Wescot response to letter

meerkat2007

After about 6 years of leaving me in peace to make my payments, with the occasional voluntary increase as and when I could afford it, Wescot recently started hounding me with daily phone calls - I say me, but it was actually my elderly mother who was on the receiving end of them, since she is at home while I'm at work. No real conversations took place, as my mother told them I was at work; they just asked for me to call them.

Of course, I didn't - instead, I sent them the letter about harrassing phone calls, requesting that they remove my phone number from their records and contact me in writing instead. The phone calls stopped within a day of them receiving the letter, so that worked - thanks to all who have posted the templates on this wonderful site. However, I have recently received a letter from them, the text of which I reproduce below:

"I refer to your letter dated 8 April 2008 regarding the above matter.

Your letter has been forwarded to the Process and Compliance Team who will deal with the investigation of the matter you have raised. This will be allocated to a Process and Compliance Co-ordinator who will contact you again in due course with either a full response or a further update of the investigation.

In the meantime, I would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention, It is important that we are made aware of instances where individuals feel we have fallen below the standards expected of us. We shall use our best efforts to resolve this matter for you quickly and to your satisfaction, and I enclose a copy of Wescot's Complaints Procedure which provides you with details of how we deal with complaints or converns.

Yours sincerely

Process and Compliance Manager"

Now, I'm not saying I can't or won't pay: all I said to them was I couldn't afford to increase my payments - in the current economic climate, who can? In fact, I received the letter just after I'd sent the latest payment to them, with the "Compliance not complaints" leaflet, which looks very professionally produced.

I'm not worried about this - they're getting what I can afford to send them, as they have every month for about 6 years. I just thought it might be of interest to anyone else who deals with this company.

RAS

meerkat

A number of DCas have received b8llo8kings from the OFt since the law changed at the beggining of the month.

the last thing Wescot needs is for you to be putting in a formal complaint to the OFT, so they are making sure they cover themselves.

kevster1009

RAS wrote: »

meerkat

A number of DCas have received b8llo8kings from the OFt since the law changed at the beggining of the month.

What Law changed then?

RAS

here's a bit of last weeks conversation


It's the OFT that issues (and can revoke) a Consumer Credit License. Make sure you complain to them as well.

Since the beginning of this month the OFT have been given enhanced powers to enforce their guidelines and revoke licenses if necessary. They can't take action on an individual complaint, but they will use it as evidence against a DCA/creditor if enough complain about the same company.

They have already given 13 DCAs/creditors a warning this month to clean up their act, or they will lose their license.



Just had a look at the press release. Interesting statistics

7. The Credit Services Association (CSA) estimates that there are around 450 to 500 debt collection businesses in the UK (where debt collection is the primary activity) of which approximately 292 are members of the CSA.

6. Since the OFT's debt collection guidance was issued in 2003, action taken by the OFT has resulted in the issue of nine notices to debt collectors that the OFT was minded to refuse or revoke their credit licences and a total of 137 warning and advisory letters have been sent to 120 licensees.

So one quarter of DCAs have had some sort of warning from the OFT!
Certainly indicates the level of compliance that one would expect from a well regulated industry

fermi

kevster1009 wrote: »

What Law changed then?

Part of the Consumer Credit Act 2006 came into force as of 6th April 2008.

The Consumer Credit Act 1974 (the Act) requires debt collectors, businesses that offer goods or services on credit and/or are involved in activities relating to credit or hire to be licensed by the OFT.

Following implementation of the OFT's new powers under the Consumer Credit Act 2006 on 6 April 2008, the companies could also have specific 'requirements' imposed on them by the OFT. If such a requirement was not complied with, the business concerned could be subject to a financial penalty of up to £50,000. The OFT can also refuse or revoke a licence if it decides that a trader is not fit to hold one. The OFT can take into account any circumstances which appear to be relevant when considering the fitness of an applicant or licensee, including evidence that the company has contravened the Data Protection Act 1988.

stapeley

THANKS AGAIN CHAPS will get my complaint off forwith !