Beating the Debt Collection Companies !!!

simon4amiee

I will keep reviving this as I feel, so many people have their lives destroyed by these debt collection companies. I almost gave up my job and home.

If a collections agancy are asking for more than you can afford, or asking to pay an amount in full you can beat them easily.

I had arrears with the CSA of £1500, and I did owe it, and now I have had it wiped clear, don't you find it odd a company would do that. Below is a small section of the OFT guidelines. The OFT are the ones who give these collections companies the licenses, so although this is not law, the debt collection companies should follow them.

Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidelines:

Physical Psychological Harassment

2.5 Putting Pressure on debtors or third parties is considered to be oppressive

2.6 Examples of unfair practices are as follows:

f. pressurising debtors to pay in full, in unreasonably large instalments, or to increase payments when they are unable to do so

I did a lot of research on this before I got started, but if you follow this rough procedure you cannot go far wrong. Firstly ensure you have sent them you complete list of outgoings and an offer of what you can afford, keep a copy. If they still say you have to pay an unafforadable amount or at worst slam a DEO on you, you should do the following:

1. Email every director and evrey contact you can get at the OFT, Trading Standards, TV, Newspaper, local MP, National MP, Eurpean Courts. (I have a lot if you need any help)

1. If a collections agency are giving you trouble on the phone, DO THIS NOW (firstly ensure that they are aware you have just purchased a'TL3 Telephone Record Interface' so from now on all your conversations will be recorded, it might be worth looking into doing this anyway. Explain to them that you have been instructed to do this by a solicitor and that you believe they are in violation of the Office of Fair Trading Guidelines under Physical Psychological Harassment 2.5 Putting Pressure on debtors or third parties is considered to be oppressive, 2.6 Examples of unfair practices are as follows: f. pressurising debtors to pay in full, in unreasonably large instalments, or to increase payments when they are unable to do so)

2. Fax the collections agency informing them of your intent to bring their company into disrepute as they are breaching the guidelines set out by the OFT, and who you have just contacted.

3. They WILL comply within 24 hours, I know it worked, they absolutely wet themselves when they found out what I had done.

I will still never find out why the debt I actually owed was written off, my guess is they didn't want me poking my nose into their dodgy dealings.

If anyone wants any help, please feel free to email me on simon.evans(at)abiuk.co.u k

Im just a regular working Joe, who wants to helps others who are in the same situation I was.

pudding06

This sounds like good advice simon - though I dont think its wise to put your emailaddy on an open forum - there are some very weird people out there - and some do come on here. Delete you email address and let people pm you if they need help its much safer.


thanks

pudds

Northernbird_2

Can I just ask, by CSA do you mean the Child Support Agency, the government agency that had to be set up because fathers/mothers weren't contributing financially to their own children's upbringing once they had left the family home.

I don't agree that the CSA is a Debt Collection Agency by any means. As a victim of the ineptitude of the CSA and their failure to ensure that my mother received necessary child support from my father, I can't believe that you would be proud £1,500 has been wiped. How are your children? Fed well are they? If they are, it's clearly nothing to do with you.

I realise there are many different circumstances in which divorces happen, and I realise that in certain cases the CSA may calculate the child support to be paid as unaffordable by the affected parent, I realise all of that and more about the complications of divorce. But really, paying child support is not the same as borrowing money from a financial institution and then being unable to pay it back and so the debt being passed to an agency. It's child support. Support for your child.

Sorry for the rant, it's just given personal experience, it's something I feel strongly about. It may be controversial, but I'm all for treating child support in the same way as income tax. Let HM Revenue & Customs collect the money - they seem to do a pretty good job on tax and would know exactly how much everyone earned.

Once again, in the absence of knowing the complications of all divorce cases etc, I have probably offended many people for which I do apologise. Just expressing my opinion.

simon4amiee

Northernbird wrote:

Can I just ask, by CSA do you mean the Child Support Agency, the government agency that had to be set up because fathers/mothers weren't contributing financially to their own children's upbringing once they had left the family home.
you would be correct in assuming it's the CSA

I don't agree that the CSA is a Debt Collection Agency by any means. As a victim of the ineptitude of the CSA and their failure to ensure that my mother received necessary child support from my father, I can't believe that you would be proud £1,500 has been wiped. How are your children? Fed well are they? If they are, it's clearly nothing to do with you.
I won't take offense as you didn't know the circumstances, yes I agree with everything you are about. A debt collections company working on behalf of the CSA contacted me saying I owed £1500 in arrears, then slammed a Deductions of Earning order on me for over a fifth ov my MONTHLY salary. Even after I said I couldn't afford it, and would probably have to give up my work, and lose my home, they still wouldn't help until I involved MP's, Solicitors, Media etc etc etc. The reason I cannot afford it is that I give a quarter of my annual salary to my sons mother direct, not going through the CSA, as they only calculated I had to pay £38 a month, which as a loving dad didn't think was enough, so my ex cancelled the claim and I have been paying her direct, on top of him coming for tea on Tuesdays, and being in my care from Friday 3.30pm right through till Sunday 19.00pm EVERY week, and EVERY statutory holiday I have. The collections company were acting like bullies, even when I told them all this, and gave them proof I pay direct. They got what they deserve.

QUOTE]

simon4amiee

These companies can destroy lives - fight back!

simon4amiee

We will do them!!

melaniec_2

Its all in the details!

I'm glad you posted a little more information as I didn't think it was right that you seemed to have neglected your responsibilties.

Well done for standing up to them and for working things out with your ex - most people don't and only want to pay the min.

rog2

Most, if not all, DCA's do use bullying tactics in contravention to the OFT guidelines to which they are supposed to adhere. Many of us, on this forum, have been subjected to the 'treatment' that these arrogant vultures revel in.
Indeed, there are some of their number who regularly 'troll' this forum with the sole intention of defending their vile practices and belittling anyone who is genuinely trying to deal with their debt.
The OP's advice is, of course, excellent, but there will be many among us who do not even know what a TL3 interface is, nor would they have the 'knowledge' of directors' names or how to contact them.
I, in replying to any DCA, have ALWAYS copied the original creditor, plus, wherever possible, the chairman/CEO of the original company, but that is not necessarily the best course of action for everyone.
I think we must continue to point out the rights of the 'debtor' and the code to which DCA's should operate, at every possible opportunity, and to urge ANYONE who is receiving unfair treatment at the hands of this 'sub-species' to report their 'un-lawfull' activities, to the relevant authorities at every popssible occasion.

simon4amiee

Let's name a couple them, my query was with 'Legal & Trade collections Ltd', I have just helped someone else, who are dealing with '1st Credit', she was that scared she wouldn't answer the phone or answer the door, I am waiting to her back from this person to see how things went.

Northernbird_2

I'm glad you didn't take offence, I was defending a principle more than anything else. We need a good system in place and clearly there isn't one (as you've clearly indicated!).

Take care and I hope you manage to work the CSA thing out.

simon4amiee

Thanks, it's sorted