Channel 4 Dispatches to air debt collection exposé

[ScarletPimpernel]

Kurt Obermaier, executive director of the Credit Services Association, confirmed that a CSA member had made the trade body aware of the situation. He said the company had the correct policies in place for collections but individual employees appeared to have deviated from them.

 

Having the correct policies in place is of no use whatever unless management ensure compliance. If Herr Obermaier's weasel words are supposed to be some sort of excuse for the CSA member failing to comply with its obligations, he's doing a particularly poor job. The company is still responsible for compliance, and should ensure it supervises its staff properly.

 

I wonder if English isn't his first language. In order to assist, then:

 

Sehr Geehrter Herr Obermaier

 

Ihre Entschuldigungen sind schwach. Lesen Sie bitte Ferguson v. British Gas Trading (2009), die alles klarstellen. Sie können das CSA herauf Ihr Band haften, ohne Vaseline.

 

Ihnen Unglück wünschen

 

Das Scharlachrot Pimpernel

Im auftrag der Verbraucher Aktions-Gruppe

[ScarletPimpernel]

The shock of it, Kurt Obermaier & the CSA no doubt will exclude this DCA from its membership for bringing their trade into disrepute. Second thoughts, they won't do that will they? Of course not because if they did they would have to do it to all of their members that circumvent the law and various other bodies official guidelines, they'd have no members left.

 

 

When attempting to calculate the likelihood of the CSA censuring, let alone expelling, a miscreant member, remember this:

 

The Chairman of the CSA is the CEO of 1st Credit, a company who have done at least as much as any other to bring their industry into disrepute. He did not think that being responsible for major non-compliance was grounds to resign. I can't be bothered to check, but I should not be at all surprised to find that most, if not all, of the main DCAs are involved in running the CSA.

 

Asinus asinum fricat, as they say.

 

Our bombers are over Berlin, Herr Obermaier - you're a Dutchman.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Ah, hell...I was hoping it was 1st crud or the like but I guess Marlins will have to do

 

Wonder who the other bunch is?

 

I suspect that we may look northwards, across the border...

[ScarletPimpernel]

Glasgow, I suspect.

[ScarletPimpernel]

You are correct BB...

[ScarletPimpernel]

A Kilo of Semtex?

 

Do you mean to draw the regulator's attention to their ongoing flaccidity, or the use of HE to remove the cause of our complaints?

 

If the former, there is a risk of collateral damage leaving fewer regulators; I propose that some form of electrical cattle prod would be effective. If the latter, HE might do the job, but I suspect that an L115A3 would be far more satisfying.

[ScarletPimpernel]

1st crud have had more than their fare share of expose

 

 

Indeed, but they also continue to be non-compliant, and that creature Nathoo remains as the Chairman of the debt-industry's bottom-sniffing club, the CSA.

 

1st Credit understand the situation perfectly; they are taking a calculated risk that the OFT, having eventually threatened them with serious action, will not have the testicular fortitude required to actually impose substantial financial sanctions or revoke their credit licence.

 

So far 1st Credit's strategy seems to be paying off.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Marlin's MD has already been busy trying to defend his firm's behaviour. He thinks the programme might have an adverse effect on his drones:

 

Dunphy expressed concern over the welfare of staff and said the company is working with Dispatches to ensure none of them are put in danger by the programme. "It is a sensitive business and there are safety issues. We don’t want any of our people made vulnerable."

 

What sort of danger does Dunphy think might result from his company's bad practices being exposed. Will they be sent to patrol on foot in Helmand Province, something that is truly dangerous? Or does Dunphy imagine that someone may recognise a monkey in the pub and give him a good shoeing? I suspect the chances of either are remote, and that in fact Dunphy's nauseating words are designed to divert attention from the reality, which is that he has been caught red-handed. What a chopper.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I do find it strange that they specialize in threatening people, yet they are concerned for their employees personal safety....simple solution morons - stop the threats

 

Indeed. Be the hard man when you have the advantage or can hide, then pish your drawers and pretend to be the victim when you're nicked. Classic bully behaviour.

 

I think Mr Dunphy doesn't like playing Big Boy's Rules.

[ScarletPimpernel]

In fact, I do not think that gratuitously insulting DCA staff is either appropriate or helpful, because it merely lowers us to their level. However, I have sometimes been guilty of amusing myself at the expense of DCA staff of low intelligence, and of using psychological skills against them.

 

The creatures I would really like to get to grips with are those at the top; the ones who run the companies, and pretend they don't know what goes on at the coal face. The Dunphys, Nathoos and Obermaiers of the industry have much to answer for. The drones are usually just that - the turnover of phone-monkeys is high, and most don't stay long.

 

I do not share the view that Cyclops and his gang will, in the little time left to them, side with the DCAs. They do not actually generate much money. Far from it - if you look deep enough into the ownership of many, you will see that the real money goes overseas. Remember that most of the debts they are chasing have already been written off against tax, a debit to the Exchequer. Sure, they employ people, but almost all the jobs are low grade, unskilled and commission based. Look how many jobs the banks have dumped - Za-Nu Labour didn't bat an eyelid.

 

My feeling is that people power will be the winning policy of the next election - no ID cards, less intrusive data gathering and so on. The debt industry would be a small sacrifice that would win votes, and few would miss them.

 

To the conspiracy theorists I offer this - just why are we in Afghanistan? Fighting the Taleban and stopping the flow of drugs to UK? Or is Broon keeping the military busy because he's worried that one day he'll wake up to the sound of Warriors clanking up Whitehall...

[ScarletPimpernel]

Has nobody ever spoken to a decent/civil debt collector?

 

No. They are trained to bully and harass. There's no doubt that some revel in the effect they have. Remember that the reason bullies do what they do is that they are inadequate; if these creatures had anything about them they wouldn't be working in a callcentre in a commission-based job.

[ScarletPimpernel]

One of the journalists involved with Dispatches has just been on the Andrew Marr programme - she said that DCAs were chasing people who had borrowed in better times and now couldn't afford to pay; Baroness Helena Kennedy QC commented that people were encouraged to borrow beyond their means.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Tears down the phone DOES NOT work!!!

 

It makes them worse

 

Because they realise that they have the psychological advantage, and will seek to exploit it.

 

One of teh techniques they use is Transactional Analysis. Essentially, the theory is that we all have various 'ego states' - child, adult, parent. In general terms, we are most at ease when dealing with another person in the same state. It's more complex than that, but you can see what I mean. What the DCA tries to do is be a parent (dominant), and make you go into child state (submissive). Once you are aware of it, it's quite easy to counter.

 

Look at Spicebird's experience - made her cry, and then put her onto someone who 'helped'. In other words, angry parent made Spicebird go from frightened adult to upset child, then 'helpful' parent came along and got her to do something she didn't really want to do.

 

I often tell DCA monkeys not to interrupt, because it's rude - all I'm doing is asserting myself as a parent to their naughty child. They either comply, or they go all teenager and hang up. Works without fail.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Who's to say there isn't a sleeper of two still within the DCA companies? It's the long game that usually wins in intelligence, as PIRA, for example, know to their cost.

 

The directors of these shabby outfits will be looking over their shoulders for a long time.

 

The other wake-up call, of course, is for the regulators; DCAs will bin monkeys who get caught, but big fines and making senior staff accountable are the only things they'll take notice of - and Ferguson v. British Gas Trading Ltd both made clear that managers are responsible for everything that goes on in their firms, and also makes clear that TS and OFT have a duty to enforce. Then there's the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who should be taking better care of their group consumer credit licence.

[ScarletPimpernel]

There will always be people who are lucky enough not to be in circumstances that have put them in debt. They are irritating, but they post from ignorance or from a sense of smugness.

 

As to the DCAs, I agree that they are indulging in Labour-stylee damage limitation. Their excuses that it was rogue staff, or 'training issues' no longer holds water, however - Ferguson showed that those in charge of companies are responsible for everything that goes on within. What they are saying is effectively an admission that their management and compliance is so poor they don't know what's happening under their noses.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Is that OUR BRW on there?

 

 

 

I feel sure that it is our own BRW.

[ScarletPimpernel]

It may be, of course, that some of the guests are people who are on the receiving end of DCA bullying who have seen CAG mentioned on the C4 site.

 

Please keep this in mind and show civility to all.

[ScarletPimpernel]

...and on the Today programme, it is again reported that the Conservatives have said that they will bin the FSA and create a new body which will be founded on consumer protection.

 

Proof of the pudding etc., but it seems to me that this is another example of the way in which politicians have seen that things cannot continue as they are.