I was pressurised by phone into paying Moorcroft half a sth water 'debt'

[Staara77]

Hello folks:-)

 

I got a letter from that famous Moorcroft company and it stated that I owe Southern Water PLC £86.50 and that I needed to phone them by yesterday..

.otherwise there would be the threat of possible litigation.

 

I phoned them yesterday, and the woman who answered gave her name as Hannah

-she repeated her name several times during the call.

I don't know if she was doing this on purpose-but at least her name is imprinted in my mind!

 

I told her that I was unemployed and could not afford to pay the £86.50 and then she said that as I had not paid Southern Water for so long (around 8 months to be precise),

that there was no other option than for me to pay half of the £86.50... being stupid I agreed to pay £40!

 

then she said that on the 4th March £46.50 would be taken out of my account.

I did try to tell Hannah that I was unemployed and could not afford to pay the amount,

but she told me that I had no other option but to pay...half yesterday and the rest on the 4th March.

 

Then she repeated her name a few more times and asked me to ask for her if I needed to contact Moorcroft by phone.

I just wondered if she was being over-confident or cheeky by repeating her name so many times?

 

Now looking back in hindsight I know that it was foolish of me to pay the £40 (instead of insisting that I wanted a payment plan) but I felt pressurised by her attitude.

 

Now I'm just wondering what I can do now-as in do I write to Moorcroft and tell them that I can't and won't pay the remaining £46.50, unless it's in £10 installments each month?

 

I also ask as I wonder if being pressurised into paying half of what you owe-when you don't have a job could be loosely seen as some kind of bullying or harassment?

 

Thanks for reading this:-)

 

Regards

S.

[Sidewinder]

First lesson is that you don't ever, EVER speak to these goons on the phone. Refuse their 'security' questions if they phone you and insist that you will only communicate in writing.

 

Secondly, it is for YOU to decide what you can afford, not them. If you haven't got the money, then neither will they get it. Pay what you can, and you TELL them that that is what you will be paying. I know of somebody owing Southern Water £2k and is paying £20 a month.

 

Thirdly, if you have given them authority to direct debit your account, then cancel the instruction with the bank. Set up a standing order or use their option to pay online - it goes through Santander I think rather than Moorcr*p handling the payment directly.

 

Alternatively, keep them out of the loop and pay Southern Water directly.

[dx100uk]

opps

 

NEVER EVER PHONE A DCA

 

they ARE NOT BAILIFFS

 

and HAVE NO SUCH LEGAL POWERS.

 

phone your bank NOW

 

tel them you card security has been compromised

 

and you need a new one.

 

whilst you are on the phone

 

tell then you got spoofed by someone on the phone claiming you owe a water bill.

 

demand they do a chargeback:

http://whatconsumer.co.uk/visa-debit-chargeback/

 

now on to the debt.

 

how old is this debt please

 

if SW wanted their money they'd ask for it themselves

they dont use DCA's they goto court if the debt is real.

 

dx

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Tell your bank the payment was a ''one off'' and no more payments are authorised.

[Staara77]

Thank you so very much for your replies folks:-)

 

And Brigadier2jcs...I could not help but notice General Melchett on your profile picture:-)

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Indeed so but the old boy out ranks me!!!

[Staara77]

Oh hello folks sorry I've not been on, I've been a bit busy.

 

So the latest update is that when

 

I went online with my bank's online banking system to cancel the direct debit it didn't show up,

yet in the general bank statement it showed that £40 was paid out to Moorcroft on the 4th February.

 

I then went to my bank to check this and the lady told me that Moorcroft did not set up any direct debit

-so there was nothing to cancel

-that they just took £40 out.

 

I think maybe because they are expecting me to pay one more time to clear the debt perhaps??

 

I'm wondering what I can do

 

I have sent them a letter telling them that I won't pay the rest of the money,

and instead I would like to set up an arrangement to pay them £5 each month.

..but if they haven't set up any direct debit,

then can they still take out the rest on the 4th March

-despite the letter I've sent them?

 

Also if they do decide to ignore the agreement plan and take out the rest on the 4th March then is there anything I can do?

 

I hope I'm making sense:wink:

[Staara77]

Also dx100UK the debt is around 8 months old

[dx100uk]

post 4. did you do it?

 

you've given them a debit card number

 

that they have used to set up a CPA..

 

you need to follow this:

 

We have been telling people to put a letter into their bank instructing them not to make any payments under any circumstances to these companie

http://whatconsumer.co.uk/visa-debit-chargeback/- it works!

 

banks MUST follow written intructions from their customers !

This fsa guide has now been updated:

 

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/consumer_...ghts_guide.pdf

 

Here's the text:

 

Cancelling a regular

card payment:

 

When you give your credit or debit card details to a company and authorise them to take regular payments from your account,

such as for a gym membership or magazine subscription,

it is known as a ‘recurring transaction’ or ‘continuous payment authority’.

These are often confused with direct debits, but do not offer the same guarantee if the amount or date of the payment changes.

In most cases, regular payments can be cancelled by telling the company taking the payments.

.

However,

you have the right to cancel them directly with your bank or card issuer by telling it that you have stopped permission for the payments.

Your bank or card issuer must then stop them – it has no right to insist that you agree this first with the company taking the payments.

Be aware, though, that you will still be responsible for paying any money that you owe.

.

see: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?336569-How-to-remove-a-lender-s-continuous-payment-authority(2-Viewing)-nbsp

.

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/consumerinformation/product_news/banking/know_your_rights/solving/index.shtml

dx