I would go home so depressed and demoralised I would cry

We were taught a collection technique which used touchy feely open questions, making the customer feel at ease to spill his life story , leave a few moments to think about their answers while looking at their account history and then use the answers against people to make them pay

if you found out someone was in difficulty but they had a mortgage, we were trained to make them feel bad, about not paying the credit card and prioritising other debts, and wed threaten to sell their house, if they were working, we tell them well tell their employer to take the money from their wages. etc etc etc

Even customers with immaculate credit history were told wed like to help you today as we dont want this missed payment to affect your credit rating and stop you getting credit in future

I often had people calling me four letter names, in tears, threatening to wait for me outside the office etc etc etc

Some team members used to really enjoy this work - they are probably bailiffs or doorsteppers now - not the kind of people you want to go to the pub with after work

So yes - permanent collectors are ****holes, or maybe they have no conscience or are brain-dead, but some people end up doing it as a necessary evil

I walked out with no notice at the end of a particularly bad day - never went back - I had a letter from them saying they were sorry I had decided to leave and if I required a reference.... !! Not just the collectors who are ***holes then!

Oh yes - they can do all those things to you if you miss payment on your credit card - but this technique usually scares people enough to make them pay up the arrears so it doesnt go that far

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

theres a lady who works in a department where i work ok i get on well with her in genearal, but since we in our office have been going on this site it has caused some interest to the point people didnt think this type of stuff goes on ,well this lady stated she worked in the collection dept of a well known firm ,the amusing thing is she has been pulled up with reguards to her attitude agressive behavior to the public and in general she i would say is not a popular member of staff ok ill be blunt no one likes her ,she has since pointed out she would like to go back to her old job if it ever came up ,the joke is in the office, we should get her to contact capquest etc for an application form for work in the collection section she would probaly love going to work then ,so the quistion is ,was she like this before working in a collection dept or did working in a collection dept turn in to what many percieve to be not a very nice person hence her current dilema

LILLYBET

I have been reading even more of the posts on this and am horrified at what I am reading.
Managed to answer my own question though as I investigated this site even more and there were the addresses and details of who to contact for help. Wish I had seen this site earlier.
I shall be spreading the word as fast as I can. Most people I know have some sort of problem with debt, however small.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

thankyou to all of you who have contributed to this thread,it has proved to be very interesting and lively topic,
i think in the main if you find yourself in financial difficulty deal with your creditors as soon as you can
1,pay what you can afford
2,stick with that payment
3,if your situation inproves up your payments to another payment you can afford
4,most creditors will listen,be polite and calm discuss your situation
5,some creditors will pass you to there collection dept these in the main can be dealt with in the same way provide them with soa and your offer make the payment and stick to it
6.if the collection dept dont accept make the payment any way and stick to it.
if the creditor passes your debt on to a debt collecting agency ask the {dca for written confirmation its your right}, known in short dca...attempt to deal with them if they threaten ,intimidate ,are rude and abbusive,IF THEY HARRASS YOU AT WORK (DONT GIVE OUT WORK NUMBER)if they leave such messages on your answear phone make a complaint to the police they have to investigate (if dca break the law bring them to book)refuse to deal with them go back to the creditor ,and complain also complain to the oft in writing keep a record of phone calls and the things said
7,if a debt collector calls at your door ask him /she to prove the debt has been assighned to them its your right,(this is rare no matter what they say via phone or letter)offer the same amount and tell them you will pay via bank etc not a door step collector tell him you dont wish him to call again if need be escourt from your premises if he is abusive or threatening call the police
8,remember you have gotten in to debt you have not commited a crime .
9,remember the letters sent by dca are hollow threats they can only attempt to collect for the creditor they can not do anything else(hollow threats no matter what they say via phone and letter,they cant take your house ,they cant do an attachment of earnings ,they cant force you in to court its hollow threats as my employees solicitor stated a load of old tosh,
10,if the creditor takes you to court make the same offer of payment fill out the courts soa and stick to the payments dont ever miss one and pay on the due date
11,allways try and sort things out try and not let it go to the balliffs as then it in many cases has gone to far but to be transferred to them it has to have gone to court remember if it hasnt gone to court balliffs CAN NOT GET INVOLVED.
if your debt is sold to a dca ask for written confirmation he has bought the debt also ask for the credit agreement its your right again make an offer and stick to it dont let them trick or bully you in to giving more than you can afford if threatened call the police make a complaint...you have the right..
12,REMEMBER 95%OF PEOPLE IN DEBT HAVE GOT IN TO IT THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES AND MOST WISH TO PAY THERE DEBTS OFF NO MATTER WHAT THE DCA TELLS YOU ,YOU ARE NOT WORTHLESS,YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED ,YOU ARE NOT EVADING YOUR DEBTS,
REMEMBER it is not the end of the world it is only debt in many cases unsecured debt,in most cases we can all sort it out ,in serious cases some may need to go bankrupt again put it in to perspective lifes going to awkward for a while so be it
REMEMBER YOU & FAMILY COMES FIRST YOU ,THE DEBTS COME SECOND,YOU DO EVERYTHING WITH IN THE LAW TO KEEP THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD,AND YOUR FAMILY HAPPY AND SAFE ,AND THAT INCLUDES FROM HARRASSMENT ABUSIVE PHONE CALLS ETC FROM SOME DCA
REMEMBER YOU WILL SEE THE END OF YOUR DEBTS ,YOU DONT WANT PITY ,AND SOON YOU WILL BE DEBT FREE ,