Credit Security Limited

Curly_haired_lass

Hello all

Before I make an online payment, I wanted to see if I could have some advice first please. I pay £6.39 per month to CSL for an old credit card debt with Lloyds TSB Bank. I pay by cheque when I get paid each month. The last 2 months cheques have not been cashed. I've only noticed this by going back through bank statements after receiving a letter from CSL in which they've said "documents for legal action are now being prepared by my department and if judgement is obtained, this could:
cost you money, prevent you obtaining further credit. Send a payment IMMEDIATELY to stop this action being taken." I then went through my bank statements and saw that the 2 most recent cheques have either not been received or not yet been cashed. I was going to make an online payment but am worried that by having my debit card details they will take more money than I'm wanting to pay (I'm going to pay the outstanding 2 monthly payments of £6.39) and then I'm worried that the 2 cheques I've sent will also be cashed. This doesn't sound a lot of money but it's a week until pay day and I'm working my bank balance right down to the last penny. Can anyone help with my query which is a bit of a ramble, sorry.

Thanks

mr.ton

The question is...why are you paying these clowns anything in the 1st place?
They have no legal authority to any money off you - only a county court does.
Once you start paying the scumbag DCA's, this is type the treatment you can expect off them "we havent received payment blah blah blah...."
If you have got proof that you made these payments then i would consider reporting these rogues to the authorities.
Until no circumstances give them your debit card details.

Curly_haired_lass

Thanks for your advice Mr Ton. From my feeble memory, this was the result of a CCJ I think and this is the payment I have agreed to pay. My memory is pretty sketchy to be honest, but I know that this debt did go to Court. I think it might have been passed from one debt collector to another over the years (and it was about 10 years ago) but I've always maintained my payments and I don't just want to stop paying now as I don't want to cause myself more stress and upset. Sorry, I should have mentioned this in my original post.

Thanks

Hannah_10

When you say online payment, can you be a bit more specific about what type?

Setting up a standing order or doing a one-off online bank tranfer are fairly safe. Setting up a Direct Debit or giving them your debit card details is unsafe, as Debt Collection Agencies are often guilty of taking payments you didn't authorise.

Did you send your cheques signed for?

Curly_haired_lass

Hi Hannah

I always signed my cheques and wrote my account number on the reverse. I'm just surprised the last 2 haven't been cashed as this has never happened before. The cynic in me is wondering whether this is a ploy in order to start sending heavy handed letters? I was going to pay online on the CSL website which is listed on their letterhead but this would involve giving my account number, security code etc and I posted my original query based on my nervousness in terms of whether they will try to take more money at another time if they have my details. I'm just worried that I may send yet another cheque in the post which they may also not receive/say they've not received.

Thanks

Hannah_10

No no, I didn't mean did you sign the cheques, I meant when you put them in the post, did you just send them with a normal first class stamp on, or did you send them so the postman makes them sign a handheld machine thing to say they have had your letter delivered to them?

And yes, they can SAY they didn't get them, but if you use signed for postage then you can PROVE they did. They know this, that's why it's worth sending things by signed for post, because it's amazing how few letter get lost then!

All you do is just go to the post office with your letter and say you want it sent signed for. They sometimes ask what sort of signed for as there is an expensive kind and a cheap kind but I can't remember the names, so I always just say the cheaper kind or the 74p kind, because it's 74p more than a normal stamp. The first time you do this ask the post office person to draw a ring round the tracking number and another ring round the web address. Then you will be able to easily find those things, and you will be able to look at who signed for it, their signature and what time it was and you can even print it out if you want.

If I were you I would cancel the previous cheques by asking your bank to (they will be able to) and then send another letter, with a new cheque in it for the last 2 months payments. In the letter I would just say something really simple like...

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I noticed you have not cashed the cheques I sent you on [date] and [date], so for security reasons I have cancelled them and will now be sending every cheque by signed for post. Please find enclosed a fresh cheque dated [the date on the cheque], for £12.78. This cheque replaces the two cheques you have not cashed. I have kept a copy of it and a copy of this letter, which is also something I will be doing for every payment from now on.

Yours Faithfully".

You need to keep a copy of every letter that you send them and every letter they send you and you need to write down what the cheque number was, or even better make a photocopy of the cheque (most post offices and all libraries have a photocopier you can get stuff copied with, they usually charge 10p-20p a photocopy). Keep all your things that are about this debt in the same folder, you can get folders really cheap in supermarkets.

Doing what I just said protects you because it means if they take you back to a court you can show the judge that you did send payments and the payments got there, the DCA have just not cashed them. Then the DCA will be in a lot of trouble and you will not, because the rules for DCA's say they're not allowed to be so unfair. The DCA know what the rules are and they know when the judge will punish them or tell them off, so they are never going to take you to court if they think they will be in trouble not you.

That's good news for you because it means either 1: They will have to cash the cheques or 2: There isn't anything they can do (except make threats).

It is very important to remember DCA's are terrible liars and will still SAY they can take you to court and all sorts of other horrible things. They might say they can send someone to take your stuff away, or that you have to pay them more, or that you can't have money for essential things like clothes and feeding your dog until you have paid them. They are lying. They mostly like you to phone them because they can tell bigger lies on the phone than they would ever dare write down in a letter. They still send lying letter though, just not as bad as thier lying phone calls. So never ever talk to them on the phone. If they phone you say you're not going to answer thier security questions and if they have anything to say to you they should put it in writing, then hang up. Actually if you want to you can scream abuse at them, or pretend to be having a heart attack or a massive poo, or anything you want! You do not have to be nice to them or to co-operate, there is no rule that says so (they lie about that too).

I definately think paying them on the internet is a really bad idea in case they use your details to steal money you didn't say they could have. It happens a lot.

Curly_haired_lass

Hi Hannah

Thanks so much for such a helpful and informative reply. You have given me lots of food for thought. I'm sure the post office is open on a Saturday morning so I'm going to handwrite a letter tonight, in the style you've advised, and send it with a cheque for both amounts signed for. Apologies for misunderstanding what you meant by signed for!

I will do this for each and every future cheque as I agree with you that this may be a tactic by CSL.

Thanks again for helping me with this dilemma, hope you have a great weekend.

PNPSUKNET

I dont think either party is in the wrong, as the cheques were never cashed it proves they never got them. Any dca would cash a cheque if recieved.

DVardysShadow

PNPSUKNET wrote: »

I dont think either party is in the wrong, as the cheques were never cashed it proves they never got them. Any dca would cash a cheque if recieved.

I think you are gullible. If I worked for a DCA and wanted to be devious this is exactly what I might do - NOT cash several cheques and then panic the debtor in to sending more funds. Once I had received the funds, I would then cash the cheques - leaving the debtor with a very depleted bank balance.

OP, if you do send more funds, get the cheques stopped first.

Curly_haired_lass

Hi all

Thanks for the replies. I was concerned about this as I've never had any problems with my cheques being cashed each month by CSL and also, I had posted a thank you card to a friend with one of the cheques which she acknowledged so I thought it was strange for 2 cheques to have gone missing. I took Hannah 10's advice and wrote a letter which I photocopied with cheque for both amounts on cheques not received/cashed at post office this morning. I then posted letter recorded delivery which should hopefully be received Monday/Tuesday next week. I then went straight to my bank and asked them to cancel both cheques outstanding. I put in my covering letter that I would be sending all future payments by recorded delivery so this doesn't happen again.

Feel like I'm less worried about this now and more in control. Thanks again for advice and taking the time to reply. This is a great forum.

jules48

Hi
This is my first post to this forum.
I have EXACTLY the same problem as the original poster.
On checking my bank account I found that my last two cheques to them had not been cash despite having no problems before.
I also received the same letters demanding payment.
I thought that perhaps they had moved but it just appears to be a new tactic they are using.
Like the original poster I was concerned about them saying I had not paid so I paid again using one of their Giroslips at the Post Office.Big mistake as there was a £2.50 charge!
Great idea about using signed for post so I will do that in future.
How strange that two of us have the same problem at exactly the same time.
Do you think that Credit Security are up to something fishy??