Disabled Veteran Harrassed for 4yrs by DCA for debt of unknown person

[stu007]

Hi Caggers

 

Need some advice to help disabled veteran who has being getting harrassed for 2yrs by numerous different DCA for a debt of someone they have never heard of or known all because these imcompetant DCA cant do there job and keep calling his home phone number.

 

They cannot change his phone number which would solve this as his phone line is linked to the hospital due to his medical needs.

 

Now these DCAs keep asking for a ZOE McCUE, of CANNIESBURN ROAD in GLASGOW which after 2years of harrasement they have let details slip. My friend does not live anywhere near that address and has never known or heard of this individual.

 

Now today at exactley 0822am this morning i was with him and took the call asking for this same individual, asked what company told LOWELLS FINANCIAL SERVICES the telephone number was 0113 308 6000, then when asked by myself why they are the 8th DCA to call this number refused to confirm they were DCA until I pointed out his refusal to answer my question just confirmed they were a DCA as there is no law which prevents them giving me that information, but they still refused. When asked for there CEO and contact detail as they were harrassing a Disabled veteran who may now sue them for harrassment and also go to the Press.

 

I then questioned what investigation work they had done to check the telephone number before calling it and low and behold couldnt get of the phone quick enough.

 

1. Who can these companies be reported to for harrassement?

2. Can we write to this DCA and demand to know who the Client is i.e which bank,card company etc

(The reason i ask this is i think these DCAs are for a better way of putting it committing som type of fraud - why well the way i see it they have either been given the debt to chase by client or purchased this debt therefore the should be carrying out a proper investigation which if they had done so they would find out this home phone number belongs to some one else at a totally different address a Disabled Veteran, so they are being paid by the client for actually not doing there job just opening a folder with the wrong phone number in it lets be completely lazy and get paid for it and not check its correct just call it.

3. Is there a strong worded letter i could send to them.

 

To be honest my friend who is a Disabled Veteran has had enough of this constant harrassment and he wants to go to the press and open a can of worm and i dont blame them.

 

any help much appreciated

 

Thanks All

[dx100uk]

do it!

 

go to the press now

 

wil be a wonderful case

 

dx

[citizenB]

You need also to check the Credit Reference files of your friend. If they have been harassing him for this length of time, chances are they meddled with his files ?

 

The number you have given is indeed the Lowell's group. Quite likely their comrade in arms.. Red !!

[stu007]

Hi dx100uk

 

I know that sounds good,

 

just amazes me how these so called DCA Companies can get away with harrassing someone for 2yrs for someone elses debt without doing the proper investigation work i.e. check the phone number on file matches address and check electoral roll oh no they dont have to do it just call and harrass the person again and again oh its great getting paid for doing eh nothing. Wonder if the Client they are work knows this is how they operate by doing nothing and being paid for it.

[citizenB]

I would think you have sufficient cause to report them to the 3 regulatory bodies. FOS, OFT and the Information Commissioner.

 

You will find complaint forms on all the above websites. Get complaining.. It wouldnt harm to contact a local or national newspaper either ?

[stu007]

Hi citizenB

 

As we have found out through the course of 2yrs the individuals debt file is just passed from company to company and all they are going off is the telephone number and asking for this same idiot as the addreess stated in first post is whats on file but Disabled Veteran doesnt and has never lived at that address or known this individual.

 

He has checked his experian credit file and its all ok and not one bit of detail about this individual they are chasing.

 

They have just had enough as all they are doing is passing this persons debt file from company to company with the incorrect phone number which belongs to Disabled Veteran after being told and told and as the debt is not theres understandilby they wont discuss anything else so hard to stop harrassment by them for there complete incompetence i.e. Not Doing a Proper Investigation.

[citizenB]

Well they are breaching the Data Protection Act for a start by processing your friend's personal data and obviously without his permission. So in the first instance I would make a complaint to the Information Commissioner.

 

Do you have the names of the other Debt collection companies that have been involved ?

 

I imagine that you could also make a good case for harassment to the FOS.. and perhaps try for a little bit of compensation

[stu007]

Hi

 

Now although this debt is nothing to do with the Disabled Veteran but he continually gets harrassed by these DCA Crooks and as he has the name and almost full address of the individual could they write to the DCA requesting the Clients Details (not the individuals who debt it is)so they can write an Offical Complaint to there Client on this DCA action.

 

The only reason i ask this is how is the client they are working for to know of there actions and that they are actually paying them for not carrying out any work.

[stu007]

Hi citizen

 

Yes got names and address of all 8 DCAs classic is the first DCA that called was the one that gave the address away as i well that was after almost 2hrs of me keeping them on the phone asking question after question when i realised who was calling heck i wasnt paying for the call and must admit i am a person not to be cagey with on the phone as i will just keep asking question until i get the answer well it must have worked.

[unclebulgaria67]

If you email the Lowell complaints team they should be able to resolve. [email protected]

 

I had the issue of receiving communications to my address relating to someone else never resident and emailing this address did resolve. They obviously noted the debtors credit file in some way and deleted the telephone number that was registered. I suspect at some stage the debtor concerned has entered your friends telephone number on some database or someone has keyed it in wrongly.

[citizenB]

I would agree that if they are acting as collection agents only, then there is an original creditor somewhere in the background. I think the next time any of them phone you do need to ask who "their client" is.

 

I am rather surprised that over the 2 years, there hasnt been any back up in writing. One assumes that they have possibly written to the person they actuall want, but have somehow obtained your friend's telephone number in error or through lack of proper research.

 

Once you make a complaint to the Information commissioner, then Lowells or whoever will probably have to inform them on whose behalf they are persecuting your friend. but for the purpose of your exercise, it will be the DCA you would complain about or issue any claim if you were thinking of taking that far.

 

Lowells usually deal with the likes of MBNA, Capone.. not sure what other banks they purchase from.. but a quick whizz round the forums will give you a pretty good idea.

[stu007]

Hi uncle

 

thanks for that you just jogged my memory there just remember that these calls only started after he had changed phone supplier and given new number which is the number the DCAs are all calling.

 

Did question this with phone provider and it was confirmed in writing that the phone number he was issued had been out of circulation for 20 months before being issued to him.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I would also suggest contacting the Royal

British Legion which has the ability to

help and advise as do many of the exservice

organisations, or regimental associations.

[stu007]

Hi Brigadier

 

Thanks for that he does know about these organisations but is very stubborn and feels in his words time for payback and trust me he will as when he gets a bee in his bonnet you dont want to be on the other end.

 

Best way to put it a local authority done something they shouldnt have and he pursued it for 6yrs won his case which in turn changed the local authorites polices at the same time

[Bazooka Boo]

Oh yes!!!

 

Right then, where to begin....

 

OFT via http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/UsefulContactsByCategory/Governmentcitizensandrightscontacts/DG_195948

 

Local MP via http://www.writetothem.com/

 

Scottish Newspapers http://www.wrx.zen.co.uk/scotland.htm

 

National Media http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/gotastory/

 

If they ring again then try this little trick I found the other day http://macutmore.posterous.com/report-nuisance-telephone-calls-immediatelyth

 

OfCom ?? http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/telecoms/privacy/

[stu007]

Hi Bazooka Boo

 

Great thanks for advice he is all fired up about this as in his words how can these DCA Companies get away with not only harrassing innocent people but are their clients that thick that they dont realise these DCA are actually not doing the job their being paid for.

 

Then again it could be these DCA companies have some closed door policy to just keep passing onto each other sit back and watch the profit roll in

[stu007]

Well

 

off to bed and thank you to everyone for your valuable advice will keep you update

[jimbo_]

I would complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service initially. Since 2007 they have covered complaints against DCA, including chasing the wrong person for a debt. I myself have filed a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office against Ebay for supplying wrong information to DCA (iQor). When iQor rang me up I told them next time they contact me I would report them to FOS and the police for harassment, no more calls.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I would suggest this is an item

for your local press and definitely

for a financial journalist such a

Tony Hetherington of the Mail

o Sunday, he gets excellent results.

[stu007]

Hi All

 

Well just an update which yous are probably going to be shocked at

 

1. contacted Informatin Commissioners - Response nothing to do with us

2. contacted Financial Service Ombusman - Response nothing to do with us

3. contacted Office of Fair Trading - Response nothing to do with us please contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and Consumer Direct on 01851 822401

 

So contacted:

1. Action Fraud - Response nothing to do with us.

2. Consumer Direct - Response nothing to do with us but will pass it onto your local Trading Standards.

 

 

Did also and I know i shouldnt have but phoned Lowells since they also left a text message on my house phone wil all the Debtors details and a nice reference number. Demanded to speak to manager, individual laughed at me on phone that was until i reminded them they had just broken the law by laughing at me and to put a manager on.

 

Was very sympathetic and appologised and promised to remove my phone number from this individuals file.

 

Do you really think I believe this will happen NO they will leave it there and just sell the file/debt on and get more calls.

 

So what this comes down to is that the Debt Collection Agencies are protected by Government Acts to harrass INNOCENT people for debts of someone they have never known or met and the protection that the INNOCENT VICTIM has is absolutely NONE.

[Bazooka Boo]

All the agencies who claim it is nothing to do with them ask them who they think it is who needs to deal with it if they won't.?

 

See if they can come up with an answer...

 

The press is a definite and you can make a fool out of all the other corporations who have jumped on the band wagon in the supposed guise of assisting consumers with complaints about the corrupt financial industry.

 

Send lowlifes a bill of costs, then invoice them for their petty attempts to con money out of someone who doesn't owe it.

[unclebulgaria67]

Suggest that the OP follows this up with Lowell complaints to make sure the telephone number is taken off and they won't pass the debt on, with other companies phoning the same number.

 

If they don't do this, in a few months time, they could suddenly start receiving calls from Mackenzie Hall or BCW, who are known to take debts from Lowell

[stu007]

Hi

 

Bazooka Boo

 

Thats the thing i did ask them whos responsibility it actually was and got passed to the next contact in my post they just kept saying nothing to do with them contact such and such and they done the same. So these crooked debt collection agencies are not only protected by government acts but also by the government department supposed to help the consumer.

 

Uncle

 

Did speak to Lowells who were actually very sympathetic and appologised and promised to removed the home phone number from that person file but and this is a big but, the previous seven other debt collection agiences that called as i have now been corrected by the Disabled Veteran has been over 3years not 2years as i had initially stated have all made the same false promise and whats happen 3-4 months later another debt collection agency is calling for the same person

 

Ultimately I believe that Lowells will just pass the sell the file on like the others did and the same will continue to happen.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Stu Get it into the press, Lowell

have had a lot of bad publicity

appeared on Watchdog and such.

[martin g]

Good Morning,

 

I would go and see your MP, and as you are in Scotland you also have an MSP to fall back on.

Some MPs are very good at getting their voters problems resolved, (whilst others are completely useless.)

I know from my own experience that companies hate having to deal with a query from an MP and it takes up a lot of management time, because they can't just brush it off with a template letter.

If everyone complained to their MPs about the kind of actions we see on here everyday we might see legislation put into place to cover the abuses of debt selling.

 

Martin g