How to cost DCAs dearly

FTW

I've had experience in working in the collections sector, and I couldn't get out soon enough.

Appalling working conditions, bad treatment and tight-fisted bosses (including instances where payment to its own employees was delayed!) were some of the reasons why.

But above all, it was the morality of such a job that caused me to find something (anything!) else.

Before I did, I thought I'd share some tips on how to make a DCA's job much more difficult and much less profitable.

One of the first ideas I had was Youtube, and doing various 'dcamaggots' advice clips.

There's nothing in them that seasoned forum posters won't already have heard - these were for people who have little to no experience of debt companies, and to let them know that help WAS widely available and without cost.

After all, 'know your enemy' and he can't hurt you.



1. Whocallsme is an excellent way of 'checking up' how certain companies operate. After all, you receive a phone call - you're part of the public - and you want to find out how others in the same boat feel about that company.

2. If the DCA in question has a freepost address - and some do - then house bricks or sand represents an excellent opportunity to cost them. Letters sent back marked 'RTS' is another good way, but it may be worth putting something else to weight the envelope down a bit more. However, some DCAs won't take returned mail - this is why some companies continue to send mail out even if the first one was marked 'Unknown'.

3. DCAs suffer an extremely high turnover of staff, so they're continually taking on. This MSE thread will give their HR staff a few more CVs and covering letters to sift through :-

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2630367=

4. Putting stamps on correspondence upside down or at weird angles also causes the recipient company problems. They'll get a stern letter from Royal Mail if they continually have to deliver such mail to this company.

5. Investing in Truecall or another telephone filtering system effectively renders phone communication useless for them.



If anyone else has more ideas, then feel free to contribute and discuss.

DarkConvict

I can only think of adding in if they breach OFT guidelines, then report them to the OFT. Im sure the OFT must investigate and this costs them time and money.

FTW

Well, most DCA letters do specify credit card as being an acceptable form of payment.

That falls foul of the 'not encouraging further borrowing' guideline, and is enough to merit an OFT complaint.

chuckley

I surprisingly randomly got an email job ad to become a DC. i could NEVER do that job.

FTW

Unfortunately, I DID do that job and almost instantly wished I hadn't.

In my defence, I didn't know anything about the industry prior to taking the job, and I was desperate at the time.

Then, I found out how immoral it was and even if I was offered a 7-figure sum and was absolutely penniless (which I'm not), I still wouldn't get back into it.

hullight

FTW wrote: »

Putting stamps on correspondence upside down or at weird angles also causes the recipient company problems. They'll get a stern letter from Royal Mail if they continually have to deliver such mail to this company.

When you were working there would this have actually bothered you? Would any of your suggestions bother you?

You sound a little bit mental.

LBaum

This also breaches quite a few laws as well.

Isn't it better to find solid legal ways to stand your ground . I'm sure if you were in court against a DCA and they produced the brick you sent them in the post, to the judge during the hearing, it would not bode well for you .

Once DCA has got you angry and doing stupid things they have the upper hand.

Debt is stupid enough . We allowed someone the upper hand. It is our fault and we should learn.

I want to eat baked beans and live unfetted and free, not be angry
and play someones manipulative games for the rest of my active life.

A DCA is like a cancer . It is part of the debtor . They are constructed from our actions decisions and debts. We are responsible for their existence as a much as a smoker is for his or her damaged cells.

Like the way a patient learns to love and forgive a cancer. I shall treat my DCA.

It improves the survival rate in some cases by reducing stress and anger.

Slightly weird reply?- which is the most effective strategy- calm understanding approach to people with greed gnawing them inside out, ( they can't help it until they learn not to be like this ) or sending them sand in the post which they can produce as evidence against you and they can laugh about as they drive back from that court in the 40 grand car you are helping pay for?

Mrs_Ryan

I used to work in recoveries for Capital One - I had one of the highest collections rates in the entire department at one stage (beating people who had been there for years) Why? I was nice to people. I had been in debt myself - in fact less than a year before I had been homeless and penniless, on the verge of a breakdown and being hounded for debts I had no hope of repaying.
I tried to use a little humanity and common sense and in return I got results. I wasnt soft but neither was I nasty. I have had to deal with a fair few DCA's since I left and I have found some (the dreaded CapQuest and Lowell believe it or not) to be quite nice - I had a fantastic supervisor from CapQuest give my bank (NatWest) a right royal rollocking when their payment was messed up and I had some phone monkey from Lowell more or less grovelling to me when I rang once - v funny!! and others (yes I mean you 1st Credit :mad:) who were absolute nightmares to deal with and we had to take advice from the local constabulary about.
At the end of the day, if someone's got nothing then how are you going to get blood out of a stone? I saw some desperately sad cases and I dont understand why these companies think if they are horrible to someone, who for example has a relative dying of cancer, or have been through some traumatic event then they are magically going to pull money out of nowhere. I have no sympathy with the clear 'wont pays' and yes I was harder on them but manners cost nothing!

WRINKLES

Anything that is not illegal , we can do to financially harm any of these vile corrupt companies would be a way of turning the tables on them , it would make someone feel much better if they had been hounded for a debt that was not theirs, or was statute barred, or unenforceable , they deserve all the financial pain anyone can legally inflict on them .

Marisco

Mrs Ryan, you've hit the nail squarely on the head!! There is no reason for these people to be nasty, but unfortunately, if it's like all call centres, and the one I worked in (nothing to do with debt) it's all about targets!:mad: You are given targets at the "team meetings" and are expected to reach them!! If not, there is an "inquest" as to why you didn't!! Also you get bonuses dependant on results, so most don't care about the actual person at the end of the phone!! Results are all they care about, forgetting that there are actual people in distress!! It's in everyones interest to come to an amicable agreement, that won't happen whilst they continue to put targets before people:mad:

FTW

"When you were working there would this have actually bothered you?" - Would what have bothered me?

"Would any of your suggestions bother you?" - Not me personally. I was never struck on the job, but others there were almost fanatical about it to the point of being obsessed.

"You sound a little bit mental." - Judging by some of the advice you've given out to others in the past, it's better to be mental than judgemental.