Im receiving constant calls to mobile and home to clear debts?

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For the last few weeks, Ive been recieving calls to both my home number and mobile number. ALL calls are from manchester, but all supposedly from indian call centres in reality. Today I received calls from a "claims advisory group" call centre, wanting me to start a claim with them. Ive never given my bank details to anyone, but they seemingly knew everything about me in general, with my previous loan and overdraft bank history! They asked for my bank loan reference number (which I stupidly gave), but I did not sign up to anything. They said they would send out a package to my address.

I got another call, also today, yet again manchester, and according to the "whocallsme" website, its another call centre, for Bains and Ernst. They are known, I think Ive seen them advertise on tv or magazine. Im guessing that ALL these indian call centres may work for more than one company, and share my bank and/or contact details as a result? Is it possible to stop these calls when they use multiple manchester numbers, or would I have to ban all manchester calls completely? I would not use any claims company when I can supposedly just fill in template claim letters and send them to my bank with my account history etc, but Im not sure if Im more or less likely to win a claim than by sending via another company or not?

thanks for any info regarding these call centres if possible, and if there is any genuine way to ban these calls, which im receiving every single day and what "claims advisory direct" can possibly get out of now having my bank loan reference number? thanks

Hannah_10

First things first, when did you last see Bently cars touting for business on the phones? Or what about Tesco supermarkets? They been ringing you lately? Probably not eh. Why not? Because those companies are successful enough at what they do to not need to hound down potential sources of revenue, cusomers will come to them with just the usual kinds of advertising. Any company that is cold calling you ought to be treated with callous suspiscion.

The debt industry, like all other business, exists to make a profit. Money must come in. It comes in from people like you, who are indebtd and overwhelmed. Of course now you're getting phone calls all hours of the day and night do you think you're more or less overwhelmed... Nasty little industry when you come to think about it isn't it, creating it's own demand by harrassing you through multiple Mumbai morons.

If you have a claim to reclaim PPI, or your loans might be unenforcible (and that includes unenforcible via statute barring), or you want to negotiate a debt management plan, an IVA (the services provided by debt firms) then you are a lot better off doing it yourself. It's actually not that hard to do any of the above once you get down to it, it's mainly printing and posting template letters. I have been known to pay people for things I didn't want to do (like fixing my vehicles and cleaning my bathroom)... I could never ever pay someone thousands of pounds for a bit of reading and a trip to the post office though. That's what you will end up paying. If you're really that stuck that you must have help, there are charities like the CAB, the CCCS, CAP and National Debtline who will gladly help you for nothing. The CCCS even does managing debts for you, I think CAP might too, not sure.

In addition to what a company could do for you are all the things they can't. They can't negotiate you a settlement offer (which people regularly use to get debts slashed to a quarter or a half). They can't go to court for you. They can't help you with insovancy if it comes to it. They're not going to deal with any taxation or HMRC issues. Oh man, the list of things they can't or wont do is seriously wearing to list!

What's more, pop yourself in your creditors shoes a sec. John says he's got £30 a month to pay you with and he can show you his SOA to prove it. Jim says he's got £20 a month, but he's gone through Fleecum & Scarpur Assoc. who you know are taking a tenner in fees, what's more one look at Jims SOA confirms this. Whose offer are you gonna accept and who are you gonna push for more?

The debt companies wont answer your phone for you either.

The only way I found to get shot of the bloody calls was to get call barring. They got my number because I told it to one of the companies I have an account with... who then told it to the credit reference agencies, who then told it to all and sundry. Nice eh! That's the way it is, nothing illegal about it (annoyingly).

barbiedoll

Register both of your numbers with the Telephone Preference Service, link here...

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

It takes around 28 days to come into effect but if the companies insist on calling you after that, tell them that they must take your number off of their systems otherwise you will report them to Ofcom.

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thanks for the info. there is more than one person at this address getting the same calls via house and mobile! so thanks to both of you, for the telephone preference service, and list of charities that can help sort out debts. I didnt realise there were so many of the latter, if they truly operate and can provide a schedule on how much, and when, to pay back any companies owed debts to, when I provide them obvious financial information ie salary and how often its paid, then that will help my friend to a fair degree.

I did not want to agree to either company, but the first one that called today decided to send out 'a package' to this address. I would never agree to any company outright offering to clear debts, especially if I have never heard of them, and if initially contacted by them over the phone. I dont blame foreign workers, in some contries this may be a good job and reasonable pay for them in an area with little work, but any uk company using foreign workers usually smacks of a small time company trying to keep its costs very low, hence make as much for itself as possible. The first caller today was very polite, but said sorry that could not hear my voice well "due to the radio" so im guessing it was something to do with the indian call centre quality (operating through the manchester line), or... perhaps he was working on his break! listening to music on india fm at the same time, lol. one or the other, but call quality to me was fine, I could not hear anything in the background...!

ps if there are so many charities out there offering to work out schedules on how much or when to pay back anyone that is owed, and how to reclaim any interest, who would generally be considered the "number one" to contact for each? I know reclaiming letters can be found on this very website, so that shouldnt be a major issue, but scheduling help via any charitable service would definately be the most useful for my friend. thanks very much for any further help if possible :cool: