Debt collection officer offering advice

[mr.ton]

The collection company will not have any legal power to MAKE you pay within an allocated time.

 

Thank you

[Alex_DeLarge]

Sofi, does the letter you have mention legal proceedings? Have you called them up and spoke to them about it? Normally the letters that get sent out are generic and part of a system so if no response is made from the first one then after a certain amount of time the next one is recognised by the system and automically sent, does that make sense? Just because the letter may mention seven days it does not in any way imply that you MUST pay within seven days. The collection company will not have any legal power to MAKE you pay within an allocated time. Just give them a call and explain your circumstances. If possible, ask for settlements.

When it comes to letters, they're simply designed to make you call in.

 

Hi Lilly, it depends on the debt. If it is still with your creditor that should be fine over 5 years but if it has been passed on then you need to check with the companies policies on repayment time periods. And they cannot tell you to pay a certain amount in a payment plan if you can justify why you cannot make the repayments. Call in with your income and expenditure.

 

Wood73, that is down to the agent dealing with the account. In my personal opinion, someone who 'wont pay' won't take my calls or respond to letters. If someone genuinelly cant pay then I will listen to their reasons and go through their income and expenditure and set them up on a payment scheme which THEY are comfortable with. No one wants to make anyone not be able to feed or clothe themselves. If you fall into can't pay then DON'T just hang up whenever someone tries to call or put the letters in the bin as this automatically makes the collector think you won't pay and further action may be taken.

 

NEVER SPEAK TO THEM ON THE PHONE

[mr.ton]

If someone genuinelly cant pay then I will listen to their reasons and go through their income and expenditure and set them up on a payment scheme which THEY are comfortable with. No one wants to make anyone not be able to feed or clothe themselves. If you fall into can't pay then DON'T just hang up whenever someone tries to call or put the letters in the bin as this automatically makes the collector think you won't pay and further action may be taken.

 

The halo is slipping a bit here Harajuku with due respect 8)

 

I say in response that you are legally not entitled to income & expenditure details off anyone - only the county court is.

 

....and what is the "furthur action" that you refer to?

[Alex_DeLarge]

I can see where this is going.

[babyblue25]

Have you called them up and spoke to them about it? Normally the letters that get sent out are generic and part of a system so if no response is made from the first one then after a certain amount of time the next one is recognised by the system and automically sent, does that make sense?

Just give them a call and explain your circumstances. If possible, ask for settlements.

When it comes to letters, they're simply designed to make you call in.

 

Call in with your income and expenditure.

 

In my personal opinion, someone who 'wont pay' won't take my calls. If someone genuinelly cant pay then I will listen to their reasons and go through their income and expenditure and set them up on a payment scheme which THEY are comfortable with.

 

If you fall into can't pay then DON'T just hang up whenever someone tries to call .

 

Surely as regular CAGGERS we advise not to speak to these sort of people over the phone we advise over and over again 'We will only communicate in writing' Im subbing this is interesting

[harajuku]

Mr.ton we're perfectly aware of it however, the main premise is that it's the pure and simple idea that someone is coming to see you in person to collect the money from you. We would never say to someone a doorstep collector would come to take property as even suggesting the idea would get us frogmarched from the office. We know there is no legal power behind a doorstep collector and if you told them to go away they would, but it's better to talk about it and come to an arrangement before it got that far.

 

And yes, it does cost a dca to take someone to court but a lot of the costs are recovered from the other side so it would just depend on the amount in question.

 

Martin, those who are in breech of the CSA are undoubtedly investigated but not all dca's ignore the guidelines. And I am unsure as to what else my intentions other than to provide advise may be. As I have addressed, my job is to give advice to the debtors along with collecting the balance so surely if I was to do anything different here I would be contradicting myself?

[sofi]

Thank you Harajuku, the letter does state that they will begin legal proceedings if payment is not made.

 

I received a letter from my bank saying they have frozen my investment accounts, and if i do not pay the upaid balance they will transfer funds from my investment accounts to reduce the debt with out notice. Does that mean they can transfer monies from my savings account?

[mr.ton]

Big hello to the "guests" 8)

 

Anyway - you are advocating that debtors ring your industry/company up Harajuku?

That is the 1 thing that many of us on here advice against constantly.

Me & few other on here make a great hobby out of ringing DCA's up for pleasure purposes

But for the majority who are vunerable, we tell them to avoid it & for everything to be in writing only

[mr.ton]

Mr.ton we're perfectly aware of it however, the main premise is that it's the pure and simple idea that someone is coming to see you in person to collect the money from you

 

Most of the time they never show up anyway

But are you admitting that the DCA's play on the fear of someone turning up?

If so, that is a downright disgrace in my view

[version302003]

Personally, i think the advice of a dca no matter how well intentioned has to be contradictory to the advise given on this site.

A dca's goal is ultimately to receive payment (even by making empty threats of doorstep visits) where this site challenges the rights of the said dca to collect.

 

I only have one question really, do you know who the 'dirty thirteen' are?

[lickthewallfatboy]

crap thread potential.....

 

currently 98% and steady....

 

that'll be my one and only contribution unless something out of left field starts happening,but I won't hold my breath

[Little Heart]

At the end of the day the DCA are only after making money quickly, they don't care why someone has debts,ccj's etc.all they want is money.

 

I've not read once where any of them have asked the person either by writing or verbally if they have been to the CAB or anyone along those lines.

 

Has anyone every received a MA2 booklet in any letters from the DCA....NO...Why? cause the DCA don't want you to get help...they want to scare you enough to hand over your last 1p.

 

LH

[mr.ton]

Thats what i was thinking all along.

As much as we'd be happy to hear what anyone from a DCA has to say, their whole sole purpose is to encourage people to contact them so they receive money (regardless of amount etc..)

Our whole sole purpose (or mine anyway) is that they dont receive any monies whatsoever.

So i dont see what the "middle ground" can possibly be in all of this?

[cerberusalert]

Thank you Harajuku, the letter does state that they will begin legal proceedings if payment is not made.

 

I received a letter from my bank saying they have frozen my investment accounts, and if i do not pay the upaid balance they will transfer funds from my investment accounts to reduce the debt with out notice. Does that mean they can transfer monies from my savings account?

 

They can 'offset' from one account to another yes. If you are in that situation you should open a parachute account with an unrelated bank as soon as possible.

[vengeancedemon]

I have this feeling of "Let me be your friend"

 

The smile on the face of the tiger !

 

Next we will be told that DCA's never ever harass by telephone, hour after hour, day after day !

[MARTIN3030]

Quote

 

"

Martin, those who are in breech of the CSA are undoubtedly investigated but not all dca's ignore the guidelines. And I am unsure as to what else my intentions other than to provide advise may be. As I have addressed, my job is to give advice to the debtors along with collecting the balance so surely if I was to do anything different here I would be contradicting myself?"

 

Yes usually investigated by the............erm CSA !!!

I am not stating that you are not here for any other reasons than you suggest-merely that you should understand it will take a little time for people to be absolutely sure that it is the case.

[mr.ton]

my job is to give advice to the debtors along with collecting the balance

 

The people on CAG get far better advice from the regulars than what any DCA could ever give them

Our "job" on CAG is to inform people how DCA's legally cannot collect the balance

[postggj]

ill be blunt

 

any body taking in this crap

[debt4get]

thats the trouble with b/s it certainly smells

[postggj]

can anybody name after being contacted by a dca, after being threatend pay now or be hung drawn and quartered, have been offered sensable advice

 

i doubt it

[sosumi]

Personally, i think the advice of a dca no matter how well intentioned has to be contradictory to the advise given on this site.

A dca's goal is ultimately to receive payment (even by making empty threats of doorstep visits) where this site challenges the rights of the said dca to collect.

 

I only have one question really, do you know who the 'dirty thirteen' are?

Would be great to hear an answer to that question.

Also:

We would never say to someone a doorstep collector would come to take property as even suggesting the idea would get us frogmarched from the office.

Who does the frogmarching?

[ErikaPNP]

As we are all aware, DCA employees are regulary slated on here, as are bailiffs, amongst others. I've seen a few threads (and been party to them myself) whereby people express unheld contempt for these sorts of employees, and tar them ALL with the same brush regardless. I've also seen threads where new members have signed up, as DCA employees and ones in the benefit forum where Jobcentre staff have signed up and have given explanations of how things work in their departments. Some, granted are simply “at it” and out on a phishing trip, but others seem to be here to offer genuine help, but soon beggar off because they are met with grave hostility, and openly given a barrage of abuse. (Thought that’s not been the case on this thread yet)

 

Yet on one particular thread a well established member said they were thinking of applying to one of these positions and asked for other's opinions. The opinions were supportive, such as "a job is a job, it pays the bills" - words to that effect, encouraging the member to "go for it". I've seen another thread where a well established member joined Brighthouse and fed back information about the "inside workings" to us, this was greatly welcomed. But if a new member comes on and reveals they are "one of them", they aren't given a chance. If it’s not revealed or assumed, there are plenty of people about on this site who could be from “the other side”, but just never reveal it.

 

I don't get it. In my line of work I often have to deal with a variety of organisations and whilst I have come across some with a terrible attitude, I have also come across a few who will go out of their way to provide a solution, even when the problem isn't down to them personally. Some openly say to me that they don't agree with the way things work either. It is true, I suppose - they don't make the rules that govern their business but have to ensure they are stuck to. There are lots of people who don't agree with things they have to do in the course of their work and in this current climate it's not as easy as "if you don't like it, get a job elsewhere", and there will always be things people don't agree with, either in their employment or in society in general. I could understand it and do understand it when one of these DCA employees come here and make judgements, but often all they have to do is reveal where they work and they're shouted down before they get any further. Likewise, I've seen posts where a person comes on asking for help and because it is known or assumed they are one of "those people" they are ignored. "Those people" are consumers too and if they have a consumer issue, why shouldn't we provide the advice?

 

I've even been asked myself if I am a jobcentre employee, and sometimes accused of being one, and not believed when I say I'm not, simply because I have knowledge of some areas of JCP. Having a knowledge doesn't make me "one of them" anymore than knowing the Consumer Credit Act makes someone a DCA employee (most DCA employee's don't know the CCA anyhoo!) - To satisfy people's curiosity I know about these things because my work involves having to know about it. I won't reveal where I work (never do on the internet) but I will hint. Who else knows about the things I know about? Which job do I do, or which category do I fall into below:

• Welfare Rights Officers
  
• Support Workers
  
• Social Workers
  
• CAB Workers
  
• MP's and MP employees
  
• Many other Voluntary support organisations
  
• People who simply educate themselves, from being in a situation themselves and "checking out" legislation – such as committed caggers.
  

The list could go on and on and on. I'm not saying we should refrain from holding or from posting our opinion on these "people", however I do think that unless a DCA'er is openly telling someone "pay your debts" or "get a job", (or implying it) and are offering genuine help and answers to questions in their own free time, we're cutting off our noses to spite our faces in our on-line assumptions and sometimes, attacks on them, simply because in a post where they are helping someone, they reveal their job status (or it's assumed). We don't have to trust them, but who has more insider knowledge than one of these employees? We know how they work through our dealings with them, but do we really know it inside out? Sometimes a little bit of knowledge from the inside can go a long way. Ok, so they more often than not don't know the legislation etc but they DO know how things in their departments work and more importantly are a source of information, they can provide us with contact names for example that aren't public knowledge, if we treat them the right way. We can tell a person who offers genuine advice from a person who is attempting to feed us rubbish surely?

 

Lest we forget also that a number of these people who work for DCA’s are students making up their money and have no idea that their threatened processes are illegal. When we’re young and begin a job with an employer quite often we take what we are told is lawful as gospel, without question. We may even be opening their eyes a little. I’m simply saying see how far the thread goes, see if he (or she) trips him or herself up. If they’re not genuine and they are given enough rope they will hang themselves, without us having a need to do it.

[zazen.warrior]

Don't fuel his ego by paying him attention. He is of no importance.

[sosumi]

Also, why do DCAs employ school leavers? As in, under 18, no life experience etc??

[mr.ton]

Please cut out the nastiness towards the OP folks - thank you

 

Like whats been mentioned already..i fail to see what advice any debt collection officer could possibly give other than "we understand your situation" & "ring us up and we'll see what we can arrange" etc...8)

 

There really is nowhere else they can go with the advice as at the end of the day, they are there for their company to make money/profit.

 

We are here to ensure that they dont make money/profit