1st Credit - ignoring DMP

Scooby*1

Hi, Sorry if this rambles on but i am a gibbering wreck at the moment. Long story short, lost job last year so got into serious debt. £25k of unsecured loans. Found another job and sorted out a DMP with the CCCS. One of my creditors [Citifniancial] sold my debt onto 1st Credit.

I have already made a complaint to them for various things - ringing me at work when I had never given them that number, they even repeatedly rang my parents to speak to me as we have the same odd surname so they traced them. They told me to take out extra loans in order to pay them! As far as they are concerned none of this is a problem whereas i feel it is adding to my burden. I should stress that i have returned all their calls, replied to letters, sent details of my DMP and passed on their details to the CCCS to forward the payments to them. All to no avail.

Still being hounded constantly. Threatening me with debt collectors, charges on my house, CCJs etc. To be honest i wish they would just take me to court and get it over with. I've now had 5 months of this and i literally shake when the phone rings.

Has anyone else had this problem either with 1st Credit or other DCAs? As far as i can see i've done everything by the book. Replied, paid what i can yet they still chase me for settlement. I simply can't do it. Help!

alwaysonthego_2

They are bullying you. You need to write them a letter telling them if they don't stop harrassing you and your family you will report them to the police.(send recorded delivery) Also pay a visit to the cab who are usually good at dealing with this kind of thing.

check this thread out for a template letter http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=497063

Scooby*1

Thanks for replying - sitting here with no nails!

I have written to them stating relevant laws etc. - they replied saying they had investigated the calls made and found no fault with their operator. He was following standard company procedure apparently.

I've written a further letter now, should i email, fax or send it recorded?

Sorry to be so useless, apparently i am considered fairly intelligent! But my brain has turned to mash over this situation. I simply cannot understand why they don't take me to court. They repeatedly state they won't accept my offer of payment via the CCCS [currently they're getting £75 on month on a debt of £10k, my DMP is £280 a month] and i keep repeating like a mantra that i don't have it. AARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH.


Has anyone else had dealings with this company? All the others have been great [top marks to Egg - VERY understanding, no hassle at all]

Scooby*1

Sorry - just re-read your message. Recorded it is. Told you i'd lost it.

rog2

It appears that they are trying to 'fob' you off. A Debt Collection Agency should NOT contact you at your place of work, unless you have agreed.
Quite frankly, I would report these people to their local Trading Standards Office.

Scooby*1

I did!! Got the standard reply fro Trading Standards and nothing since.

Honestly - i sent emails, faxes etc but they won't stop. When they tell me that i'll get the bailiffs coming round i've told them that they can't do that unless they've already been to court and i've defaulted.

They tell me they're going to apply for a charge on my house [house deeds have my name on as well as my parents] and again said they can't do that unless they go to court and prove i'm not paying them.

Anything they throw at me i've replied. I keep spouting the law to no avail. I would change my number but i'm worried they'll start chasing my parents again saying that it's a valid reason as they'll be tracing me. Try explaining yourself to your elderly parents as to why "Steve" rang 3 times asking for me! Not easy i can tell you. I feel like a naughty teenager when in reality i'm a grown up who lost control of her spending. I realise i got myself in this and i'm doing my damndest to get myself out but they won't leave me alone. Steve is my stalker!:mad:

Thanks for the advice though! Letter printed so off to the PO today. Not sure they'll take any notice of it though. They appear to be a law unto themselves.

alwaysonthego_2

try the cab they will help you

rog2

These 'people' should NOT consider themselves above the law. They have a legal obligation to act within the Office of Fair Trading guidelines, which can be viewed an downloaded, at the following link:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf

Have you spoken to CAB? They may be able to speak to the DCA on your behalf, and would certainly point you in the right direction for a complaint.

opalfruits_2

A lot of CABs will not be able to help due to the way they are funded because you are already being assisted by another debt charity through your CCCS DMP.

OP, the reason it is going so wrong is because you are returning their calls etc. Stop it right now. All you are doing is making yourself poorly. You don't need to keep speaking to them, firstly, because there is nothing different that you can give them and apart from paying them in full there is nothing they want to accept. Secondly, because the DMP department at CCCS is there to deal with the creditors for you.

Best possible thing for you to do would be to submit a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading as 1st Credit have breached the debt collection guidelines. The OFT probably won't do anything about your particular case but they have and will revert consumer credit licenses for companies that persistently breach guidelines, so the more complaints the better.

Then what you should do is get BT to change your phone number for free, tell the CCCS your new phone number, and then ignore any further letters etc that 1st Credit send you. If there is anything they send that you're not sure about then send it to the CCCS - it's what they're there for!

rayday2

I am not sure if its possible financially but maybe your parents could help you how about getting a solicitor to write to them? My parents got a solicitor involved with Beneficial bank when they would not accept complaints etc keep a diary of all phone calls, emails letters etc and copies where you can also you could try scare tactics yourself and when they ring ask them to hold a second while you record the call. I know daft but hey why not!

AGB863

The fact you have stated the OFT guidelines to them and they continue to ignore your respnses - I would now make a formal complaint to the OFT about them.

I have similiar experiences with them with reagrds a client of mine. I work for a DMC and had arranged repayments for my client with all creditors concerned and 1st credit were the only one to refuse the offer.

They made threatening calls and advised my client to go and "borrow" the money from a family member to pay off the debt.

I made a formal complaint to them and they denied any "wrong doing". They refused to discuss the case with me, as an appointed representitive, and contiued to ask for an amount of money each month, that was more than the total amount my client was paying back to all the other creditors.

I issued a complaint letter to them pointing out all the parts of the OFT debt collection guidance that they broke and that I was making a complaint to the OFT about them - surprise surprise, within a week they accepted the offer.