not sure what to do? mini update- advice needed!

NorthernLas

Flossie - Please stop frightening yourself about what the Lewis Group can or can't do. They actually cannot do very much and as for telephone calls or doorstep collection you can stop them doing it (they are regulated and must follow rules). Have a read about debt collectors, bailiffs and what you can do http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1837507.

Until the water company clear up what the charges are for and whether the DCA are working on their behalf or have bought the debt, you need to do no more.

flossieflipflop

ah congrats Hannah! And thanks again to you all for the advice.

I'm keeping records of all the letters I've sent in case they do take me to court and have sent another pleading letter to SWW to take the debt back (in light of the Lewis Group not responding to me or letting me pay in installments) so we'll see what they say.

Thanks again

Sunnylooloo

Hannah_10 wrote: »

Me neither so I ask for signed for at the Post Office and then if they say registered or recorded I say "the 72p one" as the cheap one costs 72p plus the usual stamp.

I am glad it is not just me!!!

Flossie - my water (in london) is not on a metre and I pay £35 over 9 months £315 per annum! I am now thinking myself VERY lucky!

Hannah_10

The Bert And Berts Trainee version....

"Letter and telephone collection

Utilises a portfolio of collection strategies designed to get results quickly and efficiently. COLOR=Magenta]Cor that sounds good doesn't it Bert...[/COLOR] yeah lets start it with that... [COLOR=Magenta]doesn't mean anything though...[/COLOR] yeah but they wont know that they're scared already... [COLOR=Magenta]hehe you are a genuis Bert![/COLOR We champion challenge various collection techniques and activities to ensure optimum results. [what does champion challenge mean Bert... Shhh you're not supposed to ask that] All collectors are highly trained in negotiation skills and in adopting the most effective collection approach for each debt type. [What do we teach them Bert?... Well as you know unless we can frighten them into giving the money we're stymied so phrases like "people like you make me sick" and "we're going to get a CCJ and take your house"... Yeah but Bert last time you tried that on Hannah she laughed at you... Yeah well most of them aren't Hannah... Hannah hasn't even got a house has she Bert... will you shut up about Hannah!... Sorry] We house a large library of letters, tested for their effectiveness and collection managers have the ability to swiftly introduce new letters, as required. [So is this like making it up as we go along and saving all the really scary letters then Bert... shh now, I'm serious, you make my head hurt]
Pro-active telephone calls are generally made with the use of our power dialler for optimum contact efficiency. [Can we get robot people to speak as well, can we can we, like those phone number in the paper, awww go on Bert let me... SHUT UP we're meant to be a serious company] Should no contact be made, the account will be returned to the next stage of the automated process, [oooh I like mmachines... ARGHHHH] either a further letter or onto the next phase of collection, namely litigation or doorstep recovery. [But Bert, what about if they've actually got a case, I mean, how about if they've been paying us or something... Yeah well then we just keep threatening... Oh I thought it was a machine again... It IS a machine, God I wish you'd shut up... Yeah but if it's a machine how come we don't take them to court when we'll lose... Because we'll lose dipsh*t!!!... Yeah but how does the machine know?... Shutupshutupshutup I'm going on a tea break]


Litigation and enforcement

Active members of the Civil Court Users Association, we have a team of experienced litigation clerks responsible for all aspects of legal proceedings. [So like what we're saying there then is we go to court... Yeah... Do we actually GO... well kind of, we have a sort a machine for that, we call it Sharon... I thought Sharon was a law student... She is and she owes us £8k... But that's slavery!... Have I not told you to shut up?] Utilising a highly selective process COLOR=Magenta]right so have we got a machine then for going to court, or a Sharon or a selective process... [/COLOR]*warning scowl*... [COLOR=Magenta]*gulps*[/COLOR supported by flexible enforcement options [ahh is that like making it up as we go along again... *silence*] and continued pro-active collection activities, [oh Bert you are so clever at words, you should do adverts *swoon*... *more silence*] we obtain optimum results from minimum outlay. [Ohh I think I'm getting it now Bert, so is that like we haven't got proper soliciotrs we've got Sharon and the scary people on the phones and some letters?... You're getting it at last]
We are believed to be the largest litigators within the debt recovery sector, COLOR=Magenta]are we?...[/COLOR] my Mum believes it, so therefore we ARE believed... [COLOR=Magenta]Aww Bert you're ace at this[/COLOR issuing in excess of 100,000 claims per annum, [so like when we say we issue claims, does that mean we follow them up, or are we just counting everyone we sent a "notice of intended" to?... There is hope for you yet I see] and have automated bulk issue arrangements with the CCBC in Northampton [when can I play with the machines???... *scowl*]. This ensures issue of claim within 48 hours for all England and Wales cases. [oooh so we can get them in court in 48 hours... no I didn't say that... Yes you did you said... I said "isues of claim"... ooh you did didn't you... I did yes... That's really misleading though... Yeah, good aren't I] We also have well established arrangements to litigate in Scotland. COLOR=Magenta]Have we?... [/COLOR]Define "established"... [COLOR=Magenta]Bert you're phenomenal[/COLOR


Doorstep collections

Our nationwide Doorstep Collection operation is a growth area within the organisation COLOR=Magenta]so like we're getting more people then... [/COLOR]you could say that, our staff turnover is hideous we always need more people... [COLOR=Magenta]so is it growing then?... [/COLOR]well we're recruiting... [COLOR=Magenta]ahhhhh I get it[/COLOR, consisting of circa 1,500 part-time, self-employed collectors [why do we do it like that then Bert?... they're cheap... yeah but doesn't that mean we haven't trained them properly and don't value them and also isn't it just an easy way to get out of paying them holiday money and maternity pay and things and so we can sack them if they're not scary enough... you say this like those are bad things?].
Where our in-house letter and telephone collection activities have failed, and legal action is not permitted or not deemed effective, we believe that cases should be transferred for doorstep collection, [I get it now I get it, when we've run out of all hope we send in Gerald and if he doesn't scare the hell out of them then we sack him and if he does and he gets us into trouble with the FOS or the OFT we just sack him, Bert I think I love you *swoon*... !!!! OFF get your hand off my knee!] which will ensure they are given every opportunity to repay their debt. [Oh so like Floss, we'll let her pay £2 a week then?... No you prat, we say things like that so Floss will blame herself and feel really bad and with any luck develop derpression coz people with depression go into a sort of helplessness and submit more easily to our demands... Yeah but like, well she's got a bump to feed and... Look do you want to be a debt collector or not... point taken- shutting up] Lack of telephone data for debtors would make this option appear very attractive and impact favourably upon collection performance. [What does that mean... It means we don't keep the phone calls if we don't like them, or the letters I just didn't say that... does it?... Well yeah sort of, well Ok actually no, it means if we can't hound them by phone we dunno what to do so we send in Gerald... Do we actually lose the phone calls and thier letters though... Well yeah stupid!]

Sunnylooloo

Brilliant Hannah!!!!!!

flossieflipflop

hahaha, well that's cheered me up!!

They just sound so mean boasting about intimidating people to pay, grrr I hate them already!

flossieflipflop

Oh forgot to add earlier, that since my last letter from Lewis Group which was recieved about a week ago I've had no contact from them - no phone calls or letters. Previously I had been getting a few calls a day and a letter every couple of days. Now do you think this means anything? Why would they suddenly stop harrassing me when I'm trying to sort out a payment plan?

Hannah_10

Either because they respect that you're starting a payment plan and they are giving you time to come up with a number (no, seriously, they really do sometimes play nicely, oi stop laughing!)

Or because it scares you.

flossieflipflop

I think more likely the latter! especially as they have ignored all my requests to pay in installments!! I've done a bit more research on them and apparantly they are owned by same parent company as welcome finance (who appear to have a terrible reputation) so can't imagine they are playing nice! Thought a utility company may use a nicer dca (if there's such a thing!)

Hannah_10

LOL so far they ARE a nice DCA, they're all muppets love, you get used to it. After a while it becomes about as scary as death threats from a 6 year old.