You're so right ODC - the one thing the guy I helped the other day kept saying was that he was so ashamed at having to tell his boss and me he was due to be evicted that he had left it till almost the last minute - thank god he plucked up the courage in time. I know something of how he feels - in the years following my husband's death - allsorts started to crawl out of the woodwork. With 2 kids to look out for I had to put a brave face on it for the outside world - even my sister and best friend didn't know. Going to work every day was a blessed relief I can tell you! I don't know how I didn't go stark staring mad........ come to thing of it - maybe I am? lol Things aren't (quite) so bad now though - some debts have simply gone away - some are doing the rounds of the DCA's hence I found this site as I am sick and tired of it now and need to get a grip - which I have, thanks to all you wonderful CAGers.

OAK - the sickening thing is that its the poor buggers who are in debt who are keeping the DCA "owners" in luxury and the saps who work for them in jobs! Lets just hope they're out of work one day and get a taste of how it feels..... How they get job satisfaction is beyond me!

And there was me just waiting for Cabot to default on the 12 + 2 - why did I think it would be that easy........ I should have twigged when Cabot sent my £1 back and told me they were requesting info from OC............. take aim......................FIRE!

GRRRRRR..... they are soooooooo annoying. What shall I do next?

Hi all, I sent Cabot a CCA request which they signed for on 31st August. Came home from work tonight and found a letter from FIRE advising that my account had been transferred from Cabot to them - date on the letter is 11th September. Apparently I've to contact their recovery department immediately on pain of death etc etc.(yeah, course I will) Suggestions for next action gratefully received......

Just read this in Payroll Magazine - re EAP's (Employee Assistance Programmes i.e. Debt counselling etc.) Apparently HMRC are proposing to tax companies who provide these programmes to employees!! The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel) says "Taxing EAP's just doesn't make sense - it could destroy the Governments attempt's to improve the financial understanding of the population and reduce stress caused by debt. HRMC needs to recognise that EAP's are not usually used by the wealthy for legal financial advice, but by those on lower earnings seeking help. Since puting the CAG info poster up in the canteen this morning I've had one enquiry via HR and apparently some people have been writing down the website details.................

Should your husband apply for promotion or any other post within his organisation and does not get it - the employer is required to give a legitimate reason and show why the successful candidate was more suitable. There should be interview notes, completed person specification etc showing these reasons. Not all employers publish this requirement (or even know about it). There have been claims brought successfuly against employers who have not awarded positions to employees for reasons other than their ability or suitability.

Anyone want to apply for a job at Cabot - sounds just great from their side of the desk!!!!!!!!!! Would love to know what the interview technique's like............... Cabot Financial Group look at their careers section (won't let me copy the entire link for some reason)

Frightening!!!! absolute proof they're all in it together!!

Stadium Arcadium - 'fraid you're stuck with me now.....

Livelylad - I've been here 17 years (10 in HR capacity) - so I think they're used to me now............. (I'm usually "banging a drum" about something that's not right or fair!!)

I've a feeling a donation will be coming CAG's way very soon...............

I'd like to say it's all in a days work etc - thankfully it isn't !!!! I hope I don't have to deal with that kind of thing again for a while - but I know who to turn to now.................... It's also made directors and management more aware of the possible causes of employee absence and I've got their backing all the way in the promotion of employee welfare. Although I have to say we have always tried to help our employees if they have problems - of course, that's if they tell us in the first place!! Poster went up in canteen this morning advising of CAG - if it points only one person in the right direction it will be brill.........

oooooooh Ell-enn, what a lovely thing to do, & for an employee, all the HR I have ever known have always had a rotten attitude. You have restored my faith in the HR dept. Ja-de, as I said previously - I think you need to have had some trauma in your own life before you can recognise it in others. Incidently - most HR departments are management driven, rather than employee driven. If they have a horrible attitude - look to the top management and question how they want their HR run - that's where the change will have to be made. All CIPD qualified HR practitioners should know that the first rule in personnel management is "fairness for all" .

BO, leave ODC alone! at my age any suggestions are welcome (well, almost!)

21% !! they should be ashamed of themselves (some hope!) Incidently, exactly how do you shame a DCA?

Brassed Off -couldn't just let the guy sit back and take it - it got me mad to think he could be that frightened and not able to speak about it. Having felt that sickening fear of debt myself in the past (and present) ... just had to go for it and hope to god it would work. Won't even think twice if there's a next time........ More power to the CAG!!!!!

Crikey - this is a different Cabot to the one we know - Right? or someone is being paid to write it!!! As an HR practitioner I can't imagine it's a good place to work in HR at present - their employees must be having nervous breakdowns every hour given the grief CAG is giving them daily!! lol wonder what the percentage staff turnover is?

ODC, thanks for the tickle - and for the suggestion - consider it done 1st thing in the morning, though I'll probably say they could come through HR (in confidence of course) if they don't own a PC or have computer skills.

Nitrous Oxide - as soon as his arrears are clear and I can get him to think straight - I'll be encouraging him to look at his penalty charges. However, it looks like he's got a few more debts to deal with in the meantime, but not as serious as the repossession threat. You're right about the good feeling you get when you help someone -managed to get another guy "on the right road" this morning too....... He was so distressed by the constant phonecalls from a DCA he couldn't sleep and therefore wasn't fit to come to work in the morning, this was affecting his earnings - a vicious circle that hopefully will ease soon.

It was for mortgage arrears - Nat West...

I've always suscribed to the "Human" part of HR ....... no self respecting HR practitioner should be just a management tool !!! it's a practice that's worked for me for 10 years. Mind you - it helps if you have a bit of "life experience" behind you when dealing with people - it takes all sorts, as they say.

You should receive a final demand i.e. letter before action, before any county court claim form arrives - . They would have to declare themselves in writing, giving you the opportunity to resolve it before court action. I would await a letter before doing anything else, after all - if you don't know who it is you can't CCA them................

If they ring again - tell them you will only accept communication in writing - that might bring them out of the woodwork- assuming they bother to send you a letter of course - then you'll now who and what you're dealing with.

Can you let us know the telephone number? It could be Mackenzie Hall (nutters!!)- they're in Kilmarmock