Call Credit working with Arrow global - not my debt.

[IdaInFife]

This letter was received today.

 

Arrow made contact several months ago to the named person.

 

The debt was registered at another address and wrote to someone with the same name at another address.

 

Arrow were informed that they have never lived at the address and never heard anything since until today.

[IdaInFife]

[citizenB]

What !!

[ScarletPimpernel]

I think this is actually quite sinister. Mind you, AG are one of the most unsavoury DCAs out there.

[Mike_hawk]

You could try John Cannon rather than the desk jockeys for a reasoned response.

 

John.cannon@call creditgroup.com

 

07872 808 207

 

Head of product strategy and financial crime.. Apparently!

 

Not much of a surprise as AG is one of it's largest benefactors.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thanks for the heads up CB this is too much so where is the independence of the CRAs.

 

AG are becoming sinister as the Pimpernel says, with this scenario and the mortgage shortfall debts that are surfacing it's essential that any suspect action by AG Guernsey and the UK Ltd. company are reported to the appropriate regulators.

[citizenB]

Perhaps it is time to involve the Information Commissioner !

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Perhaps it is time to involve the Information Commissioner !

 

Yes I totally agree such a relationship can only be unfair to the public and should not be allowed.

If the OP in these case want me to I can make a complaint to the ICO over the weekend.

[unclebulgaria67]

Playing devils advocate here. But the letter from Call Credit may just be a commercial opportunity which CC are allowed to make. No doubt AG have paid CC for the service of sending these letters. Other DCA's may also taken up CC's offer to send the letters.

 

I don't think there is any legislation which specifically governs what services the CRA's are permitted or not permitted to offer to creditors. Providing they meet DPA requirements, CRA's would be allowed to send these letters, as there is no requirement for them to be just an independent registrar of credit records. The letter is just providing information and does not suggest that the debtor contacts AG.

 

There is a problem if the letter is factually incorrect and has been produced as a result of false data. The ICO won't be interested, unless CC have been given the opportunity to explain their processing of inaccurate data.

[ken100464]

Working with Experian too.

 

New computer program in place where they can easily trace all your debts. For a debt buyer they can then place every debt you have with one DCA. Think about that. Everything you owe being chased by one DCA. And the chosen DCA's wont be the incompentant ones they will be the ones that extract the most money. And thats why AG have been helping Experian to develop it. 12 companys signed up to use it already.

 

AG's stated aim is to put all their debts owed by one person to one DCA. The idea is all creditors use the same DCA. Creditors are braodly in agreement with this and hence why certain DCA's are growing at such a rate and some of the less savoury ones of old are gradually declining in prominence. Its because the creditors (debt buyers included) are placing debts with fewer and fewer DCA's

 

If they decide to litigate it wont be for one account it will be all. Think about that. Up to your eyeballs in debt but equity in your house. Or a job or any asset. Or you are just not in a position to pay all so they bankrupt you.

 

And remember the new regulatory enviroment is about screening out cant pays and vunerable people. (Think pre litigation drivel in letters. They have to try and screen out vunerable people.) Its also about with the regulators approval litigating on wont pays. If you have assets and you are in debt and you refuse to engage with these companies then you will be classed as a wont pay. Think i & e forms. Advice is to not fill out. That advice is now saying dont engage. Quite possibly moving a debtor from the vunerable or cant pay pile to the wont pay pile.

 

The establishment have been very busy changing the rules. The CRA's were never our friend. They just didnt have the information behind them or the technology available to be used in the way they were always intended.

 

Every time we access Experian this is reported to this computer program. Looks like Noddle are going the same way and would suspect Equifax wont be far behind.

 

CRA's are part of the industry that is busy stiffing us all. Why does anyone think they would be independant.

 

As time progresses more people will be finding they are fighting less DCA's who know more about them.

 

Sometimes by watching the opposition you can see them reacting to how your side is fighting.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

This scenario was already being investigated by the late Martin3030 and further research is on going.

The Dept. of Business & Skills has some '' responsibilities'' in this are this is also being followed up.

[MagnaCarta]

After signing up to Experian, that's when my problems started. It's a tool for the finance industry and for them only. Fluffy adverts with ukuleles playing in the background is typical of Monster Companies trying to sanitise their operations.

 

Any TV ad's featuring strumming away on a Ukulele is a precursor to avoid them. TV Ads with animated characters such as the weird British Gas ones - avoid.

[ken100464]

And reading that letter again.

 

Better than a threat o gram from a DCA. Dont forget AG are debt buyers. They use an unusual model in that they dont have inhouse DCA but farm accounts out to other DCA's.

 

That letter there isnt a threat its a letter saying we are watching you know about you but maybe you should contact a debt charity for help. See my post above. Everything pre litigation will be along the lines of trying to help and understand your situation. The fact the debtor chooses not to engage makes them a wont pay. This letter is about trying to get you to pay.

 

Cant see ICO being interested. AG own your information. You signed up to this being shared when you took credit. They are trying to engage or help and thus cover their asses further down the line. AG have authorised this letter. Unless as UB says its wrong in fact then cant see its any different from a DCA writing to you. And we dont complain to the ICO about them everytime they write.

 

Also by offering free access to noddle they are also asking you to show where you are and if you are active. Clever letter IMO.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

If a creditor or DCA has no reason to search credit reference files registering with a CRA and checking your own files

is not going to have any effect, if however the data subject has ''problem'' accounts that may have fallen in to the hands

of a DCA they will already be accessing the files.

[MagnaCarta]

Since signing up with experian, I have been receiving DCA letters from people with my name but stores cards et al I have never had such as a Debenhams card, Next and a string of catalogue shyte. They don't get the message that I have never had these cards / accounts. I have had to install a call blocker app on my mobile to rid of these **** that just don't listen. This has all happened around 3-4 weeks after signing up with Experian which I must add have cancelled. Pretty little dials and crap to suck you in, that's all it's about useful for. Other than that I am 100% convinced that after signing up, this is when DCA's trawl through these databases looking for names and hitting them all. Follow the money and look who owns these credit scoring agencies.

[unclebulgaria67]

This scenario was already being investigated by the late Martin3030 and further research is on going.

The Dept. of Business & Skills has some '' responsibilities'' in this are this is also being followed up.

 

I just can't see politicians regulating the CRA's in a way that stops them working with creditors. The reason for this, is that when the banking crisis happened in 2007/08, politicians were criticising the credit rating industry for not holding accurate data. Because the data was not accurate they were making mistakes in lending to people who could not afford to make repayments.

 

I think Kens post makes sense as to what is happening. CRA's may be actively working with DCA's to provide them with more data to help them with their collection activities. I have regularly pointed out that CRA's notify DCA's of any changes to credit records and someone has posted to say that this does not happen.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I've been involved in the CRAs and ethics for some considerable time there has been concerns raised in Parliament regarding the CRA and relationships with DCAs, this is going to be raised again, once again the DCAs ask for information, search files but the data changes are only found in this way.

[postggj]

Some of us have long suspected that the CRA are in league with the debt collection industry. To many people have stated they start getting correspondents from past creditors after subscribing to the credit agencies and their so called free trials. I think that letter above goes some way substantiate that reasoning.

 

The credit agencies are a commercial entity and i have no doubt in my own opinion the credit agencies offer some sort of subscription service to its members on changes to personal credit files. Even though unconfirmed, People will be naive to think different.

[MagnaCarta]

I believe proof is in the pudding. My partner has never had credit, she signed up a little over 18 months ago and has two 'chancer' inquiries from DCA's since hassling her mobile phone (we have got well rid of since but took over 7 months). CRAs DO provide DCAs information, correct or not they DO. Me, I still get the odd DCA begging letter every two months or so.

 

Oh, and this isn't limited to DCAs, it seems the CRAs provide PPI and Accident companies information to. I had a flood of these as did my partner call us on a regular basis. TPS is useless!

[merlin100]

Got to be honest chaps, Ive always thought that this was bound to happen sometime.

Banks, lending firms, DCAs, CRAs, even the so-called debt "charities" like StepChange, even some County Court Judges have to be viewed with a great amount of suspicion simply due to the fact that they all have a common cause.

It was only a matter of time before some amalgamation occured.

I would suggest that this is only a first step along the line of dealing with the billions of £s of consumer debt. Before we know it, a huge amount of the countrys private housing stock will be partly-owned by the Finance Industry in co-operation with the Government. Legislation will be passed "in the interests of the country" to make CCJs and COs an almost automated process - heavily in favour of the Finance Industry. It may well take a few years yet, but I think weve all just seen the first step.

[MagnaCarta]

Exactly Merlin, Judges work for the Crown, the crown represents the finance industry at it highest point. We are all being aligned to be ruled by the banks in just about every part of our lives. Judges are meant to be impartial - what an oxymoron! They represent the finance industry primarily.

[ken100464]

But thats the thing.

 

The majority of posters dont come onto CAG just for a larf. They come on because they have a problem. So if its a debt related problem then they are most likely to have problem accounts. Checking that file just does what you have said and Magna alludes to. It alerts the very people you dont want alerting to the fact you exist and are around and much worse are active.

 

CRA's are nothing to be scared of if your credit worthiness is fine. The industry has been clever and sold this meaningless number as your credit score. To keep up with the Jones we all try and sign up and bleeding hell pay for giving them the information they need to chase us if things go wrong.

 

Biggest thing to inprove your credit rating. Oh yes electoral roll. Why? hmmmm an active address for you.

 

Like Magna says all bells and whistles and suck us in. Experian is the posh nobs CRA. Even the adverts worked on envy. Only if your rich could you possibly afford paying £14 a month for a number that means nothing. Either rich or stupid. Only the poor would use Noddle. Or how about set about creating 3 distinct CRA's which appeal to different types of people. Then you get the majority of people signed up to one and get your information that way. Think about it. Created by the finance industry to keep tabs on everyone of us. In time I suspect the people who pay everything back ontime and therefore dont accrue interest will be treated the same as the people who get defaults. Because they dont make the bank money. They are a waste of time accounts.

 

CRA's are part of the finance industry. Accessing them when in debt is fraught with downsides. And reading up on what the industry intends, it is only going to get worse.

[postggj]

i must disagree that judges are in league with the crown.

 

The judiciary are kept separate from the crown, this is through Judicial independence

 

We are talking of constitutional law and co-operation between the two will not happen to prevent an abuse of power

 

The government of the day cannot change constitutional law

[ken100464]

Some of us have long suspected that the CRA are in league with the debt collection industry. To many people have stated they start getting correspondents from past creditors after subscribing to the credit agencies and their so called free trials. I think that letter above goes some way substantiate that reasoning.

 

The credit agencies are a commercial entity and i have no doubt in my own opinion the credit agencies offer some sort of subscription service to its members on changes to personal credit files. Even though unconfirmed, People will be naive to think different.

 

Big article in Credit Today a couple of months ago about the Experian computer model that had been developed with AG. Not unconfirmed was there in black and white. Data sharing of all your debtors activity to enable you to place your debt with the DCA which has most of the debtors debt already along with activity of the debtor themselves.

 

Think it went live in March this year.

 

A CRA access of your own account. Why record it if its of no use??? Think about it. A debtor who is checking up on themselves. Why do people do that. If your not indebt doubt you even really think about your credit file. Let alone access it. So the majority of people accessing their own date are inquisitive just to look see, in debt or perhaps in a post debt cleaning up their file.

 

But the vast majority looking at their files are people worried about their credit score and therefore people probably in financial distress.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Is it not odd that the Civil Judiciary are maligned by the who have a CCJ or CO order against them but a not praised when a defendant is successful in court.

 

The Judiciary I find are fair and reasonable and fiercely independent of Government and Industry as a whole, but as with any judicial system there is always going to be the odd bad apple.