Government meets CSA!!

[sosumi]

from Credit Today

DCAs asked to give debtors breathing space - 04/02/2009

 

The government has asked the Credit Services Association if the industry can give debtors 30 days grace at the point that a debt counsellor takes up a case.

 

The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) asked the CSA during a meeting yesterday where both parties continued talks to examine how to ensure best practice and avoid mistracing.

 

Gareth Thomas, minister for trade, development and consumer affairs, asked CSA chiefs if debt collection agencies (DCAs) could give debtors the breathing space and for the trade body to consider the creation of a central database of mistraced individuals. The minister said such a move would be designed to ensure those individuals are not contacted in error again.

 

Thomas also stressed the need for the CSA to do all it could to enforce its code of practice and to ensure the code was clear and unambiguous.

 

The CSA asked BERR about the potential to make it a contractual obligation for debtors to inform creditors of a change in address, although a CSA spokesman was keen to state that the trade body is not pushing for a national address register of debtors. The minister told the CSA that it would need to provide evidence that such a move would reduce mistraces and improve the performance of collections agencies.

 

When the CSA asked the minister about the possibility of access to the electoral roll, BERR said this would be a matter for the Ministry of Justice.

 

A spokesman for the CSA said: "This is the start of dialogue with the government and it is about sharing best practice. We’re looking for changes to make a real difference."

[ScarletPimpernel]

The CSA and ZANULabour in the same room. How distasteful.

 

In summary, then, one group of unsavoury bullsh1tters meets another...

 

 

A spokesman for the CSA said: "This is the start of dialogue with the government and it is about sharing best practice. We’re looking for changes to make a real difference."

 

= "We have finally realised that if we don't make it look like we are compliant, the regulators might actually take action. We wouldn't know best practice if it jumped up and bit us on the arrse. We're looking for changes to make more money from other people's misery."

 

Has the Minister not realised that this nasty gang of parasites couldn't self-regulate a bowel movement? He should be warning them that the OFT and FOS will descend upon them from a great height if they don't start toeing the line.

 

Why do the CSA think that they need to ask BERR's permission to make change of address notification a contractual requirement?

 

a CSA spokesman was keen to state that the trade body is not pushing for a national address register of debtors.

 

= "We are pushing for access to a national address register"

 

The CSA - proof that you can't polish a turd - but you can stick a flag in it.

[rory32]

The CSA asked BERR about the potential to make it a contractual obligation for debtors to inform creditors of a change in address

Completely ignoring any human rights issues, so no change there.

The minister told the CSA that it would need to provide evidence that such a move would reduce mistraces and improve the performance of collections agencies.

Unfortunately the minister and the CSA probably have very different ideas what the term improving performance means. DCA's tend to measure performance in terms of how many people they have successfully harassed into paying more than they can afford to line the DCA's pocket. Mistracing would only really seem to be seen as a problem if the mistraced person doesn't pay up.

[sosumi]

My thoughts were, reading between the lines, that the CSA went to the Government for help and the Government said "No".

In fact I'd say they (CSA) had a telling off.

Their requests were given short shrift.

 

I think!

[ScarletPimpernel]

I suspect you're right, Sosumi. As the article is from Cretin Today, you can be sure that it's been carefully spun to present the CSA in the most favourable light.

[sosumi]

I suspect you're right, Sosumi. As the article is from Cretin Today, you can be sure that it's been carefully spun to present the CSA in the most favourable light.

That's a relief!

I'm trying to find out more via Google.

Found Leigh Berkley's 'Tessera' web page, and latest article - no date so can't be sure.. ?

Disappointment on 'Illogical' Letters Decision / News / Tessera

Leigh Berkley is Chairman of DBSG, CSA's 'other half'.

Edited February 4, 2009 by sosumi
can never get DBSG in right order! - amended! :)

[rory32]

That article seems to be about statements and the fact that DCA's would rather not send you one and think it's really unfair that they need to do this by statute.

[version302003]

I had a read of some articles on the tessera website and this one Can Charging Orders Bolster Security? / Articles / Tessera seemed to enforce the use of chargeing orders. I wonder if there has been a rise in charging orders over the last few months

[caledfwlch]

SO what difference would making alerting a creditor to a change of address a "contractual obligation"?

 

We are contractually obligated to pay our debts with those same contracts, but things happen......

[ScarletPimpernel]

SO what difference would making alerting a creditor to a change of address a "contractual obligation"?

 

We are contractually obligated to pay our debts with those same contracts, but things happen......

 

 

DCAs and creditors are legally obliged to do certain things too, but they don't. The CSA's statements would have more credence if the debt industry wasn't as grubby and disreputable as it is.

[ODC]

Of course we would inform the DCAs that we have moved house. It would be an awful pity if the letter got lost in the post. After all the DCAs seem to be able to deny getting recorded delivery letters that they have actually signed for.

 

In the unlikely event that this temporary government granted the DCAs this right Im sure there would be plenty of scope to legally thwart it

[PGH7447]

When I moved I wrote and told them all, but 2 of the idiot firms still registered me as Gone Away, one has finally got in touch only to be told the agreement is not an agreement and the other idiot firm obviously cant be bothered - shame:)