Constant Phone Calls from Halifax!

vicky1234_2

I'm wondering if anyone can help me?

My husband and I are waiting for a creditors meeting in regards to an IVA. We have told Halifax (personal loan) that we are entering into an IVA, given them the details - they admit they have all of the details.

They are phoning 5 or 6 times a day even on saturday and sundays and also right up until 9.30 at night!

Are they allowed to do this? I can't tell them any more than they already know but they insist they have to still phone that many times a day - in case my circumstances have changed in the past two hours!!!

Does anybody else have this same situation?

sgx.saint

No, they are not allowed to do this and from what you describe they are in breach of certain regulations.

Below is a copy of a letter that I recently sent to a DCA that was hassling me unlawfully.

--


Despite my previous letter regarding ANY communication from your company, which stated that I require ALL communications in writing, your telephone calls continue. You have contacted on several occasions over this past week my parents address. I have not lived at my parents address for several years and I regard this communication as not only a breach of the Administration of Just Act 1970 but a potential breach of Data Protection Laws.

This behaviour constitutes harassment; the letter stated quite clearly to you that I require ALL communications in writing for future Court use. Do not telephone me again - remove any telephone numbers you hold for me from your systems.

Your telephone calls are in breach of the Office of Fair Trading guidelines. If you continue with them after the receipt of this letter an official complaint, together with a log recording the times and frequency of the calls will be passed both to that office and to the Trading Standards office. For your information note that ALL telephone calls are taped.

This type of debt collection method is contrary to the ‘Administration of Justice Act 1970’ in that it is intended to cause alarm and distress to the recipient. Your methods will not be tolerated. A formal complaint, containing copies of all correspondence including yours, will be submitted to the relevant authorities if your calls continue. This will be relevant to questions of your fitness to hold a licence under the Consumer Credit Act, whether or not it results in a prosecution.

Take further note that continued telephone calls after the receipt of a request not to call may constitute a criminal offence under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Communicate in writing and ONLY in writing, your telephone calls will NOT be answered.

HOWEVER, CALLS WILL TRIGGER COMPLAINTS TO THE REGULATORY BODIES.

I trust that I have made myself understood on this matter.

--

Feel free to use this letter yourself/modify it as you wish. Or pick information from it as necessary and use it next time Halifax contact you.

Broken_hearted

I had it for months last year would have hated to see their phone bill as they were phoning my mobile. Drove me up the wall as debt is in OH's name.
The only way I found to stop them phoning was to stop paying and then it was three months before they backed down and moved us to a DCA. Funnily enough the DCA are less hassle than halifax.

Broken_hearted

I think the letter is a good idea. In my experience Halifax can't read or listen so keep a proof of posting and refuse to deal with them over the phone.

vicky1234_2

Thank you. That is really helpful.

I know I owe them money but it just seems really frustrating that I get this constant intrusion and feeling of guilt and sickness every time I look at my mobile phone!

Once again, thanks.

JGWT8M

I had exactly the same with HBOS, during October I had 397 calls on my mobile (I saved their number and blocked it from ringing out load but it still got too much). In the end I wrote them a very nasty letter similar to above and gave them three days from it's delivery for them to remove my number.

3 days later the calls stopped and a couple days after that I got a letter saying sorry and reading between the lines, begging me not to take it further.

This is who I wrote to:

Phil Remblence
Customer Care Manager
Retail Bank Collections
Halifax Bank of Scotland
Trinity Road
Halifax
HX1 2RG

As a footnote, I also got them to remove a default notice they'd served me because the account was in dispute (I was complaining about PPI so the balance was in dispute) but they re-issued it soon after they settled the PPI claim, but it's worth doing, they put you through so much sh*t it's worth standing up to them because they'll think twice about doing anything remotely suspect again (like telling me I'd face criminal charges for not paying like some !!!! there did a while back - I got an apology about that too)

blissfulbabe

The problem with constant phone calls is that they make you feel like a victim - the one place you should be able to feel relaxed and in control of your world is in your own home but, if every time the phone goes your stress levels start to climb because you're dreading another conversation with the muppets at Halifax, it's hard to feel in control.

You are in the difficult process of dealing with your debts. You are behaving in a responsible, mature way and are setting up an IVA to ensure that creditors get back as much of their money as possible. Constant harrassing phone calls can easily make you forget this - the callers have had training to put as much pressure as possible on you to pay their company the most money possible and do this by trying to make you feel as worthless and and as shiftless as possible. Well, the time has come for you to take control!

The next time Halifax call and ask you to confirm your personal details try this script:
"I am declining to give my personal details as I wish all communications to be in writing."

Then just put the phone down.

They can't talk to you unless you give your details, you don't want to talk to them and it's your phone - you can do whatever you want with it. Using the script puts you back in control without being rude, aggressive or apologetic and the great thing is there is nothing they can do. If you're worried that you'll get tongue-tied just write the words out and put them near the phone.

After a very short while they will stop ringing - this worked well for me when I went onto my DMP. At the beginning I was having numerous calls and felt sick every time the phone rang. Then I realised that the people calling didn't care how I felt or that I would be talking to them with tears pouring down my face - all they wanted was their money NOW! That's when I cottoned to the fact that it was like a game to them, a game where they created the rules. So, I wrote a few rules of my own with the most important one being "MY house, MY home, MY phone - no-one is allowed to make me feel worthless."

Good luck with your IVA and conratulations on facing up to and dealing with your debt.:beer:

vicky1234_2

Thanks for that. I kinow you're all right in what you are saying. I will give it a try.

I tried so hard to make my business work (the reason I am in so much debt!) and HSBC and Halifax decided I would be worth lending the money to (unsecured may I add - see signature!)

Now I feel that you just get penalised for trying to do the right thing, working hard, being honest, trying to provide for your family. You seem to get more rewards for not doing any of those things!

Anyway, thanks very much.

JGWT8M

vicky1234 wrote:

I tried so hard to make my business work (the reason I am in so much debt!) and HSBC and Halifax decided I would be worth lending the money to (unsecured may I add - see signature!)

Now I feel that you just get penalised for trying to do the right thing, working hard, being honest, trying to provide for your family. You seem to get more rewards for not doing any of those things!

Anyway, thanks very much.

My God, that sounds all to familar.

I spent 3 years and got £47k into (unsecured) debt trying to prop up my business as well, I feel exactly the same as you, people who live in the same road we do are better off living on benefits than those people like us trying to do the right thing.

Best of luck with the IVA, I'm seriously considering bankrupcy now as I'm sick of trying to do the right thing and being punished for it endlessly.

My debt goes up each month because the Banks won't help, and one day they are going to get what is coming to them when half the Country get to the point I'm at now.

Mike_St_Helens

JGWT8M wrote:

My God, that sounds all to familar.

I spent 3 years and got £47k into (unsecured) debt trying to prop up my business as well, I feel exactly the same as you, people who live in the same road we do are better off living on benefits than those people like us trying to do the right thing.

Best of luck with the IVA, I'm seriously considering bankrupcy now as I'm sick of trying to do the right thing and being punished for it endlessly.

My debt goes up each month because the Banks won't help, and one day they are going to get what is coming to them when half the Country get to the point I'm at now.

Same happened here.. tried a business.. Went bankrupt last week !

JGWT8M

Mike St Helens, if you don't mind me asking, what happens, do they take everything you own away in a van? I know they won't take the sofa, cooker etc. but what about stuff you can't prove you didn't buy? we got a tv from the parents as an xmas present but can't prove it - the other half is concerned they'll take it and things like that.

Sorry if this is getting off-topic, take it to PM if you want.