Cold callers from supposed DM companies

Violet1

Grrrrr :mad:

Literally from the day I contacted the first creditor to discuss DMPs I have been plagued with calls from 'debt management' companies. There's three different ones so far, but they've made dozens of calls between them.
Every one of them appears to be based in an Indian call centre and the caller is blatantly reading from a script.

One of them just called whilst we were eating tea. We've got caller id, but I picked it up because it was an unusual number (0203-something). When I realised what/who it was, I asked where they'd got my details. The answer was 'commercially available mailing information'.
Now, given that I'm registered with both the Telephone and Mailing Preference Services, I can only assume that they've got my details via one of my creditors :mad:

I've told them in no uncertain terms not to ring me again and to take my details off their databases, but this one tonight was a new company, so my details are still being accessed from somewhere :mad:

Has anyone else had this happen?

fermi

I've had some, and I don't owe a thing apart from my student loans now.

I think some of them are randomly cold calling which is very naughty if you are registered with the TPS.

itsnever2lateisit?

Trouble is if they are calling from outside the UK they are not covered by the telecommunications act 2003

Violet1

I'd be surprised if it were completely coincidental - like I said, these calls started (for the first time ever) within a couple of days of me notifying the first creditor of my problems.

I'm wondering if it's connected to the two catalogues that I had account with - they're the most likely suspects to have sold on my details, I reckon.

shinyhead

I'm not sure if we've had any phone calls about this as we let the answerphone pick up any numbers we don't recognise on the caller display, but we've had quite a lot of mail. One that sticks in my mind is eurodebt. Does anyone else get mailshots from Debtbuster loans and Provident?

10past6

Who was the “First Creditor” you contacted?

I suspect it was a fee paying company, most of them sell your details on, (not the debt) just contact details.

Can you remember signing anything with them requesting your details are “Not” used for carefully selected companies.

This is a clear example where within any small print there is always an option to “Select out of your details being shared”

Also, another reason why one should never, ever, give out your phone number to any business.

Violet1

10past6 - the first company I contacted would have been Littlewoods Direct, I think.

Yes, they're fee-paying companies from the sounds of it. Over-friendly and trying to tell me that their only wish is to help solve my financial problems :rolleyes: Hence the suspicion that someone's sold my details on :rolleyes:

I'm already with CCCS, but I would never sign up with a company that rang me out of the blue, anyway.

I never give my details out, but I'm in the phonebook - it wouldn't take much to find my number.

One company rang me yesterday morning and I told them in no uncertain terms that they were not to call me again under any circumstances. And then they sounded surprised when I shouted at them for ringing again yesterday afternoon!!! :mad:

10past6

Violet1 wrote: »

10past6 - the first company I contacted would have been Littlewoods Direct, I think.

And then they sounded surprised when I shouted at them for ringing again yesterday afternoon!!! :mad:

Hello Violet.

To be fair, some of these companies that buy your details are not aware you DON'T want to be contacted, as far as they are concerned, they have your permission to contact you as you never instructed the original company to with hold your details.

The only alternative I can think of, what's the possibilty of changing your phone number?

Violet1

10past6 wrote: »

To be fair, some of these companies that buy your details are not aware you DON'T want to be contacted, as far as they are concerned, they have your permission to contact you as you never instructed the original company to with hold your details.

The only alternative I can think of, what's the possibilty of changing your phone number?

I guess you're right, although I NEVER normally allow my info to be shared and make a point of finding the correct boxes to tick. Maybe I missed one amongst the teensy small print :rolleyes:

It's not realistic to think about changing my number, for various reasons. I'll just have to make more use of the caller id!

Thanks for your help