Dealing with debt collectors

lulasam

Hi

My boyfriend has debts of 28,000. He initially dealt with his debt problems by using a debt management company who charged him £25 a month to pay his creditors. In February he decided he wanted to take back control of his debts and manage his creditors himself, we went to the CAB and got advice on how to do this, completing a budget planner and sending letters to each creditor stating the change and that payments had increased.

He received a text message last Friday asking him to call a debt collection agency, it turns out Natwest has sold one of his debts on. He contacted the agency today and was told he needed to pay the debt in full by Wednesday. He received a letter over the weekend stating that another one of he debts has been sold to another debt collection agency, whom as yet he has been unable to contact.

We are stuck at what to do next, the agency he has been able to get hold of were not accepting of his current pro rata payments of his debts. He has told them that he is unable to pay the money. He will also be unable to pay the other agency if they start demanding money.

We just don't know what to do next, please help

BigCraigJohn

Just wait till they write and write back to them informing them that you will continue to repay x pounds a month as you were before.
Texting is not acceptable.
Its all muscle flexing and intimidation and they are having the desired affect by making you worry about how you are going to repay.

fermi

As said, debt collectors will nearly always do this.

Standard tactics. Demand in full at first, and be unreasonable until it's absolutely clear they aren't going to get anywhere with useless threats.

Then they will probably start to pay ball.

Don't talk to them on the phone. Keep it to writing. If possible pay them the monthly instalments he was previously paying, regardless of how much they moan.

lulasam

As yet we only have a letter from one of the debt collection agencies confirming that they have taken over the account. Who do we continue to make payments to? Do we do it by cheque? We don't even have the address of the text message agency.

Thanks for your help!!

fermi

lulasam wrote: »

As yet we only have a letter from one of the debt collection agencies confirming that they have taken over the account.

Until you receive conformation of that in writing, you are entitled (technically) to pay the original creditor.

In practice, possibly not a good idea as it could get messy.

Have you confirmed with Natwest that the debt has been passed on and who to? That may be advisable so at least you have that confirmed. I certainly wouldn't take the word/text from a debt collector as word enough.