Today's Guardian...CAG and some organisation called the CSA

[hungrybear]

I dunno... Traffic Wardens, Bailiffs, Shopping Centre Security Guards, Supermarket "Supervisors", anyone with a title "Team Leader" and clamping firms are in the mix too ;-)

 

council employees - how could you miss them! AND the 'Im too fick to be a copper' PCSO's!

 

The staff in DCA call centres are mostly young and niave and brainwashed into believing that what they are doing is good and proper and that the people they deal with are the **** of the earth 'lying cheating debtors who will do and say anything to avoid paying'. Exploitation now there's a word

[vjohn82]

council employees - how could you miss them! AND the 'Im too fick to be a copper' PCSO's!

 

The staff in DCA call centres are mostly young and niave and brainwashed into believing that what they are doing is good and proper and that the people they deal with are the **** of the earth 'lying cheating debtors who will do and say anything to avoid paying'. Exploitation now there's a word

 

I also missed double glazing/conservatory "sales people" lol

[pompeyfaith]

In fact all cold callers, had one today from talk talk despite their being a bl**dy big sign on window next to front door saying

 

PLEASE NO COLD CALLERS AS I DO NOT DO BUSINESS AT MY FRONT DOOR.

 

Did she take any notice nope and I told her three times that im not interested

 

Blimey makes you want to swear.

 

PF

[loopinlouie]

Maybe our signs should say 'I HATE COLD CALLERS' they ignore mine too.

[hungrybear]

what about people that make legitimate business to business cold calls during business hours?

or do you hate me as well:(.

[mkb]

what about people that make legitimate business to business cold calls during business hours?

or do you hate me as well:(.

 

Not sure that was wise saying this hb

 

When I had my business, I hated cold calls like this with a passion

[mkb]

In fact all cold callers, had one today from talk talk despite their being a bl**dy big sign on window next to front door saying

 

PLEASE NO COLD CALLERS AS I DO NOT DO BUSINESS AT MY FRONT DOOR.

 

Did she take any notice nope and I told her three times that im not interested

 

Blimey makes you want to swear.

 

PF

 

Talk Talk are the worst both for doorstepping & cold calling on phone! TPS means nothing to them I have a lovely log of all their calls thanks to Truecall

[hungrybear]

Not sure that was wise saying this hb

 

When I had my business, I hated cold calls like this with a passion

 

bloody manc, didnt stop you thanking me for my advice did it!

 

Anyway I would have disqualified you immediately, if you cannot make the decision about a sensible footy team to support:p.

 

I can asure you that in my business we do not do the 'like this' cold calls you refer to; but yes I do come across the odd belligerent manc on the phone!

 

right i'm off to buy a wolfsburg scarf for tonight:D

[mkb]

LOL - now now, calm down!

:lol:

[itsamomentintime]

come on reds!

[ScarletPimpernel]

Please keep on topic.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of forums for followers of the ball-kicking game...

[DeRichleau]

It is probably posted on here somewhere,but since I missed it here or anywhere else last week I thought it might be worth repeating as long as copyrite allows....

Debt collectors hit out at advice websites

 

Trade body for debt collectors holds workshops for its members to look at 'combating' organisations such as Consumer Action Group

 

 

Debt collectors are planning ways to hit back against online consumer forums allowing people to share advice about dealing with debt problems and taking on financial institutions.

The Credit Services Association (CSA), the main trade body for debt collectors, has held workshops for its members to explore ways of "combating" organisations such as the Consumer Action Group (CAG), a forum with almost 250,000 members.

A CSA PowerPoint presentation, seen by the Guardian, claims such sites are guilty of "encouraging" people to evade debts, provide "breeding grounds for misinformation" and "insult" banks and debt collectors.

A section of the presentation entitled "What do they actually do?" said online forums "celebrate 'victories' against creditors, set up tallies of how much has been refunded in bank charges [and] provide standard template letters".

It outlined some of the most common claims made and said it had provided the Ministry of Justice with evidence of bad practice as well as suggesting possible amendments to primary legislation with the consumer affairs minister.

It added that it had "discussed consumer forums and CMCs [claims management companies] with the OFT".

But Marc Gander, a co-founder of the CAG, said it was "a real shame" debt collection firms felt they had to set up a mechanism to combat sites such as his.

"They seem to view us as some variation of animal rights activists," he added.

The CAG, set up in 2006, was one of the first online self-help organisations to help people challenge banks over "unfair" charges and loan agreements that could be unenforceable.

The consumer revolt over current account penalty charges triggered a huge surge in the number of sites offering to help people take on banks, credit card companies and loan providers.

Some of these were described as "irresponsible" by the debt collectors' body, but Gander said bank charges would never have been made a priority by the OFT without websites such as his.

The OFT launched a high-profile legal battle over the issue, but it ended in defeat last month.

"Consumer websites are here for keeps," Gander said. "They had better learn to live with it. How many people do they really want to be in conflict with?"

A spokesman for the CSA said websites that helped borrowers manage their debts responsibly were to be welcomed, but those setting out simply to help debtors avoid debts were "grossly irresponsible".

"Avoiding debts is not a victimless crime – it impacts everybody in the long run," the spokesman said.

"If a website gave advice on how to shoplift, consumers – and retailers – would be up in arms, so how can it be right for a site to effectively encourage people to make off with money that isn't theirs?"

The spokesman said the CSA had relaunched its website with a consumer help section and engaged with consumer advice bodies to help people manage their debts.

 

 

 

Looks like they are getting worried that Caggers are armed with more knowledge than they would like us to have....My heart pumps p--s

[MARTIN3030]

Dont know how you missed it-its been a very hot topic.

If you saw the readers replies they were just as hot as the article itself.

Will merge this with the main thread.

[teaboy2]

i like the bit where they accuse us of providing "breeding grounds for misinformation" and "insult" banks and debt collectors.

 

Errr what misinformation? only people on here that give misleading information are those that are employed by the DCA's, note the sticky thread about PM's. oh and dont get me started on the verbal abuse from dca staff members on sites such as whocallsme.

 

Insults to banks and DCA's? what and being accused of being a ****, homosexual when your straight and all the other names under the sun by DCA employees on the phone isnt insulting to us? Not to mention the daily phone calls at all hours resulting in harrassment, and the misleading legal advice being given by DCA's in order to trick you into paying.

 

If you CSA and DCA's cant take it then dont dish it out, simple as. if you actually obeyed the law and respected peoples legal rights instead of bending over backwards to act unlawfully and abusive to people, then we wouldnt need to be here giving people the correct legal advice and correct information. It was only yesterday when i was told that my debt with MBNA was not in dispute by a dca on the phone, despite the fact they were fully aware what the dispute was (invalid default notice and unlawful termination of account) and that it was currently being investigated by the FOS who the **** give them the right to decide if i can have a dispute or not. So whos giving who the missleading information? espeically when i was told the phone call was being recorded and that i was simply avoiding the debt so will be taken to court and they would use the recording as evidence i was avoiding the debt. id like to know how they think or on what knowledge of the law makes them think they will be successful when the debt is unenforacble. i had already made clear to them i would not be making any payments towards the debt until after the dispute is resolved, not because i am avoiding the debt but simply as a matter of priniciple. why should i pay towards a debt when the creditor has acted unlawfully? and as such it is highly likley the debt will be written off by a judge as a result of the creditors unlawful actions.

 

oh and i loved this bit posted as part of scarlettpimpernels comment:

 

"Of course the CSA took no action when 3 member companies were sanctioned by the OFT - the man in charge of the CSA runs one of the 3 companies!"

 

lol says it all about the CSA

Edited December 9, 2009 by teaboy2

[UnmoderatetheNet]

when they get hysterical and start crying like little gurlies,you know it's really starting to hurt them

 

DCA's,you existence is becoming more and more futile by the day

 

do us all a favour and go away in short jerky movements

 

And this really is the point...if you ever needed more evidence.

 

DCA's are really hurting and they are in trouble, its not about avoiding debt its about putting these aniamals out of business.

 

The basic problem we have is fear and stupid letters designed to scare, this business model is finished and when they stop doing it there would be no need for sites like this.

 

They created the situation it wasn't enough to do business in a civil manner oh no they want to cause misery and send scary letters despite this being a highly regulated industry.

 

You play, we play fair, you Mr. DCA stopped playing fair a long time ago when just like the banks you got greedy.

 

As for CCA,do you think the law should be just disregarded because it is inconvient? You should maybe have taken the line of we could not possible pursue this debt becuase it is SB or unenforcebale. instead of sell the debt to us and we will scare and fill our letters with court action, maybes and perhaps.

 

The industry as it stands is finished,this is a revolt by consumers and this will bring about change and if you doubt this i have one word for you.

 

Cattles

[Pinky69]

And in case you didn't get the message CSA there are other words too that reflect a lot of pain in your rotten industry - Intrum Justitia, 1st Credit and Cabot being another three and no doubt more will come to the surface in due course. The worm has turned - get used to it.

[F_DCAs]

teaboy2 - Yes, it looks as if the credit industry, or rather the badly paid lackeys that work for it, have been using whocallsme for a while to mislead people about the company concerned or to rant at 'debtors' (which is not what that site is for). The appallingly bad spelling and grammar makes them easy to spot.

 

Every instance I've come across, I've made it my business to call them out on it, expose them for the wastes of skin that they are, and instead direct people to this fine site.

 

The industry must really be clutching at straws when they feel it necessary to vent its spleen on public forum boards, as some kind of cathartic outlet. It'll frustrate them all the more when they realise it isn't working, which will in turn cause them to get so wound up that they make hopefully serious mistakes in their work.

[cashins]

It'll frustrate them all the more when they realise it isn't working, which will in turn cause them to get so wound up that they make hopefully serious mistakes in their work.

 

Looking at the average DCA track record, I assume you mean even more serious mistakes!!!

 

David

[teaboy2]

well personaly i feel their statements against us and similar forums is nothing short of an act of war. so bring it on!!! it will be us caggers and our allies from other consumer sites that will be victorious in the end, and judging by their latest out burst and attempt to publicly degrade us with their false accusations just goes to show that they are reeling from huge loses in profit because of or stance against them.

 

Oh and talking about debt avoidance - what the ****s happeneing with all the unpaid administration charges that i have charged to the DCA that have been harassing me for unproven debts, debts that are non existent and even debts were the agreement was unlawfully terminated making them unenforcable, in which not one single invoice has so far been paid? Talk about a balant attempt of debt avoidance MR CSA and MR DCA - you ****ing hypocrites.

[F_DCAs]

Yes cashins. That's exactly it. Mistakes that will prove fatal to their functionability as a company. And when they can't find a public outlet for their anger, or when they feel that no-one's paying any attention to their own woes, it'll depress them all the more. They've caused more than enough depression in the public - now the public can cause it to them! That's only fair, not to mention ironically deserved.

 

teaboy2 - Yep. It's OK for them to avoid debts themselves, but woe betide anyone they're chasing. In my younger, more naive days, I once worked within a DCA. I make no excuses for that, but I will point out that I was not brought in as a call jockey, and prior to starting that job, I didn't know the workings of inside a DCA from the back end of the moon.

 

From what I witnessed first hand at the company concerned (which unfortunately still exists, and regularly is mentioned on these boards), I harbour nothing but absolute deep-rooted contempt for that industry.

 

The hypocricy, belligerence, dehumanisation, self-centred egotism and utter contempt the bosses encouraged to their workers meant that I couldn't get out of there fast enough and I've never regretted it since. So disheartening it was, that if was a choice between taking a job at a DCA or desperation, then desperation would win out every time. I could reel off shocking stories of what I saw within that company.

 

The general consensus here that DCAs are staffed by empty, unskilled, insubstantial saddos completely lacking in any interpersonal skills I can tell you is entirely accurate.

 

The credit industry as it stands and from what I've seen of that, I'd be perfectly happy to see it vanish completely from the face of the earth. At the very least, the CSA is clearly getting nervous that that is beginning to become possible, and good on CAG for helping to make that happen.

[kurvaface]

I could reel off shocking stories of what I saw within that company.

F DCAs: surely here and now, while this sick industry struts its stuff, is the time to do just that.

 

I am all ears:cool:

[F_DCAs]

Well, I've been in a few jobs and thought I'd seen it all, but having a blade pointed at my face was definitely a new one. When you get physically threatened in your job, it's time to go.

 

Yes, I did try to persue it further, but it didn't go anywhere.

[Pinky69]

Absolutely shocking but not surprising somehow. I always felt some of these cesspits could be capable of anything.

[F_DCAs]

That wasn't a one-off incident. I'd had other threats made to me by the same guy (who was also the company co-owner).

 

The way some of the staff spoke to customers was totally unacceptable and convinced me very quickly that I wanted no part of that company.

 

For obvious reasons, I can't name the company here, but will say that it's regularly mentioned on these boards.

[hungrybear]

I always suspected they would kill their grandma for a fiver but I kinda thought they needed their staff 'on message'