Help! How to Communicate with Creditors

clare1809

Hi everyone

New to the forums. And desperately want to get my debt sorted out. Been in contact with CCCS to set up a DMP. Waiting on paperwork etc.

However in the meantime how do I get the creditors to stop calling me at work. I have had a couple of calls at work and my boss cottoned on to what they are about from picking up bits and pieces and pulled me aside and told me that under no circumstances will he accept calls like this and basically that it could cost me my job - which obv I dont want.

Telling them over the phone doesnt seem to make a difference. Is there a letter I can send?

Thanks for any help. Want my life back!

Mikeone

Hi Clare

This has been a problem for several people on these boards. Have a look at the links below to see how other people got through the situation -they include some template letters that you may find useful.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3141634

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11571485&postcount=4

Best of luck!

FireWyrm

You know, this really annoys me. It's bad enough you're in the situation, but to call you at work is just beyond reasonable. I am assuming that they were calling you on a landline? If it was a mobile, turn it off and refuse to answer it.

In the meantime, it might be useful to sit down and have a frank conversation with your boss. Whilst I can see his point, you havnt actually done anything wrong and certainly nothing that should result in losing your job. Essentially, you can only lose your job through gross mis-conduct, which this isnt. Alternatively, he must go down a disciplinary route with any number of meetings, warnings and written explanations. If he's not prepared to do this, then any attempt to fire you over this is illegal and you could take him to court for unfair dismissal. Now, I'm the first one to admit that what companies do and what is legal are two entirely different things, but it might be a good idea to head him off at the pass. Is there any higher authority you can appeal to? A director perhaps? I would certainly be looking to arrange a formal meeting between the higher authority, your immediate boss and you. More to the point, your conversations with your creditors are entirely your own affair and this should not have been necessary if he wasnt evesdropping in the first place. I wouldnt go off half cocked, but I would be looking to make this point to both of them in a fairly robust way. He is acting unreasonably and putting even more pressure on you. He should pigging well mind his own business and I'd say so. You should enter the meeting in a reasonable frame of mind and not let yourself get bullied. You're embarrassed enough without this prat putting even more pressure on you and threatening your position.

Write to your creditor using the templates, or make one up yourself which basically points out that you consider their actions to be harrassement, you WILL NOT engage with them verbally and if they continue to pursue you at your place of work, you'll report them to the OFT and begin procedings against them.

DizzyDizzy

Have you got someone in HR maybe that you can have a word with? They may be more sympathetic and can "mediate" kind of thing with your boss? If you tell them action is being taken to sort this out and this is a temporary situation then maybe that would help? This kind of situation is happening up and down the whole country every day so I would be surprised if your HR dept have not come accross it before.

If you end up setting up new accounts with a different bank, do not ever give them your work number. I always refuse to give my work number! They have my mobile but I turn that off at work ! Hope you manage to get this resolved.

timbstoke

Definitely send them the letter referred to earlier. In the meantime, if they call again, refuse to go through any security checks - simply say "I'm sorry, it isn't appropriate for you to call me at work, goodbye." and hang up. Do not enter into conversation with them in any way, shape or form at work.

clare1809

I would just like to say thanks first of all with everyones advice.

I realise that obviously I owe money to them, of which I am willing to pay back through a payment plan, but to go to the lengths of phoning me numerous times at work and being rude and quite frightening sometimes is just harrassment.

Unfortunately the way my work is set up, the bosses etc are not the easiest people to speak to and they basically act like an HR department also. However I will try my best to sit down with my boss and explain the situation better and hopefully that will difuse the situation somewhat. I know that he will have to go through the proper disciplinary procedures first but it was just the way he went about it. Just one boss, no one higher, otherwise I think I would go over his head.

I am away to send a template letter to my creditors and hopefully will have a good response.

Thanks again for all your help. It is much appreciated and I have taken it all on board

Hopefully will be debt free soon!

DevonGirl

clare1809 wrote: »

However I will try my best to sit down with my boss and explain the situation better and hopefully that will difuse the situation somewhat.

It sounds like you work for a small, private company which of course is entirely different from working for a large organisation who have various levels of management, proper HR dept, staff charter etc.. so I know it can be awkward in this sense.

However, I really would advise against explaining the situation in full with him - it's really none of his business. (How dare he! :mad:) I agree with FireWyrm - he has no right to add to your pressure. I had a similar situation at the start of my DMP and just told my boss who was loitering by my phone that a cheque had bounced and I was having a few problems with my bank. This solved the problem.

Mikeone has given links to other problem phone calls, but just to add to this that if you have dealings online with the creditor involved, you can just go into your account online and take off your work number - maybe just put your mobile number, or even a false number if you want / or if the system insists on having a number in the box. All a creditor needs is your address and they can contact you. End of!

Good luck

clare1809

Just wanted to give an update. Decided not to speak to boss as thought as long as it is not interfering with the work I do I didnt see why I had to explain myself.

Most of my creditors have accepted to take my work number off their system and went online for others and took work number off. Some creditors have not came back to me - dont know if I may get calls from them. However I did state I would make a formal complaint if I received continued calls to my workplace so hopefully that deterred them. Fingers crossed.

Hopefully can get some payment plans sorted and will have some paid off soon.

DVardysShadow

What a moron for a boss. In your boss's shoes, I would instruct you to pass the calls on to me, and I would tell the callers not to waste the company's time, making the point to the callers that you might lose your job - although I would give you a smile and a wink while saying it. I think it is worth making the point if this continues that your job is on the line if they harrass you at work, so it won't pay them to do it.