Should I answer the phone to a debt recovery law firm?

patient_dream

Grizebeck said:

Trainerman said:

Grizebeck said:

Trainerman said:

As regards your original question, the usual advice is to not talk to them. However, if you have the right mindset, you can have a bit of sport. I once had an operative from one of these companies ( not the one you named), apoplectic because I would not 'go through security'. My standpoint being "who the devil are you, you had better go through my security before I give sensitive information'.  I made much about identity theft and if he was from a responsible company, he would not be putting me in this position.

Poor little chap was livid. He had his nice threatening script all ready to go and couldn't get there. Hung up in the end, at which point I emailed the company and complained about his attitude.

Best fun I had in years, .......but you have to have a certain mindset.

I am of exactly same mind set and i have on many occasions baited such people,!!!

Yes, fun isn't it? Mind you, I have been accused of being a little odd !

join the boat, i find DRP are good sport as they do the whole aggressive thing and then realise it isn't getting them any where
I have in my previous life been known to get information out of certain parking organisations by saying i am from XYZ and starting a whole conversation on various subjects and they wouldn't question me, you just have to have the balls to pull it off
Quite useful when you need info and some people will talk easily

Just a bunch of failed double glazing bods rated in the "Frank Spencer"  brigade

Make a DRP spoofter's day ..... ask to buy tickets for their circus ?

Mind you, with the big sewage problem at present, maybe most of their staff have been washed out to sea

Snakes_Belly

I always say to callers that I don't want to speak to that I am the cleaner. It's not a lie.

Brie

Grizebeck said:

Trainerman said:

Grizebeck said:

Trainerman said:

As regards your original question, the usual advice is to not talk to them. However, if you have the right mindset, you can have a bit of sport. I once had an operative from one of these companies ( not the one you named), apoplectic because I would not 'go through security'. My standpoint being "who the devil are you, you had better go through my security before I give sensitive information'.  I made much about identity theft and if he was from a responsible company, he would not be putting me in this position.

Poor little chap was livid. He had his nice threatening script all ready to go and couldn't get there. Hung up in the end, at which point I emailed the company and complained about his attitude.

Best fun I had in years, .......but you have to have a certain mindset.

I am of exactly same mind set and i have on many occasions baited such people,!!!

Yes, fun isn't it? Mind you, I have been accused of being a little odd !

join the boat, i find DRP are good sport as they do the whole aggressive thing and then realise it isn't getting them any where
I have in my previous life been known to get information out of certain parking organisations by saying i am from XYZ and starting a whole conversation on various subjects and they wouldn't question me, you just have to have the balls to pull it off
Quite useful when you need info and some people will talk easily

I do similar things with those "your computer has a virus" calls.  Went round in circles for quite some time with a chap who kept saying I should press a certain key on the keyboard.  "Nope, don't have that"  "So it's the key next to you space bar" "Oh you mean the A?" "no, the one that looks like a window" "but isn't windows a programme, not a key?" "yes but there's a key next to the space bar" "Oh so you do mean the letter A!"

Humdinger1

Grizebeck said:

Trainerman said:

Grizebeck said:

Trainerman said:

As regards your original question, the usual advice is to not talk to them. However, if you have the right mindset, you can have a bit of sport. I once had an operative from one of these companies ( not the one you named), apoplectic because I would not 'go through security'. My standpoint being "who the devil are you, you had better go through my security before I give sensitive information'.  I made much about identity theft and if he was from a responsible company, he would not be putting me in this position.

Poor little chap was livid. He had his nice threatening script all ready to go and couldn't get there. Hung up in the end, at which point I emailed the company and complained about his attitude.

Best fun I had in years, .......but you have to have a certain mindset.

I am of exactly same mind set and i have on many occasions baited such people,!!!

Yes, fun isn't it? Mind you, I have been accused of being a little odd !

join the boat, i find DRP are good sport as they do the whole aggressive thing and then realise it isn't getting them any where
I have in my previous life been known to get information out of certain parking organisations by saying i am from XYZ and starting a whole conversation on various subjects and they wouldn't question me, you just have to have the balls to pull it off
Quite useful when you need info and some people will talk easily

I don't normally do this...but yesterday, when a spam/scam caller asked if she was speaking to the homeowner, I replied 'No.  We are squatters; we murdered the owners and buried them under the floorboards'. She hung up without further comment.   I only hope we don't get a call from plod....

Coupon-mad

I'm always 'just a tenant and the landlord lives in Spain' whenever I open the door to a cold caller trying to sell me new windows or whatever.

And I love scam-baiting callers who tell me there's a virus on my PC.  I pretend to be really elderly and hard of hearing and if I can be bothered I keep them on the phone for at least 5 minutes but always eventually reveal that I know they are a scammer.  One laughed and admitted it!

Anyway to confirm the advice this OP was looking for, unless you are a scam-baiter and are prepared to record the call (because we need more evidence of their phone bullying) then DO NOT speak to such wasters on the phone.

banjo44

What's the reason for not talking to them? I wondered if telling them I'm not going to pay and have reason to believe the fine is not enforceable might put them off taking me to court.

Snakes_Belly

banjo44 said:

What's the reason for not talking to them? I wondered if telling them I'm not going to pay and have reason to believe the fine is not enforceable might put them off taking me to court.

It's not their decision whether to pursue through the courts. They are bottom feeders and are contracted just to collect payment. It is a total waste of your time and energy to engage with them.  

Grizebeck

banjo44 said:

What's the reason for not talking to them? I wondered if telling them I'm not going to pay and have reason to believe the fine is not enforceable might put them off taking me to court.

It wont do that at all

fisherjim

banjo44 said:

What's the reason for not talking to them? I wondered if telling them I'm not going to pay and have reason to believe the fine is not enforceable might put them off taking me to court.

Sorry but you really aren't getting this at all!

You are not dealing with John lewis customer services, you are dealing with nasty twisted scammers that will try everything they can to extract money out of you, and talking cobblers on the phone is their speciality they will tie you up in Knots!

patient_dream

banjo44 said:

What's the reason for not talking to them? I wondered if telling them I'm not going to pay and have reason to believe the fine is not enforceable might put them off taking me to court.

The likes of DRP are simply Leeches that TRY to attach themselves to the scam
.
They are totally powerless even though they think they are the masters of debt collection.  Simply put, these fools live in the clouds and CANNOT take you to court
As said, they are bottom feeders

If you want to see what a bottom feeder sounds like, then phone them for a good old laugh

WARNING ... once these clowns have your number, they will pester you