Calls from Creditors!

coppercounter

DVardysShadow wrote: »

You are not obliged to take telephone calls from anyone. You can insist that they deal with you in writing. If you have debt issues, you may feel quite low because of it, but speaking as a solvent person, the people who I think are the lowest are those who take jobs harrassing people in debt by telephone.

I think that is harsh. At the end of the day the people that make these calls are doing a job to get paid and pay their own bills. They're not being personal but they have to have a job too and the way things are, sometimes you don't have much choice. They don't get paid big salaries and are just trying to earn a living. They are following company procedure and it's the company you should be getting mad at.

Cumbrian_Male

coppercounter wrote: »

I think that is harsh. At the end of the day the people that make these calls are doing a job to get paid and pay their own bills. They're not being personal but they have to have a job too and the way things are, sometimes you don't have much choice. They don't get paid big salaries and are just trying to earn a living. They are following company procedure and it's the company you should be getting mad at.

Yes it is the company that people should get mad at but as an employee you still have to choose what you will or will not do to earn a living.

DVardysShadow

coppercounter wrote: »

I think that is harsh. At the end of the day the people that make these calls are doing a job to get paid and pay their own bills. They're not being personal but they have to have a job too and the way things are, sometimes you don't have much choice. They don't get paid big salaries and are just trying to earn a living. They are following company procedure and it's the company you should be getting mad at.

In taking a job, you have to put it up against your moral compass. That said, your argument is fairly universal. It extends to gas chamber minders too.

TWINKLE

Nick99 wrote: »

My advice is never, ever, talk to anybody on the phone. After all, would you trust them to record accurately anything you did offer?

Just put the phone down; make them write.

And don't believe anything Barclaycard say! They tried to claim my mother (93 years old) owed them £2500 even though she couldn't even remember ever having had a card and they pestered her too with aggressive phone calls. They refused to tell me what the alleged debt related to, saying if I didn't like it I could complain to the police! Finally settled it by offering them £25 or a court date with all the local press there.

Why spoil your day by wasting it talking to foul people?

Hi Nick - I haven't answered any of the phonecalls and nor has my husband - I have done the right thing and kept in touch with them all along. They will be getting double payment on 7 December and this will bring my account fully up-to-date, so there's nothing they can say to me over the phone that will change anything. Isn't it just as well we have the likes of MSE or we would all be intimidated by these people - I used to be, but not any more. When they start preying on the elderly that just shows they will stop at nothing!

TWINKLE

sidsmum wrote: »

I used to belong to a record club which billed me frequently for stuff I wouldn't have touched with a bargepole. Usually a letter stopped it, but I ended leaving the record club as soon as I could. I think they still tried it on.

On the other side, it used to be my job to telephone companies which hadn't paid my employers so I can see the other side (a bit). The tendency is to pester people who've offered to pay until some money comes through. Once you've paid something, you can take those calls and gleefully inform them of the fact. Sometimes money isn't picked up on bank statements, etc., and until the payer tells the creditor it can remain in limbo.. But I would write when you pay and inform them that the payment's been made.

Hi sidsmum - I have tried to send email messages to them, but for some reason I can't get registered onto the online service. I have tried on numerous occasions and even asked for new passwords. I will phone them as soon as I make the debit card payment - oh and probably send them another letter in the meantime!

TWINKLE

timmmers wrote: »

To be honest, if someone sensible ran a DCA they could make a nice amount of money just by being decent with folk.

They buy debts for a tiny % on the pound, so imagine if they contacted the debtor and said "Hi, we just bought your debt. You owed xxxbank 2000 quid, but as we bought the debt for much less we won't ask for that, we would like to help you pay us 500 in installments that you can afford, or you can pay 400 now and be rid of the debt completely."

If they didn't scare the willies out of people they wouldn't hide and the profits made would be fine compared with not getting anything from people as often happens now.

t

Hi timmmers - I find that any creditors or DCAs that I hav spoken to who have been pleasant and well-mannered have actually got more out of me than those who pester and intimidate. I can see their point, but not in the way they deal with people. Hide is exactly what everyone does when they recognise the DCA number showing up on their phone!

TWINKLE

There's a thought DarkConvict - they bully the people who do intend on paying at some point (albeit) a bit late into paying more than they should to cover the bad debts.

TWINKLE

coppercounter wrote: »

I think that is harsh. At the end of the day the people that make these calls are doing a job to get paid and pay their own bills. They're not being personal but they have to have a job too and the way things are, sometimes you don't have much choice. They don't get paid big salaries and are just trying to earn a living. They are following company procedure and it's the company you should be getting mad at.

I understand your point coppercounter, but these don't seem to be people who have just slotted into a job because they really couldn't get another one. They are well trained at pressurising/intimidating people to pay-up, often more then they should be paying. If they were reasonable about it there wouldn't be a problem, especially when I have given a date for payment - a double payment may I add, as the second will be early.

TWINKLE

Cumbrian_Male wrote: »

Yes it is the company that people should get mad at but as an employee you still have to choose what you will or will not do to earn a living.

Hi CM - I couldn't do a job like that - maybe you have to be a certain personality, like a dictator or a bully (joke!). I know that you can't tar them all with the same brush, but some are v cold-hearted.

TWINKLE

DVardysShadow wrote: »

In taking a job, you have to put it up against your moral compass. That said, your argument is fairly universal. It extends to gas chamber minders too.

LOL - very humourous DV and very well said!