Problem with debt collector

Kathy220559

Hi

I haven't posted for a while as everything has been going okay..until yesterday.

I received a letter from one of the debt collection agencys asking them to call me. Can I just say that this is a company with the most rude and arrogant people I have ever had to deal with. The others have been fine and have accepted my SOA and token payments.

I am ashamed to say that I let myself be 'bullied' by this company into raising my token payment from £1 per month which the CAB specified on based on my outgoings and income, to £5 a few months ago. They were calling me night and day asking for the same information and generally making my life a misery. In the end I agreed to the £5 but insisted that they write to me in the future and not phone. My Mum has been helping us with this but I cannot ask her for more as she is a pensioner. I feel bad enough about taking anything off her as it is.

So yesterday I called and spoke to a woman who has obviously bypassed the school of customer service and he was very abrupt and said they were looking for an increase in payment. I explained that our circumstances were unchanged and that I couldn't afford any more at this time.

To cut a long story short she has insisted that I send her another SOA and also proof of the benefits we are receiving. I expalined that they already had this information but she is insisting I let them have it by Friday of next week or.....!!!! She would not explain what the 'or' meant.

My question is can they threaten me this way? Do I send the information she is asking for although I will have to ring the benefits office to get them to put it in writing and I think having it to them by Friday is ambitious to say the least.

I'm ashamed to say that they have intimidated me once again and I don't know what to do.

Does anyone have any advice please

Cheers
Kathy

Matthew402007

I understand what you mean, in the past, i have dealt with Welcome Finance, and other companys like Moorecroft, and Go, they tent to bully and bully, making peoples lives a misery.

Ofcourse, they want there money, but from my experiance (and from reading alot of posts from this forum), it seems these companys buy debts for very little, and then try to get the full amount back, with threats and all sorts.

rog2

Hi Kathy - The short answer is 'NO they CAN NOT bully you in this way.'
Unfortunately, though, they do.
Many DCA's appear to COMPLETELY ignore the guidelines, laid down by the Office of Fair Trading, to which they SHOULD adhere.
You can report them to the Trading Standards Office, although even that is 'water off of a duck's back' to the majority of these 'low-life' cowboys.
They seem to be EXCELLENTLY well trained in recognising a 'vulnerable debtor' and seem to take some perverted pleasure in forcing that person to commit him/herself to more than he/she can actually afford.
What is the name of this particular company? Maybe someone has experience of them, and can give you more guidance as to how, and to whom, to complain.

Matthew402007

Rog2,

Is there something that can be done, to make sure that they do go by the guidlines at all?

I know for me, ive told a DCA to stop calling, as i only want communication by letter, and they keep calling.

Thankyou

smashedbooboo

Hi hun, Can you let us have the name of the DCA please. How much the debt is and who the original creditor was. And how long the debt has been in the hands of the DCA. Once we have that info i will let you know what letters to send them.

smashedbooboo

and hi matthew. Can you pm me with your question again please. My comp went down and lost all my messages. Thanks hun

rog2

Go to the following link, for a good guide to your rights, and a link to the OFT website, which details the guidelines to which these people MUST adhere:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingDebt/DebtsAndArrears/DG_10034289

If, after you have asked them not to harrass, they continue to do so, you may report them to your local Trading Standards Office and the Police.

You have rights, and they should be respected.

Have you spoken with CCCS, PAYPLAN or CAB, who may be able to talk to the DCA on your behalf?

smashedbooboo

Hi Rog. I tried that but it did not stop them. Once they have received the harassment letter and request to not to ring and to only comminicate in writing, but they continue to do so then the relevant authorities are more willing to listen. Usually the CCA request will shut them up. And it puts he account into dispute. And more than likely they will hand it back to original creditor. who will then listen to CAB or CCCS. Etc

Matthew402007

Hi Smash, i will PM the question again now

And thankyou Rog2

smashedbooboo

If you go to My thread titled, Letters to Debt collectors, you will find all the letters you need in that thread. Tomterm has alsoput most of the letters on my thread as well. The letters that Balladeer refers too are i that thread. The CCa74 is the first one on that thread.

Kathy220559

Hi

The company is called Credit Solutions, based in Surrey. The are pursuing the debt on behalf of Barclaycard and the debt is just over £2000.00.

When I called them she said it was time for the 3 monthly review and wanted more. I told her numerous times that nothing had changed. In fact it has, my council tax has gone up and so has my gas bill, but my Mum is covering these for me. I have made the payments faithfully on the same date every month. Why won't they just believe me? If I could pay more I would, I want to get out of this sorry mess as much as they want me too, but we can barely afford to live as it is.

When I questioned them before about all the phone calls and mentioned 'Harrassment' the guy just laughed at me and said he was perfectly entitled to call me up until 9pm at night as that is when they work till. They didn't give me a moments peace. Eventually, I persisted and told them that I would only accept letters from them and they have complied with this so far.

When I told the woman yesterday that I had no proof of benefits she told me that I would have to call the Benefits Office and get them to send me something. I said that it is doubtful that even if I call them tomorrow I would be able to get the information to them by Friday. She said that if that is the case then I must keep phoning them to let them know what was happening.

I am just so scared of ringing them again and that if I don't then the phone calls will start up again and I don't think I could cope with that. It doesn't help that I am suffering from depression and sometimes cannot even face getting out of bed....the thoughts of dealing with all that again is unbearable.

Thanks everyone for replying, I knew I would get help on here. Everyone is so kind and understanding. It does help to know I am not alone in this

Cheers
Kathy