DCA wouldn't let me set up DD repayments - wanted payment NOW

[thx1138]

Hello,

I've had ongoing problems with DCA's.

Just rang Direct Legal and Collections to set up a direct debit to make repayments as i'm trying to keep them off my back.

I told them i can afford £10 per month and that i was wanting to set up a direct debit to pay this.

I was told i couldn't do this as they would only accept £10 for 2 months so setting up a direct debit was not worth it.

I told them i could only afford £10 and at least they would be getting regular payments.

They would not accept this and said i should give them my card details NOW or pay immediately at a pay point using the letter.

I really thought this was a bit unfair as i can only afford so much and am making an effort to pay them and they're not taking it!

They wanted £35 a month off me ( i can't afford this) and have been recently calling me using an auto dialler from 8am in the morning ALL DAY.

I complained about this and told them i would only correspond with them in writing, in future, they were having none of it.

Is it just me or are they being awkward?.......any help please?

[LAN01]

If £10 a month is all you can pay, thats all they can have. Send them the harrassment letter and send the payments by post. Have you considered sending them a CCA request? Might be worth your while and get them off your back in the mean time.

[rory32]

To reiterate what LAN01 has said they can't have what you can't afford. You are legally allowed a certain amount for essential things like food, clothes, telephone, presents (xmas & birthdays), emergencies, etc. Not to mention the additional costs of things like mortgage/rent, electricity, gas, council tax. Unsecured debt comes right at the bottom of your list of outgoings (not right at the top as thing would like you to think) so if you can't afford to pay them more than £10 stick to your guns. They have to accept it whether they like to or not.

[CAGisforME]

Whatever you do, do NOT set up a Direct debit with these "people". Direct Debits give all the control to the Company holding the mandate.

 

I would suggest that you send the CCA letter, along with a Harrassment Letter. Then refuse to speak with them on the 'phone if they ring again.

 

Make sure that you write down every time they call after you ask them nicely not to!!

 

Send the CCA recorded delivery and make sure you send a PO for £1. Then they will have 12 days to get the agreement / statements and Notice of Assignment to you. Meanwhile they can't take any further action.

 

IF they have an enforceable agreement you can then send them the money by PO/Cheque every month.

 

But it's a big IF

 

[PriorityOne]

CAGisforME is right... do not set up a DD with a DCA ! Send off the CCA request by rec. delivery. If they come up with an Agreement, you can then negotiate from there, but if you need to set up a direct payment from your bank account.... go for a Standing Order. The amount going out is fixed and can only be changed by you.

 

[Wabnazm]

Absolutely DO NOT set up a direct debit. A direct debit allows them to request a sum from you, and they may get it. it's variable agreement that a DCA will take advantage of.

 

If you are going to pay them, then use a standing order. this is a fixed sum you will send them on a regular basis, that you have total control over. you send the money to them. A DD is a pull from them and puts the control with them.

[morteee]

I am currently paying DLC off via monthly direct bank transfer (I get paid 4 weekly so a DD is no good to me!) have sent you a pm thx1138 with their bank details in it so you can pay them how YOU want to!

 

dont even BOTHER talking to them on the phone they will use any means possible to get you to up their payments and also ignore them when they say they wont accept a lower amount as I used to pay them alot less than 35 a month when I first started my dealings with them, also they will review your payments on a 3 to 6 month basis, what I did to keep them on the wrong foot was voluntarily increase my payments every 3 to 6 months by 50p or a pound so that when they rang demanding more I used to point out to them that I had just raised my repayments myself and they didnt need to be calling!

[Hopeful1]

Hi

 

I had a debt to pay with DLC. I was lucky it was only 166.00 and i could pay it fairly quickly, but even so it wasn't as fast as they wanted it. I ended up in tears during the course of the 1st call. After that i did not call them again. Instead i sent POs with a letter telling them when the next payment would come and made sure i stuck to it. I also faxed letters because sometimes these people take so long to read the post.

 

I think Alliance and Leicester have a website you can pay bills to certain companies (many of them local councils) including DLC. I used this as i felt it was more secure than giving DLC details. I found the site through a Google search. I never heard anything from DLC, not even an acknowledgement of the debt being paid.

 

Good luck and keep copies of any correspondence you have. I would also agree with everyone about sending a CCA. It may be worth sending a 10.00 payment in the interim as a good will gesture.

[thx1138]

Thank you very much everyone for all your kind help and advice.

This site is a total godsend, you've no idea how much it helps to know there are good people out there against the not so good ones.

If it wasn't for the help on this site, i'd probably be looking for the answers at the bottom of a whisky bottle!

[Readybrek]

I used to pay them by payment book which i used at my local bank. There was 12 in the book and had to ring up every time for new one and on the new one it always showed new balance, I also set up standing order with them, they gave me the details and I went to my bank to set it up and when I could afford me I changed it at the bank and same when skint I used to lower it , as long as they got a payment they seemed happy. Hope that helps and take care.

[Fred Bassett]

Hi

 

I had a debt to pay with DLC. I was lucky it was only 166.00 and i could pay it fairly quickly, but even so it wasn't as fast as they wanted it. I ended up in tears during the course of the 1st call. After that i did not call them again. Instead i sent POs with a letter telling them when the next payment would come and made sure i stuck to it. I also faxed letters because sometimes these people take so long to read the post.

 

I think Alliance and Leicester have a website you can pay bills to certain companies (many of them local councils) including DLC. I used this as i felt it was more secure than giving DLC details. I found the site through a Google search. I never heard anything from DLC, not even an acknowledgement of the debt being paid.

 

Good luck and keep copies of any correspondence you have. I would also agree with everyone about sending a CCA. It may be worth sending a 10.00 payment in the interim as a good will gesture.

 

Hopeful, that's because reading and in particular, the English language are not present in their skills base.

 

Regards.

 

Fred

[Fred Bassett]

Thank you very much everyone for all your kind help and advice.

This site is a total godsend, you've no idea how much it helps to know there are good people out there against the not so good ones.

If it wasn't for the help on this site, i'd probably be looking for the answers at the bottom of a whisky bottle!

 

thx, if you are having ongoing problems with multiple DCAs then I would guess that you've got a bit of a debt problem. Have you considered getting in touch with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service - CCCS? This is a really good organisation and it's free, unlike some of the outfits you see advertised on TV. The way it works, essentially, is that you provide them with details of your income and expenditure. You are allowed to claim for a reasonable standard of living and some things, like utilities bills, mortgage/rent are usually taken without question.

 

Once all this has been worked out, you will be left with an amount which is then shared amongst your creditors, depending on how much you owe them. This whole process is called a Debt Management Plan. Once you're within one of these, then the creditors can't really touch you - they daren't because they know that even if they take you to court, they won't get any more money.

 

It's worth a thought. I've got a bit of experience with this so please feel free to PM me if you want any more details.

 

Regards.

 

Fred