Credit Services Association: we need your thoughts

silvercar

The problem comes if they use their account to give the impression that they speak with (MSE verified) authority. So give the impression that random forum members should be ignored as their opinion carries greater weight.

I would however be happy for them to have a dedicated thread (like you set up for Land Registry), so posters can ask specific questions for direct answers from them.

reason2

I would echo some of the other comments..

it really depends on what they are hoping to achieve and what sort of questions and queries they would be trying to deal with (they must have seen some on here to make the request to begin with)

Equally, some of the DCA's they represent behave appallingly, is there any risk of a back on forth fight between people telling them they behave badly and the CSA arguing back?

Also, people here want help on dealing with these type of companies and user advice is often good for the forum users, but not the advice the DCA's want distributing, i assume the CSA wont be posting to attempt to throw conflicts to the advice for the benefits of DCA's

jwil

reason2 wrote: »

Also, people here want help on dealing with these type of companies and user advice is often good for the forum users, but not the advice the DCA's want distributing, i assume the CSA wont be posting to attempt to throw conflicts to the advice for the benefits of DCA's

I agree with this.

Suseka97

Not quite sure how I would feel about this to be honest but if I felt they had open access to the DMP mutual support thread I would probably not feel comfortable being as open as I am about my situation. It's not so much that I'm concerned I could be identified in the DCA world, but I'd rather take advice from people who have experienced debt and the actions of creditors and their agents (DCAs and the like), that those who represent them. I'd also be concerned, as others have said, about the fragility of some of our members as they journey through their DMP.

January2015

I wouldn't like it.

I feel the DFW is for support to and from others who are trying to clear their debts. I know we have users from National Debtline etc. but they are offering support.

I cannot think of a question I would want to ask the Credit Services Association. I ask my questions of those DFWs who have been where I am and have been through the experience of dealing with creditors. Their knowledge and experience is worth millions times more to me than any question and answer I could get from CSA.

I would question why CSA want a presence on the forum. We don't want them on the forum for their benefit so what do they perceive as the benefit to DFWs ????

kram

January2015 wrote: »

I wouldn't like it.

I feel the DFW is for support to and from others who are trying to clear their debts. I know we have users from National Debtline etc. but they are offering support.

I cannot think of a question I would want to ask the Credit Services Association. I ask my questions of those DFWs who have been where I am and have been through the experience of dealing with creditors. Their knowledge and experience is worth millions times more to me than any question and answer I could get from CSA.

I would question why CSA want a presence on the forum. We don't want them on the forum for their benefit so what do they perceive as the benefit to DFWs ????

I agree with you, DFWs would be very reluctant to ask anything of the CSA & may even water down their post's on the forum.

Former_MSE_Andrea

CP2016 wrote: »

Could they be restricted to posting in their own Q&A thread? I was thinking about all the people in the DMP support thread who are often stressed and worried, the last thing they need is some DCA posting in there and undermining all the great work other posters do in calming people down and giving some perspective. If they want a Q&A thread then by all means give it to them - but I'd ring fence them to it.

Yes we could do that. I think it's a good idea, we'll consider that.

Former_MSE_Andrea

reason2 wrote: »

I would echo some of the other comments..

it really depends on what they are hoping to achieve and what sort of questions and queries they would be trying to deal with (they must have seen some on here to make the request to begin with)

Equally, some of the DCA's they represent behave appallingly, is there any risk of a back on forth fight between people telling them they behave badly and the CSA arguing back?

Also, people here want help on dealing with these type of companies and user advice is often good for the forum users, but not the advice the DCA's want distributing, i assume the CSA wont be posting to attempt to throw conflicts to the advice for the benefits of DCA's

They're already aware of what's posted on the board and responded to a call we put out on our Forum twitter asking for companies and organisations to get in touch if they'd like a verified forum account to help answer our site users' questions

Former_MSE_Andrea

Thanks for all the replies, it's all really useful to help make a decision. I particularly like the idea of asking the association to post just on its own thread for the time being.

If that were the case, knowing it does read the rest of the board, how would you feel if we said it could post answers to questions it had seen elsewhere on the board, on that one dedicated thread?

Would that work for you?

Raven42

Yes keep them where people know they're not going to pester all the normal posters.

I will say however there are some good companies amongst those Credit Collection services that are far easier to deal with than the likes of Barclaycard to sort clearing of debts so lets not tar them all with the MMF brush.