Debt Collection Letters

ReadingFC

antonic wrote: »

You have a choice of :

1) Having 1 poor Xmas by paying for what you have used OR
2) Having at least 6 bad Xmas`s if the Utility get a CCJ against you and trash your credit record.

The wise man (me !) would take option 1, but the choice is yours !

That would be fair enough but I don't pay for things on credit. This Christmas, and hopefully every future one will be funded by saving up. I'm a bit old fashioned like that.

-This is my only debt
-I have no credit cards, loans, or overdrafts, nor do I want them

Merry Christmas!

Somerset

ReadingFC wrote: »

That would be fair enough but I don't pay for things on credit. This Christmas, and hopefully every future one will be funded by saving up. I'm a bit old fashioned like that.

What do you think this utility bill is then ? Credit isn't just credit cards. But if you can manage without, fair enough. But that rules out ever getting gas/electricity except on a prepayment meter, telephone, mobile phone contracts, renting (if you've a CCJ), mortgage etc etc. But I guess some people do avoid all that.

timbstoke

This place does seem to have started attracting the condescending people just lately. Makes you wonder how many have actually been in this situation and how many are just trolls.

To actually answer the question - yes, they will take you to court over £500. However, it depends how long you've had it. If they've passed it to debt collectors, you're probably talking anywhere between a few weeks and a few months.

If you know you're going to start making payments in January, chances are they'll hold off as long as they know about it. Taking people to court costs money, so DCAs would prefer not to if they can avoid it.

Write to them, telling them that you are unable to make any repayments immediately (or better, enclose a token payment of £10 or so), but that you intend to start making regular repayments of £x every x weeks starting on <date>. At this point, they'll almost certainly write back demanding details of your income/outgoings. It's up to you whether or not you provide this - it'll look good if they do go to court, but personally, I prefer to tell them it's none of their business.

Depending on how resistant you are to their tactics, you may want to initially propose lower payments than you can actually afford. They'll undoubtedly tell you it's not good enough no matter what you offer. My approach is "Tough, that's all I can afford - if it's not good enough take me to court and I'll make my case there", but if you offer less than you intend to pay, you have a little room to bargain.

However you play it, it's definitely worth writing to them. Ignoring them means they're more likely to go to court. Writing to them starts a dialogue, so they'll tend to move you to the 'active accounts' pile. It's mid November now - allowing a week or so between replies, the negotiations alone can easily take you into January. If your first contact is the Prove It letter asking for copies of the bill, that alone can easily take you into mid December. Just make it clear that you have no interest in entering into verbal communications with them, and require all contact to be made in writing.