A DCA Writes

[Susie]

Re: A DCA Writes

I have never dealt with 1st credit and hopefully never will, however well before I came on here I had my house phone disconnected and changed my mobile number after receiving several calls a day everyday from one company (they also lied when I did speak to them saying that they had to keep calling me until I paid) so if you don't already then training staff to stop phoning and write when told to would be good. Also when asked to communicate in writing only don't send a letter saying call us we have a big discount until xyz date or within x days - send a letter saying pay £x as a f&f so the recipient is more likely to take the offer. Where the original creditor has offered a low settlement figure as a risk assessment, and then sold on the debt try offering the same and its possible that the debtor may now be in a position to get the money from friends or family and you would get profit at an early stage.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: A DCA Writes

Yes if there are sufficient assets,debts are repayable before distribution.
There is a certain order of priority though so make sure you pay the priority debts first, funeral costs and headstone as well as expenses are at the top of the list

Not according to some, as you can vouch. But to be fair 1st credit aren't that bad.

[jon1965]

Re: A DCA Writes

Yes if there are sufficient assets,debts are repayable before distribution.
There is a certain order of priority though so make sure you pay the priority debts first, funeral costs and headstone as well as expenses are at the top of the list

[cardiac arrest]

Re: A DCA Writes

I would expect a DCA to assess each debtors position, maybe backed up via one of the neutral debt counselling advisory services. This should be the first thing they do, if only to keep their own costs down in chasing debtors who simply have no means of paying.

Having undertaken the assessment, the subsequent actions should be tailored to fit the situation, rather than just hit everybody with the big stick. I don't mind doing a financial statement, and I don't mind it being checked by CCCS or whoever, if I felt that some notice would be taken and appropriate actions followed.

What's the point of getting CCJ's against people who have no means to pay...waste of court time, causes anxiety and stress and surely costs the DCA a mint too.

Taking the house off a guy with a family who has been made redundant and can 't cover his loan repayments is not the answer is it. Well, not in my mind it isn't.

Do debts come out of the deceased estate if they die...I thought i read this somewhere...?

[cymruambyth]

Re: A DCA Writes

I agree Niddy, the fact that repayments are giving DCAs vast profits rankles people and automatically puts people on the defensive.

As for 1stC if they have improved their methods I will be thrilled. It was their treatment of me in 2008 that sent me to the Internet and started my battles and the stopping of payments on UE debts. This was for £17,000 Bcard cc that had no agreement. However every year or so this seems to rear it's head when 1stC send it back to Connaught who send more threats.

When the OC send a letter saying no agreement, why can't DCAs accept they have bought a lemon and stop the intimidation.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: A DCA Writes

Some good points raised. I especially like the idea of a buyback scheme where the dca gives the debtor an opportunity to pay them cost + small completion fee (1% or so) of the debt purchase price. This way the dca wins a small profit but lots of awards and plaudits and secondly debtors would surely be more prone to accepting a settlement if no genuine dispute exists.

Of course, an unenforceable debt will never be repaid however if a dca said "come on mate, give us a grand and we'll walk away & remove the default with the CRA's" I reckon a lot of debtors would be a lot more forthcoming.

Just my 2 pence worth. Not that I know what I'm on about or anything

[julian]

Re: A DCA Writes

I have read this thread with interest and would also like to thank Niddy for his facilitation.

The language used by Mr Kingdom, leaving aside the spelling mistakes, expresses the core of the difficulties we have with them.

He calls us customers. This implies that we have a choice and that we have chosen the company's services.

Our language tends more to victim. We have been passed to the next tormentor, and have no choice. We have no choice on DCA and no choice whether to pay or not, when we have nothing. We have no choice in accepting texts and phone calls to any numbers ever given to anybody, and no choice in being humiliated with big red writing on envelopes which fall apart when they melt in the posties' hands, showing the snidey puerile comments made by their 'helpdesk'.

We will never see from a DCA's point of view and vice versa, until we have a choice and are on equal ground - e.g. as previously stated being able to offer the OC/DCA the 10% accepted as the value of the debt.

We may feel guilty at not being able to pay back the original creditor and we will have suffered mentally and physically (from hunger) before giving up our good name and credit status, alebit that we have paid for credit for years at usurious rates. But when pushed over the cliff and bouncing off each DCA branch on our way to the bottom, can we really choose to be in a relationship with any DCA?

[Miss Muddled]

Re: A DCA Writes

Dear All,

Firstly a belated 'seasons greetings' and a happy new year to you all.

Thank you to each and everyone who took the time to reply to the initial posting with their thoughts, views and suggestions. Each and every post was looked at and as a result their have been numerous changes to the content of our letters and we have made some operational/procedural changes.

On a seperate subject anyone who has any concerns or issues with the way we are handling your account is invited to contact Niddy with the details. He will advise me and the matter will be looked at as a matter of priority by myself. We have experimented with this approach in the past year and I think it fair to say, (and I hope the customers themselves would agree), this has been successful.

I do hope you all appreciate that we would not wish to enter into debates on the forum itself.

Finally, my personal thanks to Niddy for allowing us to post on this forum.

Bob Kingdon
1st Credit Ltd

What an achievement Niddy, at last 1st Credit are taking on board all your comments and hard work you have done over the past year or so, hopefully for many peeps on here they are now sitting up and listening to you.

We all have a lot to thank you for in this instance, looking at some of the 1st Credit threads on AAD, it appears that 1st Credit were using horrendous bullying tactics until you intervened. Some tactics just a bit to close to bone for comfort, hopefully this will not be the case now...

Well done Nids....

[oscar]

Re: A DCA Writes

Now now. Hacking is illegal

Only if you get caught

Anyone wants to hack my bank and eliminate my OD, feel free!

[CleverClogs (RIP)]

Re: A DCA Writes

And look what has happened to people who have been caught!

Quite.

One alleged hacker had to develop galloping Ass-burgers lest he be sent Stateside.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: A DCA Writes

And look what has happened to people who have been caught!

Anonymous lot you mean? Or wait, aren't they called hacktivists...

I watched the docu-film "hacktivists" online the other day. The Aussie one.

[jon1965]

Re: A DCA Writes

And look what has happened to people who have been caught!

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: A DCA Writes

Now now. Hacking is illegal

[Enforcer]

Re: A DCA Writes

I have not had dealings (yet) with first credit; My main complaint with debt collectors is that they never give you a simple e mail address to contact them on. I had to resort to hacking cougar when they were giving me grief, I also hacked into the server of another DCA, found 20+ email addresses and also subsidiary companies, blasted the lot. Now this would not be needed if a simple way of replying was given. Is your server secure?

[CleverClogs (RIP)]

Re: A DCA Writes

What can a DCA do

• Stop being bullies
• Stop telling lies
• Stop using bold text
• Stop giving desks names as in pre litigation, final chance, last chance saloon
• When you write to them actually read the bloody thing and reply to it
• Stop using template letters

• Stop chasing statute-barred debts
• Stop phoning people or sending text messages several times a day