Allied International Credit

Sandollar_2

I need advice on how to hand these people please.
The situation is as follows: today I was visiting another lady in my support group. She was very upset and finally I got her to tell me what was wrong. On Friday morning she got a call from a male representing AIC and asking about a credit card debt she had with RBS. This was a card she defaulted on in 2001 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was unable to keep up her repayments. From what she told me, when she was diagnosed and unable to work all her creditors with the exception of RBS worked with her and either wrote off or deferred payments until she was back to work. RBS passed the debt in 2002 to Westcot and she came to an agreement with them to pay £100 p.m. Her cancer came back last year and she again contacted Westcot to inform them and ask if she could take a break as she was on SSP and would be unable to meet the repayments. They refused, she stopped paying and heard nothing from them until Friday when she had a call from AIC.
Now this is the bit that makes my blood boil...the male who phoned identified himself as being from this company, told her it was about her debt with the RBS and then asked her how she intended to pay this. She went through telling him about her illness and that she wasn't working and couldn't pay. He asked about her income and if she was getting a pension from her employer and if she had any income due from her pension. She told me she told him the questions were too personal and she wouldn't answer them and he told her, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way, it's up to you" and hung up. She said he was very abrupt and rude.
Later that day she got a message from the Litigation dept of AIC left on her answering machine telling her to contact them immediately to avoid legal action.

She is very upset and doesn't need this stress so I said I would phone them tomorrow. So aside from a few choice expletives about their bullying tactics how do I deal with them for her? She is not disputing she owes this money and would pay it off if she could but basically she is now living hand to mouth on state benefits and yes she is claiming all the benefits she is entitled to.

Thanks for any help.

Headdown_2

Write to someone senior in the company and you will get a better response, also copy RBS in with all letters.

Addicted2Chocolate

but will they deal with you over the phone or in writing? i thought they could not because of the data protection act. I think you need to get her written authority that she can act on her behalf andf send it to them.

Broken_hearted

Is she sending a token payment in still?

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

write on her behalf tell them the token payment she IS GOING TO MAKE enclose the payment and send same date every month tell her to hang up if they phone and say by letter only thankyou,dont take any hassle from dca tell her she comes first get that in to her head, they can threaten all sorts but nothing all wind,cant do a thing only pay what she can afford she does not go with out tell her to stick her heals in they will get the message ,THEY CANT DO NOTHING remember that they rely on you being thick prove these halfwits wrong any probs call me reguards andrew

southernscouser

Tell them that all calls are now being recorded and if they threaten, bully or harrass this woman then you will be making an official comlaint to the neceassry authorities!

What a bunch of ******* *******! :mad:

Sorry! But they really ******* wind me up! :mad: Ooops, sorry again!

Sandollar_2

Thank you all for your replies. I didn't phone them today as she is still very upset. What we plan to do is phone them tomorrow and I will be on the extension phone. When she does all the security stuff she will tell them I can speak for her but she will still be on the line, hopefully this will get round the Data Protection Act if necessary. I intend to ask for their address and then act on the advice of The Lone Ranger and Southern Scouser.
As I said in the OP she really is on a meagre budget, would an offer of £1pcm be acceptable? Between her MacMillan nurse and myself we can work out her budget and can prove her income. If they accept this offer it will be such a relief for her.

Again, Thank you all so much, she is a lovely lady who in better times would be the first to offer help.

bosslady_2

DCAs are the scum of the earth!
If she's living off benefits, a token payment of £1 a month is perfectly acceptable.
Good luck!

Harassed_2

Be sure to tell them, that ALL telephone calls are recorded. Whether they are or not.