Insensitive creditor

FinanciallyPerplexed

My wife died recently. For what it's worth, we were separated but still legally married. I contacted her bank as next of kin and froze her account. Their truly excellent Bereavement Support Department explained that Direct Debits would go unpaid - but creditors would be given an explanation why.

So far so good. I have received various letters from creditors begining 'Sorry for your loss' and stating the amount owed. I'll get around to paying them once the confirmation (England = probate) is sorted.

Not so one creditor - a loan company - I think for a sofa. My young son was upset to receive an automated - automated! - phone call asking for his mother. So I sent stern e-mail to their Customer (Don't) Care department - those were the only contact details on their site - instructing them to contact me and only me, in writing and only in writing and inviting them to explain their insensitivity.

No response so far. But I have now had a letter addressed to my wife in which they've slapped on an (appropriately named?) late payment charge.

However - I now have a phone number. Before I call and get all snarky :mad: - can I just test my understanding? They're not on with their LPC. The account is frozen and creditors must bide their time. This one will be at the back of the queue, obviously.

But mostly I'm askance at their insensitivity, which is in stark contrast to every single other creditor.

Yorkshireman99

FinanciallyPerplexed wrote: »

My wife died recently. For what it's worth, we were separated but still legally married. I contacted her bank as next of kin and froze her account. Their truly excellent Bereavement Support Department explained that Direct Debits would go unpaid - but creditors would be given an explanation why.

So far so good. I have received various letters from creditors begining 'Sorry for your loss' and stating the amount owed. I'll get around to paying them once the confirmation (England = probate) is sorted.

Not so one creditor - a loan company - I think for a sofa. My young son was upset to receive an automated - automated! - phone call asking for his mother. So I sent stern e-mail to their Customer (Don't) Care department - those were the only contact details on their site - instructing them to contact me and only me, in writing and only in writing and inviting them to explain their insensitivity.

No response so far. But I have now had a letter addressed to my wife in which they've slapped on an (appropriately named?) late payment charge.

However - I now have a phone number. Before I call and get all snarky :mad: - can I just test my understanding? They're not on with their LPC. The account is frozen and creditors must bide their time. This one will be at the back of the queue, obviously.

But mostly I'm askance at their insensitivity, which is in stark contrast to every single other creditor.

Is there a will and are you the executor? You probably need to go to the top of the loan company to get action.

FinanciallyPerplexed

There is a will. Our elder son and daughter are executors, however they have given me a signed authorisation to act on their behalf on day to day issues.

Hmmpf. I can't see myself getting to the top of the company via a call centre.

sheramber

Ask for their complaints procedure and lodge a complaint.

FreeBear

Name the company, and I'm sure someone can find a number for the managing director for you.

dresdendave

FinanciallyPerplexed wrote: »

However - I now have a phone number. Before I call and get all snarky :mad: - can I just test my understanding? They're not on with their LPC. The account is frozen and creditors must bide their time. This one will be at the back of the queue, obviously.

.

I believe an executor is obliged to treat all creditors equally. Failing to do so could leave them open to legal action.

mrschaucer

"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others ..."

FinanciallyPerplexed

Oh, I was never going to not pay - only take a perverse pleasure in paying them slightly after the other creditors.

In the end the call centre were lovely and sympathetic. But they told me that deaths were usually registered by the next of kin/ executor phoning in. I told them that a) we didn't have any contact or even account details until we got the LPC notice and b) the bank had already told them and this had worked with every single other creditor.

Snark over. Spleen vented. Complaint registered. Death noted.

Only...I know these things can take a while to register on the system...but...half an hour later I got another automated phone call. :-D