Broke and cant telephone my creditors

AnneJ

Should creditors show some attempt at making it easy to communicate with their debtors?

I'm broke and cannot justify the cost of telephoning 08 numbers to discuss matters with my creidotrs.

Despite my letters advising them of this, none of them provide a landline number or free phone number for me to contact them. Nor is it possible to communicate with any of them by email.

I have been writing to them to negotiate concessions and discuss late/non payments. In each case they respond by asking me to contact them urgently providing an 08 number.

I respond by letter, again repeating that I am unable to call them on the number provided.

This is a slow and tedious process. What does everyone else do?

inmypocketnottheirs

FWIW I would keep a copy of the correspondence so that in the unlikely event of you being taken to Court you can show the Judge that you have attempted to correspond with these muppets.

uk-tyler

Have you tried https://www.saynoto0870.com ?
You can usually find a landline rather than an 08, sometimes even a free phone number.

PARIS_5000

AnneJ wrote: »

Should creditors show some attempt at making it easy to communicate with their debtors?

I'm broke and cannot justify the cost of telephoning 08 numbers to discuss matters with my creidotrs.

Despite my letters advising them of this, none of them provide a landline number or free phone number for me to contact them. Nor is it possible to communicate with any of them by email.

I have been writing to them to negotiate concessions and discuss late/non payments. In each case they respond by asking me to contact them urgently providing an 08 number.

I respond by letter, again repeating that I am unable to call them on the number provided.

This is a slow and tedious process. What does everyone else do?

Never call a creditor keep everything in writing.

Enterprise_1701C

I have found this irritating for some time - if someone asks me to contact them on a non-geo number I inform them that 09/08 numbers have been blocked from my phone and cannot use them. Amazingly, only about 50% of the time do they respond with a geographical number! I have no idea what the rest expect us to do though!

Just read above and agree - so long as you can get an address out of them, also send correspondence recorded delivery.

opinions4u

If they have branches, walk in and ask to use the branch phone.

If you have friends with unlimited minute mobile contracts that don't charge for various 08 calls (check first) then use a friend's phone.

You could even try a reverse charges call. This would cost you nothing, but take a couple of quid out of their profits.

Make notes for each call. Time, name of agent, what's been said. Ask for them to confirm in writing.

Some people would use this as an excuse not to bother. Don't fall in to that trap.

also send correspondence recorded delivery

While I agree, that would usually cost more than getting through on an 08 number and requesting an immediate call back!

Kimitatsu

Go to your local CAB and ask if you can use the phones there - or how about emailing them from the local library?

You are better to put things in writing rather than telephone as you are reliant on the creditor accurately recording the conversation.

chuckley

write a letter stating u will only deal with them by letter, that way its all recorded. they dislike this as wen on the fone they can scream, shout, swear and bully you and you have no 'proof'. stand ur ground and if they refuse to acknowledge the letters and try to take it further at least u have the recorded proof of what you've tried to do.

if u do ever happen to speak to them on the phone, write down ALL details. that way if they try to send letters stating the opposite, at least u can slam them with the call details. HSBC try this trick with payment plan set ups as they don't send out confirmation of them.

letters are more expensive in the long run, but it holds more weight than any 'phone call' details as they are all deleted after certain lengths of time.

motylek

AnneJ wrote: »

Should creditors show some attempt at making it easy to communicate with their debtors?

I'm broke and cannot justify the cost of telephoning 08 numbers to discuss matters with my creidotrs.

Despite my letters advising them of this, none of them provide a landline number or free phone number for me to contact them. Nor is it possible to communicate with any of them by email.

I have been writing to them to negotiate concessions and discuss late/non payments. In each case they respond by asking me to contact them urgently providing an 08 number.

I respond by letter, again repeating that I am unable to call them on the number provided.

This is a slow and tedious process. What does everyone else do?

Don't let them bully you. Just write and keep your correspondence.
I do think that these collecting agencies are sweat shops, probably employing students at minimum wage. Using 08 numbers generates extra income for them. so don't expect these companies to have a landline. Just write to them.

chuckley

also if you do phone them using a number they dont have, they will bombard you with calls whether the number is yours/a work phone or a friends phone. It doesn't matter to any of them, so remember to withhold your number. I phoned a DCA using a temp mobile number and i received texts and calls every hour until I wrote them a letter.

there's one DCA i phoned once that blocked all calls from withheld numbers. I *think* it was mackenzie as their awful and I wouldn't put it past them!

[Deleted User]

do you have or know someone who has BT option 1?if so 0845 and 0870 numbers are free