Debt Collectors left a card to say they will call

[scaredkez]

here is the jist of it
Firstly, without an order of the Court they cannot do anything! Threats that “we will be sending one of our agents round to your house” should be treated with the contempt that it deserves. This is rule number one in the 'bully boys code of practice manual'. Whilst bona fide debt collection agencies do have a license to carry out site visits, the credit control department of a credit card company do not. Even so, if you were to receive a visit at your home address, these people do not have a right of entry and you can simply refuse to discuss the matter with them and tell them to go away. Contrary to popular belief, even County Court Bailiffs or Sheriff's Officers do not have a right to force entry and they can also be summarily despatched in the same way
hope this helps kerri
and another piece with it alsois :
Dealing with callers
Some companies have abysmal bad debt policies and very poorly trained staff and they appear to think that if they shout loud enough, this will in some way enable you to pay more than you can afford. Do not fall for this one and stick to your guns. If you can only afford £5 a month or even £1 a month then don't be bullied into paying more. The Law exists to protect you as well as your creditors and the Law will not permit your income to be reduced to below a level that you need to subsist - FACT!

If the telephone operative starts threatening to send their 'representative' round, tell them not to bother as you can't afford to pay any more and his visit will be abortive because you are not prepared to discuss it any further and if they persist, you will pursue an action against them for Harassment under the Administration of Justice Act.

If they do in fact send someone round, keep your cool and don't panic, you do not have to discuss the matter with them and they do not have a right of entry to your home. Tell them that you have made your position clear and that you do not wish to discuss it any further. If they won't take no for an answer, tell them that you have asked them to leave and if they remain then they are trespassing and that you will call the police. If they remain, do so.



Please view my blog at: http://scaredkez.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[i_a]

Melanie

That's good advice. I don't think my employer would appreciate me making dozens of calls a day though!!

[i_a]

Kerri,

Thanks that's really useful. I will ring them on Monday anyway and see what they say.

I expect they'll just try to get me to pay something over the phone but as I have changed to a basic bank account I have no cheque book or debit cards so can quite happily say no to that!

Well I'm going to relax and watch a film! At least I still have a telly!

[i_a]

Everyone!

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my post. It's been really useful.

I will update on what happens Monday

Ian

[neverending]

Hi
Just to confirm all the great advice that you have been given.
A debt collector is powerless,just inform them that you are proposing an IVA and that you will discuss it no further,then just close the door.
I personally would not pay anything,presuming that your IVA company is actually processing your application then they should have advised this.
regards

[i_a]

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading forums on other sites about debt collectors and it seems that RMA don't even have a home visit team so it's all a bluff.

Also someone else had a card through their door to say the same person (Mr C Green) would be calling on Monday. Strange as they live the other end of the country to me!!

Just makes me laugh - these DCA's are just pathetic and should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

PS - I have over 20 creditors and it's only MBNA and Citicard who are harrassing me all the time - the others don't seem to be too bad (perhaps I shouldn't have said that ...........)

[freelili]

So it was all bluff to get you to pay then?

Its a shame it had to cause you so much stress and ruin your saturday. Well you will know for nest time, good luck.

MBNA are know to be a pain in the neck, hopefully you now have some ammunition for them.

LILY

[Storm]

A leaked memo from MBNA collections team outlined that collectors can earn upto 15% of the moneys they bully people to hand over !!

If that wasn't an incentive to put presure on people I don't know what is.......

[freelili]

Why am I not surprised?

LILY

[i_a]

UPDATE

Well that was an eventful day (and it's not over yet!).

Phoned RMA and said no way was I going to pay them or answer the door to anyone. I faxed them a copy of the letters I had already sent about my IVA and the ones to MBNA and told them to save their money and stop bothering me. They didn't really have an answer to that and I hung up!

Then phoned MBNA and told them the same thing. However they have continued to phone me all day long even after the phone call. Thought about offering a token payment but decided not to. I'm ignoring the calls now but I will be sending them a letter tomorrow to complain about harrassment.

Feel much better now I've done this. Probably won't stop them chasing but feel like I have the upper hand!

[i_a]

UPDATE (again!):

No one came round from RMA.

Surprise surprise!!

[jamesfalla]

Hi Ackeryi

I did not see your post over the weekend otherwise I would have also put in my tuppence worth on this (I am not as diligent as Melanie!)

I have been dealing with these kind of creditor threats on behalf of clients for years. It is a standard threat to say "we will be calling at your home" or "we will proceed directly with Court Action". 99 x out of 100 this is all hot air and if you have plans to carry out an IVA underway then there is very little to worry about. But it works because people who are not in the know get paniked into making a payment.

As you say it is pathetic stong arm tactics from DCAs. Shame on the banks who pay them to get away with it!

James Falla

Expert in IVA, Bankruptcy and informal Debt Management solutions for over 10 years.

For more information visit www.jamesfalla.com and visit my blog at: http://jamesfalla.blogs.iva.co.uk

[scaredkez]

ackeryi i am so pleased that they didn't turn up just sorry that it ruined your weekend.
kerri

Please view my blog at: http://scaredkez.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[i_a]

Kerri,

Thanks so much for your kind post. It means a lot to know there are so many people who have gone through the same crap I am and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I've read 100's of posts on here now and feel so much more prepared to deal with whatever the creditors throw my way.

Even if my IVA doesn't go through after reading some of the posts on Bankruptcy I'm not really scared of that now either!

Thanks again and I will definately be posting more of my IVA experiences in the near future.