Global

notinhiding

Hi
I am new to this forum and would like to know if there are any other people who have had any experience of a company called Global? I am not sure what they do as the man on the phone gave two business types - one was it was a serach company and then he said it was a collection agency.
He was very rude and aggressive and would not let me ask any questions and would not give me any iformation nless i gave him my past addresses, current address and DOB. I wanted more information but he wouldnt give it> Iaskd who regualted the company and he said the office of fair trading. The rudeness from him went on for 10 mins and in it he claimed i was in hiding!! Anyway he is going to send a private dcetive to follow me!
I have spoken to the office of fair trading who said to ignore the calls as they are classed as nusance calls and wait until i get something through the post.
Has anyon else been approched like this?

phil80

It will be a debt collection agency trying to scare you into paying something just do as you did and dont give them any information tell them to write to you if they have your address if they dont just dont answer their security questions. They might just be fishing to see if you are the person they are looking for.

The two business types are a people tracing company (they will look through the phone book and call 50 people of the name they looking for hoping to try and find the right one.)

Hannah_10

Not from this company but yes, I have had similar experiences. Disturbing aren't they, you have my full sympathy.

There is a sector of the DCA (debt collection agency) industry that buys up unenforcible (A.K.A. statute barred) debts. These are debts which can not be enforced, meaning no one can make the debtor pay them, they can't appear on your credit file and they'll never go to court. The law says any debt that has gone for more than 6 years without payment/ackowledgement is unenforcible.

At that point you'd think the DCA's would go away, after all we have one law for all and that includes them eh? Er no. Some persist (illegally). It's a high risk high return business as they buy the debt for a tiny percentage of its face value and then they try to collect on it in the hope the poor soul they harass doesn't know thier rights or is petrified by the hollow threats. Sometimes it works too, imagine how scary it'd have been if your Granny got that call not you! It obviously works often enough or the industry would have collapsed.

If you're reading this thinking "yeah but Hannah I would know if I had un unpaid debt and I don't" then get this for low down and dirty... If Mr Joe Bloggs has disappeared and is uncontactable they'll go on a little "fishing" trip. They get the phone book, or the electoral roll, or information from the CRA's (credit reference agencies) and start phoning up all the J. Bloggs in the local area. If no Joe Bloggs leads are bearing fruit, lets try Jo Bloggs, or Joe Bleggs, or what about even Joseph Bliggins... So in all liklihood it's not even your debt!

The advice you received is right, tell them to f*** off if they call back and wait and see if you get a letter. Any company with real business with you will write. Well done for not scaring and giving them lots of information about you, the more they know the more inaccurate links they make and the more other debts that aren't yours you get hounded for. Even if anything does come with your name on it, unless you are 100% sure that it's yours fair and square and the amount is exactly right and hasn't been inflated by even a penny come back and ask us for advice. At that point someone will show you to the template letters thread, the prove-it letter being the first port of call.

If the phone call has frightened you please reassure yourself no one will follow you, no one will come to your house, it's all scare. Without scare these ars*holes have nothing. Make a deliberate decision not to be frightened and come back as often as you need to us, we've been round this block too. There are lovely template letters for stopping phone calls too if needs be, although I doubt you'll hear from them much again. Perhaps another call, maybe even two if it's a really juicy lead they're chasing. Just remember it's your phone, no law in this land to prevent you being as rude, unhelpful and ignorant as you want to incomming callers. You don't have to answer the questions (they will lie and tell you otherwise sometimes, watch out for that), no one has a right to your information, you can and indeed you should tell them where to stick it and hang up... That's if you answer at all (caller display is a wonderful thing).

Any more aggro, at all, of any kind, feel free to come back and ask us.