Cabot, an exceptionally dirty trick?

[Mr Duck]

Hi, i'm writing this on behalf of my mother.

 

We've been hounded by Cabot for years, phone calls in the hundreds, possibly more. We've always ignored their calls and correspondence, far from being imtimidated we actually found them to be rather amusing. After god knows how long the phone calls finally stopped and figured they'd finally got the message....until today.

 

We recieved a very interesting letter addressed to the whole family name, not just my mother, sending their condolences on my mothers death!!!! I can't scan the letter so i've typed it out word for word below:

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam

Condolences

We regret to note the death of Mrs xxxxxx and wish to express our Company's condolences.

Whilst we appreciate that there will be a number of issues to address at this time, we would be grateful if you could pass this letter to those who are dealing with the administration of the estate. Alternatively, please provide us with their details.

In the meantime, please could you send a copy of the death certificate, using the enclosed prepaid envelope, so that we can update our records.

Contacting Cabot

If you have any queries, please call one of our helpful customer advisors on 01732 524642 (Minicom: 01732 524630)

Thank you for your help at this difficult time.

Yours faithfully

 

(copied and pasted signature)

 

 

Emma Robertson

Customer Relations Department

I would like to make clear my mother is alive and well!

While we're not worried by this letter, we are interested to know other peoples opinions about this letter and your thoughts on whether this is a very dirty tactic designed for us to contact them, considering that we have always avoided any sort of contact with Cabot.

[Huff&Puff]

Welcome to CAG

 

Report the scumbags to Trading Standards and the OFT. Every time you think you've heard the worst despicable trick possible, they come up with something worse :mad2:

[Mr Duck]

Hi, thanks for the welcome

 

Was thinking about Trading Standards as a possibility, as long as it does not involve any direct contact with Cabot. We've always maintained a strict "No contact" attitude with them.

[wilko1]

And I thought I was having problems with Cabot having received over 300 phone calls from them dispite telling them in writing only.

[Mr Duck]

And I thought I was having problems with Cabot having received over 300 phone calls from them dispite telling them in writing only.

 

Actually, we don't look on it as a problem. If they really could do something they'd have done so by now, instead they use scare tactics. The phone used to ring at least 5 times a day lol That was going on for at least a year to my knowledge.

 

We put the letter up just to see what other people thought, as it does seem a bizzare mistake to make, and also to see if anyone else had had the same letter or similar.

[ScarletPimpernel]

This is very serious.

 

It seems to me that sending such a letter, in the absence of any reasonable suspicion that the individual concerned is in fact dead, could only be intended to cause anxiety and distress. Cabot must know that such a course of conduct could amount to harassment, yet still sent it. We know from cases such as Ferguson v. British Gas Trading Ltd., and Lowell's recent run-in in the county court, that they cannot claim that it isn't harassment because a computer sent it, or that it must obviously be an error.

 

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is the legislation you need...

[Mr Duck]

This is very serious.

 

It seems to me that sending such a letter, in the absence of any reasonable suspicion that the individual concerned is in fact dead, could only be intended to cause anxiety and distress. Cabot must know that such a course of conduct could amount to harassment, yet still sent it. We know from cases such as Ferguson v. British Gas Trading Ltd., and Lowell's recent run-in in the county court, that they cannot claim that it isn't harassment because a computer sent it, or that it must obviously be an error.

 

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is the legislation you need...

 

 

Oooh many thanks for the info. I'll start studying!

[huggy41]

i'd send them this in there pre-paid envelope

Dear Emma Robertson

Thankyou for your letter Dated bla bla bla .the letter ment so much to me at this time as i now have written proof of your company's inability to handle this account to my satisfaction.

[harrassed senior]

It is good to see that you and your family have happily not been afttected badly by this terrible incident.

 

As you are in good spirits over this I really would suggest that you go after Cabot all guns blazing so to speak.

 

You can make an online complaint to both the OFT and TS here: http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/contact You will not have to contact Cabot in any way.

 

I would also contact your local MP with this, and, if you are up for it contact BBC Watchdog too.

 

Personally, I would not contact Cabot at all over this, ignore and lets see what comes next!

[Guest Cartaphilus]

Not gonna bother saying how disgusted (and I am thinking far much stronger wording here, similar thing happened to my family, but not a DCA and a long while ago, and I was as apalled and disgusted with it then ... lack of compassion being the least of it, and utterly no care in the world about the effects it was having on family members). But I think a demonstration of how this industry really doesn't care (if that needed to be said anyway, which it doesn't).

 

Report them as suggested, don't let them get away with this.

 

Incidentally, I'd bring the wrath of God, down on anyone who sent me a letter like this. Purely for being insensitive enough to send it.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Cartaphilus

[Ell-enn]

Definitely report them to trading standards ! what on earth made them think your mother had died. As you say, you are not unduly upset as a result of the letter, but they don't know that !!

 

As Scarlet said, they cannot rely on the "we made a mistake" excuse. Go get em

[unclebulgaria67]

Send them a dated picture of your mum dancing or something active. Must be a mistake or they have been advised of the bereavment by someone. Credit record ? Has a bank or other company entered deceased as the reason for a cancelled Direct Debit payment. Have any Direct Debit arrangements been cancelled recently ?

[Guest Cartaphilus]

DCA, 'mistake'. The only mistakes I know some of these people make are 'deliberate accidents' in order to provoke a response from someone but that above is really trawling the basest of the bottom of the dirtiest barrel.

[PGH7447]

I am sure your local paper would love a story like this, I can see the headlines now

 

Shocked Family Informed of Mothers alledged Death by a Debt Collection Agency Demanding Money

 

Today Mr Duck recieved a letter from a Debt collector "CABOT" informing him that his mother had died and could they pass on their demands to the next of kin, Mr Duck was of course bewildered by this as he had just spoken to his mother on the phone etc etc

[cerberusalert]

We've been hounded by Cabot for years,

If six years have passed (five in Scotland) where no payment or written acknowledgement of the debt was made it will be Statute Barred in any case.

[huggys boss]

And I thought I was having problems with Cabot having received over 300 phone calls from them dispite telling them in writing only.

 

Send them both of these by recorded delivery.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?71-harassment-library

 

One of them is telling the DCA that you will be recording all calls, once they think you will record calls they will probably take your number off the auto dialer - they have with us - because they can not trust the phone monkeys to stay within the law when they are trying to meet targets.

 

The other one is the telephone harassment letter.

[huggys boss]

DCA, 'mistake'. The only mistakes I know some of these people make are 'deliberate accidents' in order to provoke a response from someone but that above is really trawling the basest of the bottom of the dirtiest barrel.

 

 

We had a call from a DCA the other night, we went through security so that we could wind them up, but low and behold they were wanting us to make a payment to see us over until our IVA propsal was accepted................................we have never applied for an IVA, some poor sod who has applied for one has his data sitting in our file, funnily enough though, our account in dispute letter was not in our file, it is probably sitting in the IVA guys file. Needless to say, Huggy41 demanded to speak to somebody in authority and there is an internal investigation going on.

 

I think Cabot have either sent this letter out so that you will be so enraged that you will contact them, or, they have made a major booboo and got somebody elses data mixed up with yours.

 

Either way, I would be telling them to offload your file as soon as they can because you have no intention of dealing with a company that cannot control their data properly.

[DonkeyB]

Dear Cabot

 

Condolences

 

We regret to note the predictable death of your company and offer our sympathy.

 

Whilst we appreciate that there will be a number of issues to address at this time, such as dealing with the OFT and Trading Standards for such appalling recklessness in the conduct of your now defunct business, as well as the barrage of unfavourable press interest, we would be grateful if you could pass this letter to those who are dealing with the administration of the estate. Please tell them we can’t stop laughing at your demise.

 

In the meantime, please could you send a copy of the corporate death certificate, so we can frame it and put it on our wall.

 

Thank you for your help at this difficult time, when hundreds of you will be out of work. It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people.

 

God moves in mysterious ways.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Mr Duck (pp Mother Duck)

[MARTIN3030]

[Guest Cartaphilus]

Dear Cabot

 

Condolences

 

We regret to note the predictable death of your company and offer our sympathy.

 

Whilst we appreciate that there will be a number of issues to address at this time, such as dealing with the OFT and Trading Standards for such appalling recklessness in the conduct of your now defunct business, as well as the barrage of unfavourable press interest, we would be grateful if you could pass this letter to those who are dealing with the administration of the estate. Please tell them we can’t stop laughing at your demise.

 

In the meantime, please could you send a copy of the corporate death certificate, so we can frame it and put it on our wall.

 

Thank you for your help at this difficult time, when hundreds of you will be out of work. It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people.

 

God moves in mysterious ways.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Mr Duck (pp Mother Duck)

 

And, befitting such a sentimental occasion ... Sent on appropriate floral background paper, matching 'soft' tone font eg maybe something old ie calligraphy like ... Lots of red print every other word, sent special delivery ... Perhaps a bunch of roses ... Plastic of course ... In this way it will speec tneir journey at this difficult period in their lives ... Which they will fondly remember, cherish all the memories of those whom who will not miss them but will always remember them for making their lives so much more that much difficult in very difficult times. And that it may become a heavy burden in times to come, those oh so hard times of hardship. Serving, as they do, the weight those times bring.

[Mr Duck]

Wow! Many thanks to all who have replied to this thread, wasn't expecting so many to comment, much appreciated!

 

We thought about complaining but have decided against it for now. Although there is no doubt they deserve everything they get, we've obviously used the right tactics by refusing all contact with them otherwise they would not have resorted to a letter like that, they must be desperate! But if we we're to complain now they could claim it was just an administrative error, unlikely we know, but proving otherwise would be very difficult. But by sending that letter they've also backed themselves into a corner as they can no longer contact my mother personally, if they do then they will have given us the proof we need to make a much more effective complaint. If they don't then we've got what we wanted, either way we win.

 

If we recieve any more correspondence from these cowboys I will post it here immediately.

 

Thanks again for all your replies.

[unclebulgaria67]

Don't rule out the possibility that somewhere someone has noted this information. I know Cabot can be a bit sly, but I don't think someone from their Customer Relations team would be daft enough to send this letter without checking.

 

Could Cabot have noted your mother credit record as deceased? It might be worth checking just in case, as you never know other companies might pick this up.

[citizenB]

Sheesh, I thought I had seen most of Cabot tricks but this has to be the worst, even by their standards.

 

As you say, if they now try to contact your mother, or take action against her in anyway, then you have in your hands, written proof of their harrassment.

[questioner]

So what's the latest of this one ??

 

http://financialfraudsternews.com/content/view/105/100/

[DonkeyB]

I really hope they are stupid enough to write again to a living person, having asserted they are dead. Your analysis and way forward is spot on.

 

Perhaps they could give themselves another trading name – Lazarus Debt Collectors?