Urgent help needed: Debt collector

Kintoo

Not sure if this is in the right section if not please move it.

OK about 5 years ago I did the dreaded thing of get loads of credit and not pay my bills (Young and stupid) since then I have streightened my life out and contacted every company I owned money to and set up a payment plan to settle everything (Including charges etc but thats my fault)

I contacted all the company s who I had debts with (Got there names from a credit report website) they all agreed to a reasonable repayment plan when I explained what I did.

But now the big problem. (Sorry if it is long)

On thueday this week I came home to find a card posted in my letter box, I card shoved in my door (Between my door and doorway) and my next door nearbour telling me that a guy in a suit was knocking on all my windows and shouting for me for 10 minutes.

So called the number on the cards and some guy named Max told me I had a dept with a door step collector (Which again I did) for an outstanding loan.

I got the details the loan amount was from 2 years ago and the last balance before it was sold off was £320.

So I told the guy to come and see me and I will make a payment and then make a payment plan, he came the next day and agreed a £12.50 per week payment and they added a fee of £50 to the amount owed due to costs (Fair enough I was stupid in the past and want to fix it). I gave him my employment details etc.

Now the big big problem

I told him to call to my home when I finished work anytime after 4PM.
I paid the 1st 2 weeks payments as agreed no problem the 3rd week he called me and left a message saying he needed to collect early (I did not get this until I finished work) and as I did not reply he came into the co-op shop I work in and asked me for the money immediately as I was breaking my agreement if I did not pay at once?

My boss was in the shop so I took my break and went and paid him outside quickly to save the embarrassment.

This tuesday he came to my house at the agreed time and I went to pay him and he told me that his office is no longer accepting £12.50 per week and now want £25 from next Tuesday.

I told him I can not afford this as my partner is 7 months pregnent and I am paying as much as possible towards my old debts and using the rest to be prepared for when the baby arrives.

He went away without saying anything and today when I got home from work I had another card posted from him saying "sorry your £12.50 offer is not acceptable anymore I want £25 every week or I will get a court order and force my way into your home to take the value of the debt"

What can I do about this? My partner is now getting very stressed at this and I fear if I don't pay the new amount he will come to my workplace again.

Jamie_Cortez

Was paperwork signed to agree you paying £12.50 per week?
Im assuming as its a door step collector he is from a debt collection agency .
They should not be visiting you at work (Home,Phone,Letter only)

http://help.cleardebts.co.uk/collections.html

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/managingdebt/debtsandarrears/dg_10034289

HappyMJ

Tell him you want no further contact with him and any further contact will be veiwed as harrassment and police will be called to attend.

arcon5

Getting a court order is both costly and will take a few months to go through the court system. Debt collectors (which is what he is) have no powers - make a note of every visit, phone call and letter and tell him to put everything in writing otherwise you will call the police!

This guy is using intimidation tactics, that's all and its getting results so now he is pushig it further. So tell him where to go!

Tell him what you can afford and if he doesn't like it he is welcome to take you to court!

Your priority at the moment is your partner and child.

If he shows up at work again call the police!

DVardysShadow

Kintoo wrote: »

I told him I can not afford this as my partner is 7 months pregnent and I am paying as much as possible towards my old debts and using the rest to be prepared for when the baby arrives.

He went away without saying anything and today when I got home from work I had another card posted from him saying "sorry your £12.50 offer is not acceptable anymore I want £25 every week or I will get a court order and force my way into your home to take the value of the debt"

What can I do about this? My partner is now getting very stressed at this and I fear if I don't pay the new amount he will come to my workplace again.

Your problem is best placed on the DebtFreeWannabe forum http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76 where you will find most of the relevant expertise on this site

If you do repost, edit your opening post here to say that this it what you have done - and mention on your new post that you have cross posted.

The guy has you on the run because you are afraid of him. But he has made mistakes. Particularly putting a threat in writing and turning up at your work. So keep the threat carefully, it may be useful later. And make sure you have a diary note of his visit to your work.

I would suggest you write a letter instructing him not to turn up at your home or your work, but to deal with you in writing only. Keep copies and hand it to him when he turns up next. If he turns up again after that, ask him to leave and if he does not, call the police.

vax2002

Put in writing thankyou for refusing the offer of payment, see you in court where evidence of refusal of payment will be presented, the £12.50 will now be used to pay another creditor on the list, the offer is withdrawn.
In the meantime, you need to get a full credit report, you may be paying debts which are stature barred (six years elapsed since payment) and can be ignored.
come back with the report, the experts on here in loans and debts will be able to assist you further.

nottoolate

Kintoo wrote: »

He went away without saying anything and today when I got home from work I had another card posted from him saying "sorry your £12.50 offer is not acceptable anymore I want £25 every week or I will get a court order and force my way into your home to take the value of the debt"

he cant force his way into your house even with a court order. muppet.

paddyrg

ANYONE forcing their way into your home is breaking the law, the man is a liar or wants to be arrested for breaking and entering. £12.50/week is a VERY decent offer, so do not fear being taken to court being expected to pay more. If they threaten court, agree willingly that court is a great idea and you look forward to the arrival of the court ppapers so you can both stand before the judge and let the law decide how valid a £12.50/week is, and discuss the turning up at your work and threatening to force entry to your home

Fact is, his company probably bought the "bad debt" for maybe 10p in the pound, they probably recovered their money already. If he feels he can bully you for more, it appears he will, but if you stand up, there is simply not a lot they can do.

arcon5

Also op, if it went to court, i'm betting the courts would also look at a breakdown of the debt and could potentially deem some charges added an unfair if they are disproportionate. As already mentioned there is also the risk that a court would NOT add costs to any judgement as you can demonstrate you acted reasonably in settling this account.

They have everything to loose and nothing to gain.

Don't be fearful of debt collectors and don't let them push you around! In fact, if you hold out long enough i'm betting you could start pushing them in to accepting a lower amount in full and final settlement!! With or without a court order, you can't get blood from a stone so unless you own your house or something it's in their best interest to work with you.

It's likely all they would do is re-sell the debt or stop pursuing it so hard if you stopped playing with them, rather than actually go to court.

This guy just wants this debt settling as fast as possible to get his commission and hit his targets. Don't let him push you around.

Flyboy152

HappyMJ wrote: »

Tell him you want no further contact with him and any further contact will be veiwed as harrassment and police will be called to attend.

Although normally that would be sage advice, but I would recommend calling police now. Clear threats have been made and stupidly the idiot has put it writing.

Flyboy152

Jamie_Cortez wrote: »

Was paperwork signed to agree you paying £12.50 per week?
Im assuming as its a door step collector he is from a debt collection agency .
They should not be visiting you at work (Home,Phone,Letter only)

http://help.cleardebts.co.uk/collections.html

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/managingdebt/debtsandarrears/dg_10034289

The note from the debt collector refers to the prior agreement in place. There shouldn't be any argument the arrangement existed.