tips from an ex debt collector

excollector

I am a long time user who recently worked for a debt collectors (one of the big ones who are complained about a lot on here)
Seeing as I no longer work there I feel that now I can share some tips and insight for you all
I have used a new name as I am quite identifiable by my long standing one and wouldn't want to get in trouble

In my defense I took the job because I couldn't get anything else at the time - I lasted a couple of months before securing another job. I was also not very good at it

My first and most important tip is only ever deal with them in writing - the people on the phones spend a lot of time being trained to get information out of you and even the littlest thing you say any good collector will note for the next one to follow up on

2nd tip - if they call you pick up the phone and tell them to remove the number then end the call - if they call again tell them you will be reporting them to the ICO for not removing a number after being instructed to

3rd tip - always be polite - certain people will specifically call back people at annoying times or more times than they are allowed each day just because you annoyed them

4th tip - NEVER EVER EVER EVER make any payments via any method other than standing order or online / telephone banking - they can see your details and all it takes is a click of a button to take money from your account once they have them do not let them have the control

5th tip - collectors get a low basic salary but the big money is in bonus based on how much they bring in if you discuss a settlement or large payment with them they will continue to hassle you - this is not a way to get them to stop ringing

6th tip - read the letters very carefully they are full of may and we will consider - this means absolutely nothing!!!

7th tip - do not provide an income and expenditure unless you are attempting to get a settlement - there is no legal requirement for you to give one and it will not help you at all - if you are on the phone (see tip 1) they have to ask you multiple times for one

8th tip - if you have a large balance (2k+) and the account is no where near to being stat barred and they have provided the CCA for it and you are wanting to offer a settlement - call on the last working day of the month - ask the person on the phone for a settlement offer if paid today - ask them for a better one - DO NOT tell them how much you have available - continue asking them for a better offer until they tell you that it is their maximum - then ask for their managers settlement that is available - once you get to the max of that then ask to go to the floor / collections team/ senior managers settlement offer - then ask for a better one. they will ask you questions try to get you to provide information refuse to give them anything other the funds are available to be paid today and that it is money from a third party (friend/ relative) - you can usually get a good 50-60% discount on this day - remember to get them to email the conformation of everything to you while you are on the phone - then make the payment via online banking/ telephone banking

9th tip - include in any letter that you are making an offer of payment in the phrase 'I am aware that you are required to accept any reasonable offer of payment' - these letters are just passed through as it looks like you know what you are talking about

10th - DO NOT quote laws in letters or on the phone unless you know what you are talking about and can take being questioned about it - the laws are in front of these people and by engaging with them they can twist things

11th - you HAVE to pay the £1 for a CCA request - it is not up to the debt collectors they cannot waive the fee they cannot make an exception for you - if you do not send the payment you have NOT requested the CCA and it does not count

11th part b - always pay the fee by postal order

12th - ignore fishing letters - unless they specifically give your name and details correctly with the outstanding balance and the original creditor on do not even acknowledge them

13th - ALWAYS get free advice before dealing with debt collectors - stepchange, payplan, national debtline, CAB

14th - if they have purchased the account and they are not just collecting on behalf of the original creditors make sure you have the notice of assignment

15th - you CANNOT request you credit agreement for an overdraft - so them not providing one does not make it unenforceable like it does with other unsecured credit

16th - there will be multiple levels of the quality of the accounts there will be the very low down ones which they use for training - (when i was being trained i saw accounts that had defaulted 10-15 years before) mid accounts - the normal run of the mill ones and high level accounts that they put their best people on - high level accounts are ones that have 12-3 months left before becoming statute barred, are of high value and they know they have the supporting evidence for - you will never know which section your debt falls in to

17th - an email is just as valid as a letter it is called a durable medium and can be used in court and is just as binding - just make sure you print a copy as well as keeping it in your emails

18th - never ignore a court form

And finally - remember that they are people on the other end of the phone about 90% of them are there just because they have bills to pay, there is only a very small minority of people who actually enjoy doing this kind of work

Any other questions you have I will try and answer as honestly as possible

sourcrates

Thank you for the informative post, just goes to show the advice we've been propagating over the years was all correct then.


However, some of those "people on the end of the phone" seem to enjoy there job possibly more than others:cool:

erskineman

excollector wrote: »

9th tip - include in any letter that you are making an offer of payment in the phrase 'I am aware that you are required to accept any reasonable offer of payment'

Is that bit 'law'?
If it is, is that just for 'officially defaulted' debts with DCAs and Original Creditors?

Thanks

nottoolate

erskineman wrote: »

Is that bit 'law'?
If it is, is that just for 'officially defaulted' debts with DCAs and Original Creditors?

Thanks

fca regulations http://fshandbook.info/FS/print/FCA/CONC/7/3 in partcular para 7.3.10

A firm must not pressurise a customer:
(1) to pay a debt in one single or very few repayments or in unreasonably large amounts, when to do so would have an adverse impact on the customer's financial circumstances;

(2) to pay a debt within an unreasonably short period of time; or

(3) to raise funds to repay the debt by selling their property, borrowing money or increasing existing borrowing.

kaya

nottoolate wrote: »

fca regulations http://fshandbook.info/FS/print/FCA/CONC/7/3 in partcular para 7.3.10

A firm must not pressurise a customer:
(1) to pay a debt in one single or very few repayments or in unreasonably large amounts, when to do so would have an adverse impact on the customer's financial circumstances;

(2) to pay a debt within an unreasonably short period of time; or

(3) to raise funds to repay the debt by selling their property, borrowing money or increasing existing borrowing.

Somebody should show that to the CSA who are famed for asking people to use credit cards to make payments off of debts if you have no money !

nottoolate

fca rules dont apply to the csa unfortunately.

double_mummy

sourcrates wrote: »

Thank you for the informative post, just goes to show the advice we've been propagating over the years was all correct then.

i do love being right lol

thought this was worth a bump

Gainingcontrol14

I'm really thick - what's statued barred??

Thanks for great post!

sourcrates

Gainingcontrol14 wrote: »

I'm really thick - what's statued barred??

Thanks for great post!

Limitations act 1980 (if no payment or acknowledgement in writing is made, for a period of 6 years, the debt will be unenforceable in court, (statute barred).