DCA Question

Homegrown_Idiot

I'm now on a DMP with CCCS that will start to pay my creditors in July.

One of my creditors is a DCA and they seem to be ignoring the DMP totally - I came home on Friday to find a letter with a 'sorry you were out when we visited' card in it (even though the letter had arrived with my mail, so no-one obviously visited).
On the card they say they will come round 'again' next week and to call them if it is inconvenient :eek:. When I set up my DMP CCCS told me that once it was in their hands and they had contacted the creditors I should, under no circumstances, contact any of them and just inform CCCS, which I have done. The thing I'm worried about is that I'm sure this DCA will come round anyway.
Should I call them and say I won't be in?

Jvic28

Hi,

Out of curiosity what DCA is it? They obviously didn't call round if it came in the post?

x

fermi

These things are normally designed to get you to ring them so that they can attempt to verbally bully you. I wouldn't ring them if it was me.

As you said, they didn't really come round the first time, and the threat of the second is likely to be an idle one.:rolleyes:

DCAs won't normally waste the money sending someone. Doesn't make economic sense, especially if they know you are with CCCS. Much better to try scare tactics as they are cheap.

Even if they did send someone round, they have no powers at all. You just tell them to bu**er off and go talk to CCCS. If they won't go, then you call the police.

Homegrown_Idiot

Jvic28 wrote: »

Hi,

Out of curiosity what DCA is it? They obviously didn't call round if it came in the post?

x

They're called Mercers & they've been a right royal pain since this all started - at one point I offered to pay them a token payment of £50 but they said they wanted £250 at least and wouldn't accept the £50, so they ended up with nothing

Deep_In_Debt

Ahhh! The lovely Mercers. I've been on a DMP with CCCS and Mercers have refused to accept my repayments. The did send a man to my house but I was at work. It was a hand written card popped through my door and nopostage stamp. Don't be surprised if they do turn up though.

Homegrown_Idiot

fermi wrote: »

Mercers are the "in house" DCA for Barclays/Barclaycard. They are just Barclays pretending to be a separate company.

Have a read through this link:

Barclaycard/Mercers insider info - probably valid for other DCAs

That was a very good link, many thanks

Homegrown_Idiot

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

Ahhh! The lovely Mercers. I've been on a DMP with CCCS and Mercers have refused to accept my repayments. The did send a man to my house but I was at work. It was a hand written card popped through my door and nopostage stamp. Don't be surprised if they do turn up though.

What did CCCS recommend you do? Just ignore them?

Jvic28

fermi wrote: »

Mercers are the "in house" DCA for Barclays/Barclaycard. They are just Barclays pretending to be a separate company.

Have a read through this link:

Barclaycard/Mercers insider info - probably valid for other DCAs

If that's the case, I really wouldn't worry about it. They obviously didn't come round and are just trying their best to bully you into calling them and coughing up. Pay them what you can afford and continue to keep them informed of any changes and there's nothing they can really do. Just don't stop paying altogether.

x

Jvic28

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

Ahhh! The lovely Mercers. I've been on a DMP with CCCS and Mercers have refused to accept my repayments. The did send a man to my house but I was at work. It was a hand written card popped through my door and nopostage stamp. Don't be surprised if they do turn up though.

What can they do if they turn up though. If you are making payments you can afford and keeping them informed as much as reasonable I don't see how much legally they can do. They can't force entry can they?

x

Jvic28

This is from www.direct.gov.uk

Debt collectors aren't court officials and don't have the same powers as bailiffs. They can't enter your home or seize your possessions.........If a collector harasses you, you should contact your local council's trading standards department. If they threaten you physically, contact the police.

So I really wouldn't worry about them turning up anyway.

x

Deep_In_Debt

They just advised me to tell him to bog off. They have no legal rights and can't have what I don't have. I'm female and live on my own and to be honest, it doesn't bother me if someone does turn up. I'm paying what I can afford and he will get told where to go if he does turn up.

CCCS said not to worry about it and to say that he had no legal rights and that you are paying all you can afford via CCCS and then tell him to bog off.