Are you being harassed on the telephone by your bank or by debt collectors?

[Fuzzgin]

Regal have started their calls to me again after my letter stating that I would deal with them by telephone only. The peace lasted a few months. I've made a note of date and time but as the calls are on my mobile (which I don't answer unless I know who is calling). I can't save the messaes (anyone know how to save them for longer than 2 days with t-mobile?) I'll now send the harassment letter.

[ODC]

Well at least you have the satisfaction of knowing they have F all on you so you may as well ignore them and their lying threats

[finsnan]

Should have known it was too good to be true! Despite the letter, two more calls last night, one today (so far)..

 

And it's been a week now since I wrote my complaint (I think they have a five day response target?) not even a holding letter!

 

I hate HSBC

[dolphin939]

Hi i am receiving harassment calls from Halifax they are ringing my landline number and mobile number approximately 15 calls a day, i am with virgin media if i contact them would they be able to log the calls and send me a list of when they have telephoned? I have also sent the Halifax a letter of harassment.

Lorraine x

[ODC]

Just keep detailed records of the dates and times of all their calls. The Mods on here are building up a file on the tactics of all these companies and will advise you about legal action

[Grrr]

When I answer the call, I correctly identify myself by name. When the debt agency then says 'I want to take you through 'security' and then ask me silly personal questions like my house number, I refuse. This stumps them because their procedures are wrong and the youngsters on the call don't know what to do.

 

I did that today, it was soooo funny to hear him get all flustered! I told him, if he had rang me then he must know who I was. He asked me how he was supposed to talk to me if I didn't answer the questions so I told him to write to me instead.

[AnimalMagic]

Get in contact with us.

 

We think that this is so important that we will help you instruct solicitors and also develop some media contacts for the story.

 

What is the best way to get in contact regarding this? I have two incidents both from 2005 onwards.

 

First Direct: 77 calls in 21 days & 12 calls in one 2 hour period during the evening.

 

BofS: 166 calls during 2005 since we started logging them. We had the calls traced by BT and they stopped for the duration of the trace, then restarted. We were told by BT that they (BT) had told BofS that the calls were causing distress and I repeatedly told them I would not give any security information over the phone, not discuss the matter on the telphone. Despite this the calls continued and we logged 133 calls subsequent to BT telling BofS that the calls were causing distress. There are further calls after they passed the matter over to L&T, bringing the total up to 222 during July-Oct 2006. Oh and 1st Credit now seem to have the account... 3 calls this week.

 

I have my own log of these calls, but I have also submitted a Data Protection Act request to both organisations for their telephone logs and transcripts of the conversations.

[finsnan]

And First Direct are owned by????............ oh yes, HSBC

[AnimalMagic]

To be fair, it was their in house debt collection co, Metropolitan Collections, that made the calls...

[franmc12]

Can anyone tell me if i can now report CSL to TS, apart from constant phone call, which states if i am.. ( name) press 1, or if i am not ( name) press 2, if i am not ( name ) could you please get her to come to the phone..etc..etc..

Apart from this being constant sometimes up to 5 or 6 times a day, i still have letter's from them, and the one letter i recieved today was addressed to the householder, and when you opened it, it my name and details are on the letter, you are then told whoever opens the letter to tell me to phone them.

 

CSL have already defaulted on a CCA and so has Barclaycard, all they sent me was my application form.

 

What is my next step do i send everything to TS now.

 

Hope someone can help.

 

Thanks

[ODC]

I did that today, it was soooo funny to hear him get all flustered! I told him, if he had rang me then he must know who I was. He asked me how he was supposed to talk to me if I didn't answer the questions so I told him to write to me instead.

That would spoil his day. He would not be able to go through his pre planned scary threats scripts and he may just have to use the threatomatic computer instead. See how easy it is to frustrate these monkeys:D

[AnimalMagic]

Can anyone tell me if i can now report CSL to TS, apart from constant phone call, which states if i am.. ( name) press 1, or if i am not ( name) press 2, if i am not ( name ) could you please get her to come to the phone..etc..etc..

Apart from this being constant sometimes up to 5 or 6 times a day, i still have letter's from them, and the one letter i recieved today was addressed to the householder, and when you opened it, it my name and details are on the letter, you are then told whoever opens the letter to tell me to phone them.

 

CSL have already defaulted on a CCA and so has Barclaycard, all they sent me was my application form.

 

What is my next step do i send everything to TS now.

 

Hope someone can help.

 

Thanks

 

You can report them, but it is unlikely that TS will do anything.

 

I would log date and time of every call, noting anything that is said or if it is a silent call. Make a note now, of the approximate date and time the calls started and how many you think you have received in the meantime.

 

If you get to speak to anyone tell them that you will only communicate in writing. Inform them that they are in breach of the CCA and the OFT guidelines. Once you have done this, and they continue to call, send a DPA request for all call logs and transcripts of telephone conversations.

 

I would also get a recorded delivery letter off saying the same thing and quoting the OFT guidelines, Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act, etc. There are some templates on here. Get proof of delivery and if the calls continue then you are in a strong position to bring a harrassment case against them.

 

You can also complain to BT Malicious Calls Bureau on 0800 661 441. If the calls are caller withheld, then they will trace the line. Also report it to the police and get a crime number. BT have a choose to refuse service which you have to pay for, something I object to. (I think it should be free).

 

In short, accumulate as much evidence that you can...

 

You may find that a threatening letter is all it takes, but continue to log any calls as they may start again after a period, especially if it is passed to another debt collector. Keep all the evidence until you are certain the matter is settled (and even then I would keep it as long as possible).

[franmc12]

Hi AnimalMagic

 

I have already sent CSL a letter and informed them over the phone, that they should only communicate with me by letter, but as usual they are still phoning. Im not on BT, and Vigin Media, dont do a ' right to refuse', CSL and Barclaycard have all my information and my Income and Expenditure form showing that i can only pay them a token payment every month, as instructed by CCCS. Most of my creditor's have accepted this, but not these.

 

I thought that once they have defaulted on a CCA i can report them to TS or OFT.

[2Grumpy]

I have got a phone number from sipgate. It is a VOIP number. You can put credit on the number and use it to phone (softphone), but more importantly, keeps a log of the calls you make AND those that call you. If you are not online/dont answer then it will record messages and save/email them to you.

 

Once you register and get a number, next time you get a call, inform them that "You have the wrong number, XXX's telephone number is ......"

[AnimalMagic]

Hi AnimalMagic

 

I have already sent CSL a letter and informed them over the phone, that they should only communicate with me by letter, but as usual they are still phoning. Im not on BT, and Vigin Media, dont do a ' right to refuse', CSL and Barclaycard have all my information and my Income and Expenditure form showing that i can only pay them a token payment every month, as instructed by CCCS. Most of my creditor's have accepted this, but not these.

 

I thought that once they have defaulted on a CCA i can report them to TS or OFT.

 

Yes, you can and should report them, but my experience is that TS will not act or will simply send them a letter which will have no effect. I could be wrong

 

Your best bet is to accumulate evidence. I would send a DPA request asking for their telephone logs - FD have claimed they only keep their call logs for 180 days, though I am dubious of this - so I would get in and get the information as soon as possible. Once you have the evidence, you can then start threatening them...

 

You are aware that if they have defaulted on a CCA request, then you don't have to pay them anything...

[franmc12]

Yes i am aware that i dont have to pay, which i haven't done by the way.

Many thanks for your help. Have to go now and have a wisdom tooth out. What with having headache's with the DCA's, already have a headache with the thought of having my tooth out.

 

But at least these people dont upset me like they used to, just a bit unsure at times on what to do next.

 

 

Thanks again AnimalMagic

 

Fran

[ODC]

Yes i am aware that i dont have to pay, which i haven't done by the way.

Many thanks for your help. Have to go now and have a wisdom tooth out. What with having headache's with the DCA's, already have a headache with the thought of having my tooth out.

 

But at least these people dont upset me like they used to, just a bit unsure at times on what to do next.

 

 

Thanks again AnimalMagic

 

Fran

You should send your wisdom tooth to the monkeys in the DCA. Obviousl wisdom is somthing they lack.

[ODC]

Can anyone tell me if i can now report CSL to TS, apart from constant phone call, which states if i am.. ( name) press 1, or if i am not ( name) press 2, if i am not ( name ) could you please get her to come to the phone..etc..etc..

Apart from this being constant sometimes up to 5 or 6 times a day, i still have letter's from them, and the one letter i recieved today was addressed to the householder, and when you opened it, it my name and details are on the letter, you are then told whoever opens the letter to tell me to phone them.

 

CSL have already defaulted on a CCA and so has Barclaycard, all they sent me was my application form.

 

What is my next step do i send everything to TS now.

 

Hope someone can help.

 

Thanks

They are getting frustrated now and digging themselves into a huge hole. Report them to TS now, keepd a log of all their calls. Also write to them and demand details of their internal complaints procedure

[Fuzzgin]

I did that today, it was soooo funny to hear him get all flustered! I told him, if he had rang me then he must know who I was. He asked me how he was supposed to talk to me if I didn't answer the questions so I told him to write to me instead.

 

I did somethig similar a few days ago. I confirmed who I was and the guy said, "I need to ask you some security questions", and I said, "I'm not answering, I explained in writing back in March that I was not dealing with your company over the telephone, if you have anything to say, please write to me" and put the phone down. As I don't (currently) have a way to record, I'm just keeping a log.

[ODC]

I did somethig similar a few days ago. I confirmed who I was and the guy said, "I need to ask you some security questions", and I said, "I'm not answering, I explained in writing back in March that I was not dealing with your company over the telephone, if you have anything to say, please write to me" and put the phone down. As I don't (currently) have a way to record, I'm just keeping a log.

They dont know you havent a recorder;) Pressing a button on your phone has the same effect:D

[finsnan]

Hi!

The good news is that HSBC have stopped phoning me.

The bad news is that despite my raising the whole issue as an official complaint, which is now on Senior Investigation (which I believe is the last stage of their complaints procedure) - they have sent a holding letter to say they are investigating fully, but today I have received a "Final Demand" in writing from HSBC Centre Manager (they don't give a department name).

 

It says:

 

a. Despite our previous communication concerning your debt we have received no reply (I have written six letters to them since November, and have received acknowledgment for most of them)

 

b. They now Demand immediate repayment;

 

c. If I do not I repay the lot in full within 7 days or let them have satisfactory proposals for repayment I must complete a Statement of Means form,

 

d. And they will take action via debt collectors or solicitors if I fail to comply, and I may also be taken to court

 

e. If they have not received satisfactory response within 28 days they will pass details of the debt to Experian, Equifax and Call Credit to ensure I can't get credit from elsewhere in future.

 

I need help with this!! Can anyone advise me please as to what to do next? I do dispute that I owe the whole amount (£900) - I have offered to negotiate a settlement figure with them, I have made a formal complaint and they have told me they are investigating it.. but now they want to get me blacklisted. Can they blacklist me? The money I owe them is on an agreed overdraft, and they have not written and withdrawn that facility. They haven't got a court judgment against me so how can they blacklist me as a debtor especially as it is a disputed amount?

 

Please advise. Should I just pay it and forget the complaint even though I think they have been very unfair about all of this, this is nearly £900 now owed on transactions they paid, which I disputed, and which they then failed to do anything about, and kept me waiting over 18 months for a reply, which then just said "out of time, we can't do anything"....

 

Help!! Please????

[rory32]

Can they blacklist me?

There is no such thing as a blacklist. What they could do however is place a default on your file which will make it more difficult for you to obtain credit.

 

Should I just pay it and forget the complaint even though I think they have been very unfair about all of this, this is nearly £900 now owed on transactions they paid, which I disputed

In what way did you dispute them?

 

Are there charges on the account?

[finsnan]

Hi

 

Hi, thanks for your reply - this was my original post, at the beginning of the saga...

Hi everyone, just joined today.. wish I hadn't had to but hey ho

 

I stopped using my current account with HSBC two years ago because I moved my mortgage to an offset one with NatWest which required me to use current account with them.. fine I thought, I'll just keep my old HSBC one (which has a £3.5k overdraft) in case I don't like this offsetting business. So for a few months, I just spent time adjusting to the new account and didn't bother to look at my HSBC account, just "filed" the statements in a plastic wallet as they arrived. Big mistake! When I did get round to putting them away properly I noticed some activity on the account - nothing huge, but 20 transactions for amounts varying from £4.99 - 19.99 going through my account - internet transactions, from 3 different retailers - none of whom I have ever had any dealings with - between April 2004 and November 2004.

 

As soon as I spotted these (in about May or June 2005) I hot footed it down to my local branch of HSBC who told me to go down to the Police Station and report it, get a crime number and let them have it. Did this the same day and took it back in. Since then I have heard nothing from HSBC. I have called in on several occasions to ask what is happening and in the meantime my account is being debited with interest charges every month, to the point where my HSBC account is now £700 in debit instead of the £200 I started with!

 

I got a bit shirty with them the last time I went in (about a month ago) and they said they would follow it up.

 

I have now received two letters from them saying

 

"disputed transactions, thank you for your recent enquiry... blah blah.. under the Maestro scheme rules, there is a time limit within which the bank can raise a claim or request a copy of the transaction voucher with the retailer involved in the transaction. Unfortunately, as this time limit has now passed, we are unable to assist you any further with your enquiry. You are of course still entitled to continue your enquiry directly with the retailer"

 

I am gob smacked at this!

 

Firstly - the transactions stopped in November 2004, coincidentally this is exactly the same time that they issued my new debit card - clearly the transactions weren't from me or why would they have stopped then?

 

Time limit - what time limit? Why don't they specify this? Was it passed when I raised the query with them in about May 2005? Is this my

recent enquiry? How do HSBC define recent? Do they speak a different language to me?

 

How can I raise it with the retailers when I've never heard of them, and have no information as to who/how/why these transactions have ended up in my account!!!

 

GGGGGRRRRRRRR :evil:

 

Has anyone else been in this position, and if so how have you progressed? Should I be thinking of a Small Claims action? Any advice, comments, etc. would be gratefully received...

Thanks,

Sandra

 

This has been going on for so long, it's a nightmare. I have gone through the official complaints procedure, even though they haven't followed their own procedures, and am now at the last stage before going to the Financial Ombudsman. I expected that they would put a hold on any further action until the complaints procedure had been exhausted - that's why I was so shocked to get this letter today, as I am currently in receipt of their latest "holding" letter saying they are investigating further.... I may need to get a new mortgage soon, and that's why I'm frightened about being put on the bad payers list...

 

Thanks, any advice will be very very welcome...

Sandra

[finsnan]

Oh, and I forgot to say, no there are no "charges" as such because it is an agreed authorised overdraft, but they have added about £400 in interest since this began as every fraudulant transaction increased my overdraft...

[rory32]

Sandra,

The bank can't put your complaint on hold indefinately, they have 8 weeks to resolve a complaint. If they don't you can raise your complaint with the FOS - I would do this immediately. Their complaints procedure can be found here our complaints procedure and how to complain

 

Their complaints form is at the bottom of the page.