CABOT/FIRE - Harrassment?

[Dommie]

Hi, I'm new to these forums.

 

I have an oustanding debt with Next, however it's not a credit card debt it's a catalogue debt.

 

I don't recall ever having signed a credit agreement with Next.

My debt was sold to Cabot about 2 years ago,

I ignored all letters and phone calls from them until September last year.

I claim benefits as I have an illness.

 

At first they asked me to pay £40 out of my benefit money every 2 weeks which would have left me with only £60 to live on for the whole 2 weeks. I didn't pay.

Then they called me in January while I was travelling at about 7pm the woman who called

said that she would make my debt smaller but I had to pay £90 out of my £100 benefit even though at the time

I had been made homeless and I was living with my partner, who at the time was also receiving benefits. I again didn't pay them.

 

Since then my partner an I have moved into new accommodation and have been settling down.

 

Now I am receiving calls from CABOT's other office by the name of FIRE.

They usually call before 9am in the morning (I'm expecting a call in about 50 minutes actually).

 

I don't know what to do, whether I should answer the call or not,

and I'm worried that if I do pick up the phone they'll bully me into paying them again as they have done before.

 

As I said, I don't recall ever signing a credit agreement with Next so it'll be pointless me asking CABOT/FIRE if they can send me those documents,

as they don't exist.

 

I owe less than £600 to Next retail.

 

Do I have a leg to stand on?

 

Or should go to the Citizens Advice Bureau to see what I can do?

 

Thanks in advance

Dommie

[PGH7447]

you need to send these people a cca request asking for the alledged agreement, also if they phone answer and just say in writing then put the phone down, it may take a few goes but eventually the penny drops on these fools and they will write

[Dommie]

Thanks

 

What is a cca request? (Sorry I'm not up to date with any of the terminology lol )

[Crocdoc]

The easy way to to duck the calls is simply to state that you never under any circumstances provide personal information over the phone. Everything must be in writing. Furthermore, in the past they have clearly breached OFT rules by making unrealistic demands, this is something they never do in writing.

[Dommie]

Thanks you so much. I've managed to evade the calls so far, but I'm beginning to feel harassed as they call my mobile now. I used to get e-mails from them asking me to call them. I was hit by a car earlier in the year and my partner answered a call from them, they told him that he had to send them a medical report from the hospital!!

[Crocdoc]

You are under no obligation whatsoever to send these people anything, they have no legal status, get someone else to answer your mobile as if they own the phone and insist that they delete the number.

[Dommie]

We've tried that, my partner answered my mobile the other night and requested the number be deleted, but we still get calls. Do you think it advisable to tell Trading Standards about the phone calls?

[iamadebtor]

With the greatest respect if these greedy clowns sense you are vulnerable they will carry on harassing even more.

They thrive off fear and its those who ignore them or tell them to f off a few times that they leave alone.

As already said they have no legal power to any money off you. Refuse to answer security questions when they ring and report them to every authority you can think of.

Oh and hello 19 guests. Quiet in the Cabot office this morning is it?

[Dommie]

They even trawl the whocallsme website, one even had the audacity to post on there. I wondered why so many people were reading the thread and not posting advice :-p

 

I'll do that this morning, first port of call is the police then I'll go from there

[Conniff]

With the greatest respect if these greedy clowns sense you are vulnerable they will carry on harassing even more.

They thrive off fear and its those who ignore them or tell them to f off a few times that they leave alone.

As already said they have no legal power to any money off you. Refuse to answer security questions when they ring and report them to every authority you can think of.

Oh and hello 19 guests. Quiet in the Cabot office this morning is it?

 

This is a post to take note of. You can't be bullied over the phone unless you let yourself be. You take control, just put the phone down on the side and leave it without saying anything or sing to them, I understand they don't like 'Laurel and Hardy - Lonesome Pine' . Just don't let them get a word in. If they are saying things that shouldn't be said to you, then pop into Maplins and get yourself a phone conversation recorder. You don't have to tell them you are recording them, but can at a later date when you have a lot of incriminating evidence recorded.

[Dommie]

Haha! I doubt they'll be too pleased with the music I listen too. Let's just say that they'll be be listening to something similar to Slayer

 

I've reported them to Trading Standards too. I haven't received any calls from them yet this morning, but it's still early.

[gloryhunter]

Morning Dommie, dont take any s*** for the clowns they did the same to me phone calls at all hours take all the advice you get from cag as i did. You will beat them as i did they tried every trick in the book 50% off the debt, stop all intrest, pay a £1 and we will hold your account for 6 months tc.......... how old is the debt?Regards Gloryhuter

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?493-Harassment-by-telephone-response-letter Send this off to them

Edited August 22, 2011 by gloryhunter

[Dommie]

The debt's coming up to about 5 years old, I had Next chase me for 3 years before Cabot got hold of it, and they've been calling for almost 2 years. Even changed my house phone number just so that they couldn't contact me. Thanks for your help Gloryhunter, they're right gits!!!

[gloryhunter]

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?414-CCA-request-letter Send this off to them

It should be sent with a £1 postal order Recored delivery,make sure you state the the £1 is for the cca and not to be used towards the debt. They have 12+2 working days to respond, if they dont then they will be in default dont sign the letter. Gloryhunter

[Bazooka Boo]

Ofcom need to be informed of these silly little children abusing the communications network as well.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/contact-us/

 

If they continue to harass you over the phone after they have been told not to, then report them to the Police for the criminal offence of harassment.

[Dommie]

Thank you all so much for your help, I really appreciate it. They did phone me earlier on, but they didn't say anything, they just hung up on me. I'm expecting another call from them this evening. I'll keep you posted

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Usually with catalogue accounts the contract is put

in place by the acceptance and delivery of the first order,

if from a magazine advert or similar coupon it explains that

a credit account will be opened on the acceptance of first order.

[Bazooka Boo]

Yes I have seen DCA's send out begging letters reiterating this point, that the agreement was started by you accepting goods, but IMO that is where it ends.

If you received the goods and paid for them, then that IMO is the end of the agreement.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Agreed Boo,a lt of people don't realise that

when they do take delivery of the goods av account

is opened and one mistake and your into late payment

charges etc.

[Dommie]

Hi ya again,

 

I received a letter from Fire ltd this morning, along with their fake address, as I know them to be apart of Cabot. The balance in which they have printed on paper is NOT the balance I was told that I owed. Cabot originally reduced the balance to about £530 but I'm being told I owe £626.38. To be honest I don't even have the 38p to pay them. How do I tell them that I cannot afford to pay them until I am in full time work, which won't be anytime soon as I'm still recovering from an illness, whilst also paying back my loan from the Jobcenter. I know Cabot/Fire whatever they wish to call themselves nowadays, can be be bullies when it comes to this kind of thing because as I said in post #1 they tried to bully me into paying almost all of my benefit to them.

 

I receive one benefit and that's ESA.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Dommie

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

On benefits just tell them you have no

spare money to pay them, and you can't

work due to illness What Can They Do,

IMHO nothing take you to court and get

£1 a month, please don't be bullied they

have no powers to do any thing but

send threats.

[Dommie]

Thanks for the help Brigadier

 

Also I thought I might add that Cabot never sent me a letter saying that they had bought my debt from Next Retail. They only ever told me over the phone. Is this legal?

[Bazooka Boo]

Unless you have it in writing I would take whatever that falls out of the hole in the front of their heads as utter rubbish and lies.

[Dommie]

Cheers Bazooka Boo, that's cleared everything up for me

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

How true Boo, what To**ers they are:madgrin: