Help with Phillips, please.

[catalice]

Hi

i am also being harrassed by phillips

constant voice texts to my landline

threatening to bring a locksmiths to change the locks so they can gain entry to my home

they have told me that they are court bailiffs and have more rights than i can imagine

i have tried to talk to them on several occasions to make an arrangement plan to clear the debt with an amount that i can afford to keep to my debt is £440 court fine

i am on benefits and just can not physically pay what they are demanding of me

when the bailiff came to my home in march

he was shouting at me and calling me names from the bottom of my drive so all my neighbours could hear what was going on

 

i am desperate for some help on this matter and all advice is greatfully received

thank you x

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome, catalice.

 

I'll move your post and mine to start a new thread for you.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[Big Boss Man]

Hi

i am also being harrassed by phillips

constant voice texts to my landline

threatening to bring a locksmiths to change the locks so they can gain entry to my home

they have told me that they are court bailiffs and have more rights than i can imagine

i have tried to talk to them on several occasions to make an arrangement plan to clear the debt with an amount that i can afford to keep to my debt is £440 court fine

i am on benefits and just can not physically pay what they are demanding of me

when the bailiff came to my home in march

he was shouting at me and calling me names from the bottom of my drive so all my neighbours could hear what was going on

 

i am desperate for some help on this matter and all advice is greatfully received

thank you x

 

OMG, Not another Philips Complanit ! Sorry to hear about your problems, ive experinced simialr problems with this company, i would recomend you keep all communication into this matter to assist you in exausting every complaint avenue.

 

For starters, keep everyone informed on this Website of your problems, inform the Cheif Executive of Philips directly and also the OFT, here are the details to assist you:

 

Philips Collection Services Ltd

 

PO Box 152

Darlington

DL3 9WT

 

Contact: Mr N Bradley

 

Phone: 01325 387 400

Fax: 01325 383 887

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Link: www.philips.org.uk

 

 

Office of Fair Trading contact details:

 

Philips Collection Services Limited - Licence Number 0491286

 

[email protected]

 

Hope this helps and you manage to get your matter sorted.

[catalice]

Thank you so much

But what do i say to them?

I know i owe this money even if i did not receive the court summons and then did not receive the fine from the courts

 

my situation at the time was i was living with an alcoholic violent boyfriend who spent nearly all our money of cider he had beaten me twice resulting in my having to have hospital treatment blacked my eyes broke my thump and other cuts and bruises the second time the police came and took him away and ordered an ambulance for me

i have tried talking to phillips on the phone on several occassions (premium rate phone number) but no one will help me they just keep demanding the account be paid in full

i offered to pay them £5 a week even though this is more than i can currently afford but they insisted on £40

they have visited my home twice

once when i was out once when i was home

the bailiff that came when i was home was a very big guy and not very nice shouting at me on my doorstep so my neighbours could hear and calling me names

im a single parent im not trying to get off paying the fine for non tv licence but i want the chance to pay it off at an amount that i can afford without having to go without food for myself and my son

 

i have no idea how to write a letter to phillips or to OFT

i do not know where to turn any more

my family cant help me as my mother is disabled my dad looks after her so they too are on benefits

please if someone can help me to draft the letters i would be very greatful

 

Cat x

[Big Boss Man]

Thank you so much

But what do i say to them?

I know i owe this money even if i did not receive the court summons and then did not receive the fine from the courts

 

my situation at the time was i was living with an alcoholic violent boyfriend who spent nearly all our money of cider he had beaten me twice resulting in my having to have hospital treatment blacked my eyes broke my thump and other cuts and bruises the second time the police came and took him away and ordered an ambulance for me

i have tried talking to phillips on the phone on several occassions (premium rate phone number) but no one will help me they just keep demanding the account be paid in full

i offered to pay them £5 a week even though this is more than i can currently afford but they insisted on £40

they have visited my home twice

once when i was out once when i was home

the bailiff that came when i was home was a very big guy and not very nice shouting at me on my doorstep so my neighbours could hear and calling me names

im a single parent im not trying to get off paying the fine for non tv licence but i want the chance to pay it off at an amount that i can afford without having to go without food for myself and my son

 

i have no idea how to write a letter to phillips or to OFT

i do not know where to turn any more

my family cant help me as my mother is disabled my dad looks after her so they too are on benefits

please if someone can help me to draft the letters i would be very greatful

 

Cat x

 

Sorry to hear about your problems, basically and in simple terms Philips are harasing you, this is against a number of practices, whilst i am not upto speed on the specific practices im sure someone will explain these.

 

You have mentioned that the debt is regarding Tv licencing, even though it is from a long time ago, give the Tv Licencing a ring explain the probs your having with the DCA and your personal circumstancies.

 

With regard to the letter, just write down what youve put above including dates etc, ask them to stop harasing you etc, investigate your complaint etc and tell them you will wait for there reply.

 

Philips, do beleive it or not have a complaint procedure, they are very reluctant in mentioning this and sending out a complaint form, ask for a form, but the email above is direct to the Cheif Executive so i am sure he will respond, a lot of communciation sent to Philips i belive are not seen by the higher management untill the complaint has been escalated with the company they are acting for, example - i sent Philips approx 4 letters complaining, received just one reply, a computer genarated one ! i then complained to the company who they was acting for, in my case it was my local authority, they invetigated the matter thoroughly and responded to me with an apology from them and from Philips, the council refused to withdraw the use of Philips, after i exausted the councils complaint procedure i contacted my local MP with my story, this is currently progressing, i have also now received a further indepth written apology from Philips for the inconvenience etc they caused my family and i, they also enclosed a cheque as a further sorry ! think it was to keep me quiet but it has only made me more determined for my voice to be heard.

 

I know its difficult and extremely stresfull, your in good hands on here, ive only been a member for a few weeks, but it has boosted my confidence lots, the only way the DCAs will keep me quiet is if they kill me ! dont like saying that but thats how strong i feel, give as good as you get !

 

Hope the info helps, shout out if you need anything.

[cas93]

Big Boss Man is right, take a look here

 

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/bus...dit/oft664.pdf

 

I would complain to the OFT about Phillips bad debt collection practices. Tell them you are complaining about their aggressive collecting methods, refusal to discuss a realistic payment plan (that you are on benefits)and that the bailliff shouted at you in public, calling you names- tell them what names he called you.Tell them you are afraid of the bailliff - do you have his name?

 

Write to the bailliffs and tell them that as you are on benefits you can only pay £xx a week(make sure it is a figure you can afford even if it is only £1) - tell them you have made a complaint to the OFT

 

cas

[Big Boss Man]

Big Boss Man is right, take a look here

 

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/bus...dit/oft664.pdf

 

I would complain to the OFT about Phillips bad debt collection practices. Tell them you are complaining about their aggressive collecting methods, refusal to discuss a realistic payment plan (that you are on benefits)and that the bailliff shouted at you in public, calling you names- tell them what names he called you.Tell them you are afraid of the bailliff - do you have his name?

 

Write to the bailliffs and tell them that as you are on benefits you can only pay £xx a week(make sure it is a figure you can afford even if it is only £1) - tell them you have made a complaint to the OFT

 

cas

 

ere ere ! well said and great link !

 

Just wish i had found this site earlier !

[catalice]

thank you very much

i will try this approach and keep you posted of the out come

[Big Boss Man]

thank you very much

i will try this approach and keep you posted of the out come

No probs, you take care, any help etc just shout out.

[catalice]

here is the letter that i have sent to phillips i have also sent a copy to OFT and a copy to myself i just hope there wasnt too many spelling mistakes and that i worded it correctly

 

 

Dear Mr N Bradley

 

 

I am Writing this email to you in the hope that you can help me please

I have been fined by magistrates court for not having a TV licence in december 2007

phillips has been passed the debt for collection of said fine phillips reference number 1526977

I have been bombarded with constant telephone voice texts asking me to call phillips urgently on 0844 800 4588 when i have done this as requested to try and come to some arrangement to pay the debt that i can afford i have been told that they will not accept less than £40 a week

i am a single parent on benefits and the only way that i can afford to pay this amount is if my son and I go without food, gas, electric or a roof over our heads.

I am not willing to put my son through this again as we have been homeless and had nothing except the clothes we had on due to escaping domestic violence in january 2008

On 18th February 2009 i got home after collecting my son from college to find a letter put through my letterbox this letter was not put in an envolope and my son read it so i have had to explain to him what has been happening

I called phillips immediatly on this date and tried once again to set up a payment plan and i paid them £10 off the debt (which i could not afford) i did this to show them that i am willing to pay but that i need some leeway they accepted the £10 and then told me that i have to pay them £40 a week and that they can not accept any lower than this.

i repeatedly told them that i am on benefits and that i had recently lost my job through illness all to no avail.

On 11th March i received another visit (again this visit was not prearranged with a time and date) the man that came to my house saw that he was distressing me and indeed told me that he had made a note of my distress when i told him i had no money and that i am happy to make an installment plan with him for the debt he told me that wasnt good enough and that he can have the locks changed on my home he asked me if the car on my drive was mine i told him no it isnt it belongs to my father who has lent it to me as i can not afford one of my own.

we got into a heated arguement in which he became abusive and started to shout at me in the street so all my neighbours could hear what was going on i found this even more distressing and very embarressing

I tried to tell him that i had rang CAB for advice and he told me he doesnt give a f**k what CAB told me he has more rights than i could imagine as he is a court bailiff he said that he will be back with a locksmith to change the locks on my home and seize goods from the property.

As he was walking down my drive he shouted=2 0names at me calling me a big mouthed little tart and to go and get some clothes on (i was dressed as i am not in the habit of answering my door naked)

As he was getting into his car he told me he was having that car even after i told him that i can prove the car is not mine and he took down the registration number of the car.

I have received more telephone calls since this day and more letters telling me that

 

"Unless the full amount including costs (as shown above) is paid IMMEDIATELY we may make attendances to your premises on any day at any time without further notification

we may attend your premises with a locksmith to remove any siezed goods (as in accordance with the law), even in your absence.

 

If you continue to ignore you responsibility to pay this fine we may recommend to the court that they issue a warrent for your arrest due to your wilful refusal to pay."

 

Now I have not refused to pay the debt I just have not got the means to pay it in full I am seeking advice from CAB next week if they can fit me in and i am asking that you please hold off until i can get legal advice and a representative to help me get this sorted.

 

I hope that you will deal with my complaint about the phillips representatives that have been to my home and phoned me.

I had a telephone call today (05/06/09)again from phillips asking me if i was going to pay the debt i told him that i am on benefits and that i do no t have £440 and could we not reach some agreement for me to pay it in installments

he said no and informed me that i was getting another visit i asked him not to send the last person that came as he was abusive and he hung up

 

I am more than happy to make reasonable installments to pay my fine at an arrangement that i can afford i am happy to fill in a means test form with incomings and outgoings to show what i have left over and then i will be offering half of what is over to pay the fine.

 

I am also sending a copy of this email to OFT

And i further request that in future all correspondence from phillips be done in writing please i will no longer be accepting phone calls or visits from phillips

I hope that we can sort this out without further distress as this is making me ill

 

Edited June 6, 2009 by catalice

[catalice]

it will be good to get this sorted so i can finally get some sleep i am so tired and depressed with all this

[havinastella]

CAT,

 

you need to remove your name and address from post #10

 

JOgs

[catalice]

good grief

thank you hun

my brain just isnt working

[cas93]

Hi catalice

 

Phillips are an independant baillif company. I think you can make a complaint at the court about this baillifs behaviour. I think it is called a form 4. I have read this on the forum but I will have to try and find it again. Apparently a form 4 complaint will show up when they renew their licence with the court. I will check this out.

 

I have never dealt with phillips- i dealt with another company for my son-seems to me they dont like it when you learn your rights and stand up ot them

 

But you are in safe hands with Tomtubby helping you!

 

cas

 

www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/bailiffs-sheriff-officers/115030-how-complain-court-about.html

 

courtesy of Tomtubby

[cas93]

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/form4_0606.pdf

 

FORM 4 complaint

 

cas

[catalice]

thank you Cas

 

i rang the court that issued the fine yesterday to see if they would take it back to court and i could stand before the judge

to be informed that this was impossible as a distress warrent had been issued

what is a distress warrent?

what is the legal rights of the bailiff with the distress warrent?

can they break into my home?

even if they have never been inside before?

i darent leave my house incase i come back and they have taken everything

 

Cat x

[cas93]

Cat

 

what is the fine for?

 

cas

 

http://www.dca.gov.uk/enforcement/agents02.htm#part10

 

They can break if there is a distress warrant(it is an order from the court to collect payment) - because you are on benefits you are classed as a vulnerable person have a look at the site in the link above

Edited June 6, 2009 by cas93
added info

[catalice]

not having a TV licence

 

my situation at the time was alcoholic violent boyfriend who had put me in hospital twice

he used to spend all our money on cider so we didnt even have food in the flat

I didnt even know that it had been taken to court as i didnt receive any mail due to the boyfriends actions

apparently it went to court december 07 i ran away jan 08

[catalice]

well i read it 4 times and still dont understand it

i am classed as a vulnerable person

can they still break in?

 

how do i find out when a distress warrent was issued?

[cas93]

Cat

 

you are classed as a vulnerable person if you are:

 

unemployed

a single parent

 

I would definitely put a complaint in about the bailiff to the court. Also complain using Phillips own complaints procedure

 

Write (or e-mail) Phillips with your offer of payment, making it clear you are vulnerable due to your circumstances listed above. You dont need to include the personal info abour your problems, I dont think they will take any of that into account. Stick to the facts:

 

 

offer of weekly payment

vulnerable due to unemployed and single parent (I am presuming here!)

 

I am not sure what else you can do - hopefull someone with more knowledge will eb along soon to offer help

 

cas

 

when you rang the court and they told you there was a dw didnt they tell you when it was issued? If not ring them again to find out when.

[catalice]

thank you Cas

I will ring the courts monday morning to find out when it was issued and why wasnt i informed of it at the time

i have read that the enforcement officers (bailiffs) have to keep the debter informed of every single action or did i read that wrong?

 

also i have all the letters that they have sent to me via post (all being exactly the same)

and i noticed there is no dates on the letters

not only that but also the 2 letters that i have NOTICE OF ATTENDANCE

do not have the bailiffs names on them

i am assuming that since the first NOTICE OF ATTENDANCE is dated 18th feb 09 that the distress warrent will have been issued before this date?

 

yes i am a single parent on benefits

[cas93]

Cat

 

http://www.pilesadvice.co.uk/magistrates_icant.htm

 

 

 

itsays here that if you have been ordered to pay an amount by the court and then your circumstances change you should notify the court immediately. I know your shavent changed but it does mention having small payments deducted from your benefits I think you need to read up on here. Did you receive any notification of court action?

 

cas

Edited June 6, 2009 by cas93
problem with link

[catalice]

No not a thing

the first i knew of the debt was receiving a letter from phillips

but as i can not prove this i will not be listened to

 

if phillips could find out where i lived why couldnt the courts?

[catalice]

by the way Cas

I have grown out of the tellietubbies now lol

[cas93]

lol

 

it should be bailliffadviceonline but when i copy and paste the link it comes up with teletubbies!!

 

I think you should ring the court and explain your problems about not having notification etc.

 

I tried to sort out same situation with my son, but they were not helpful, he was on a very low income and they wanted unrealistic payments. Maybe it will be different as you are on benefits

 

cas