"DBSG to take on misleading websites" - not us surely!

[Allwood]

Hi Sarah – I note what you say, it seems all too big to change, it about time that these organizations get their come uppers, as you mentioned they have been doing it for donkey years and getting away with it. I am angry because the heads of these organizations should be in prison and are not so because they have been given licenses to harassed and blackmail people.

 

For example, if an individual phones another person fishing for their personal details then you would get people Jill Stevens on the BBC stating that we should not give out our personal details to people on the phone and indeed if the unfortunate person at the end of that phone did get bullied into giving out their details and had money taken from their bank account by a DCA then that would be fraud and breach of the data protection act and also a criminal offense if the DCA has no documentation to substantiate why they are taking the money. Also, it is a criminal offense when DCA’s sends out threatening letters and threaten to send people around to their homes if they have no evidence that a person owes money to them and I would class this as blackmail and surely this is a crime and the organisations should be punished accordingly. I feel that it is not good enough for things to change slowly it should be changed immediately as these corrupt organizations are causing people so much misery to the extent that one elderly person recently took her own life and she did not even owe the amount of money that she was been harassed for by corrupt DCA’s. What will happen to that organization will they just get a slap wrist and told not to do it again, I feel they should go to prison and indeed, if people are sent to prison for not having a TV license which is a minuscule offense then why are these DEC's are allow to get away with their criminal activities.

[andrew1]

Dead right Allwood, but you can't change the path overnight, there's big money involved and you have to provide evidence, on paper, recorded record of telephone calls and proof positive to a Judge who has to interpret the law and make a decision. You just have to get it right, emotion never won a case in court, so that's why we are gathering the evidence - nobody can argue against hard facts not even the richest.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I suspect that at least part of Leigh Berkley's speech is, like so much of what DCAs say, p*ss and wind.

 

He's just got to the top of this particular barrel of bad apples, and he wants to make an impact. What better way than to promise something that can't actually be quantified? Within the coterie of DBSG no-one will say anything against his intentions, as they would if he promised to make the group's members compliant, for example.

 

I agree with Sarah - these are big businesses, turning over millions. It seems that CAG and one or two others have reached a position where they are seen as a threat. Not, I suspect, because of lost money; I think that CAGgers still represent a tiny proportion of DCAs victims. I think the danger, from the DCAs point of view, is that CAG and other sites will ultimately focus unwelcome attention on this unsavoury, slimy industry and those who run it.

 

What the debt industry wants is to return to comfortable ways of a couple of years ago, when they knew they could lie and mislead to their hearts' content because no-one challenged them. The regulation of the industry was ****poor, and to a great extent it still is.

 

No-one stood up for the consumer. The industry likes CCCS, because its focus is on repayment of whatever amount the DCA demands; it never questions their right to collect, and it doesn't report bad practice to the regulators or government.

 

Now, through sites like CAG, the bad practices of the industry are being publicised more and more often, too often for companies to brush stories aside as isolated cases or rogue members of staff. DCAs and gangs like DBSG have money, and PR departments to put out their version of things (vide the 'DBSG Credit Manifesto' for a splendidly pompous but utterly unbalanced example, in which debtors are accused of using the law to avoid paying debts), but I think they've realised (not least because of OFT's action against the banks), that it's just a matter of time before public pressure will mean that they are forced to clean up their acts; that will cost them dearly, and they will fight to maintain the status quo.

 

So, it seems to me that what's needed is a campaign to bring the bad practices of these companies to the attention of the media and politicians, so that regulators will be forced to act decisively.

[Allwood]

Why not send the CAG link to Gorden Brown and other ministers in the cabinet as well the the leader of the Tory party David Cameron they are all have email addresses now on the website so why not use it.

[babybear39]

 

So, it seems to me that what's needed is a campaign to bring the bad practices of these companies to the attention of the media and politicians, so that regulators will be forced to act decisively.

 

I SECOND THAT SP

 

I also agree with Allwood's post.

[sosumi]

Well said ScarletPimpernel!

 

The important thing is for people reading this site, to become a member, tell us your story. There are signs that the debt collection 'industry' will have no choice but to change for the better. And there are people here, not just in one particular part of the site, who are actively working towards that end.

 

People you wouldn't expect are in contact with others that DCAs wouldn't expect... all down to reading the many personal accounts of CAG posters. I came here, almost at the point of despair, but CAG turned that right round. Now the DCAs really need to start worrying - a lot.

When they return to work tomorrow, all those DCA 'telephone operatives' should be looking over their shoulders. The Law has a broad reach. And keen ears.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Here's an idea:

 

We keep hearing about ways in which DCAs and creditors flout the law and breach regulatory rules and guidelines; there are documents posted all over CAG which prove it. Why don't we set up a sort of 'rogue's gallery' of this stuff, which will not only help people to identify what's bollox and what's not, but also provide a useful resource for media types or politicians wishing to see what we are always banging on about. Who knows, perhaps we could even ask the CSA to comment on why their members aren't compliant.

 

Naturally, any scanned documents would be depersonalised. I don't see there being any discussion or comment other than an analysis of why it doesn't comply, or why it is misleading.

 

If the owners of CAG don't want to do this, for reasons of bandwidth or because they see it as outside their remit, I would be happy to set up an external site for it.

 

What do others think?

[ODC]

Here's an idea:

 

We keep hearing about ways in which DCAs and creditors flout the law and breach regulatory rules and guidelines; there are documents posted all over CAG which prove it. Why don't we set up a sort of 'rogue's gallery' of this stuff, which will not only help people to identify what's bollox and what's not, but also provide a useful resource for media types or politicians wishing to see what we are always banging on about. Who knows, perhaps we could even ask the CSA to comment on why their members aren't compliant.

 

Naturally, any scanned documents would be depersonalised. I don't see there being any discussion or comment other than an analysis of why it doesn't comply, or why it is misleading.

 

If the owners of CAG don't want to do this, for reasons of bandwidth or because they see it as outside their remit, I would be happy to set up an external site for it.

 

What do others think?

Excellent idea SP. Copies of each company's standard bullsh.... sorry threatomatic letter would let everyone see that they are not alone. Name and shame the companies and prove the blatant untruths they send to scare people.

[elizabeth1]

Why not send the CAG link to Gorden Brown and other ministers in the cabinet as well the the leader of the Tory party David Cameron they are all have email addresses now on the website so why not use it.

 

 

Allwood there are letters in here to send to MP's and House of Lords etc.. I have sent them myself relating to a few companies etc.. it can be done online or by post etc..

 

I feel the mopre people do this the better as it does stress we are not isolated incidents as these companies so regularly claim.

 

The other people worth looking at are the Solicitors that these companies use - in many cases proceedings are begun while the DCA has no papers etc.. - because these companies largely rely on the ignorance of the consumers ? A court order through the letterbox is enough to make anyone own up to anything whether it's true or not (given the way these accounts are inflated by charges etc..the figures are wrong anyway?)

 

So people do really need to start speaking out and complaining - solicitors have regulatory bodies too ILEX, SRA, Legal Complaints Boards, Legal Ombudsman etc.. - if these solicitors are issuiing claims against people prior to seeing relevant paperwork etc.. - shouldn't we all be questioning this matter too - these solicitors make big money too - as we see they charge US for this pleasure.

 

There are so many ways we can raise issues and get these companies looked at - eventually these companies are going to have to start changing? Little things soon mount up - what we need to do is look at what is happening and act accordingly to show these matters up.

[Fuzzgin]

I agree with what's been said here. We need to start speaking out and making our experiences heard. For all of us on here, how many others are suffering the same experiences with no idea where to turn for help.

 

If anyone wants to start a Lowlife Fan Club, I'd join. I bet it would be really popular since their Threatomatic seems to be working on an industrial scale at the moment. (As well as their printer of complaints procedures thanks to CAG).

[andrew1]

Seahorse set up his own blog on Cabot and believe me that has given Cabot one hell of a headache, talk about focus their attention. Follow the leaders - the Cabot Fan Club !!

[elizabeth1]

Seahorse set up his own blog on Cabot and believe me that has given Cabot one hell of a headache, talk about focus their attention. Follow the leaders - the Cabot Fan Club !!

 

 

Cabot's having big headaches -YEP !! that's the idea

[ODC]

Lets give them all headaches then. More Fan Clubs

[Seahorse]

Absolutely no reason why others shouldn't set their own blog up. It really is very easy, and can often be free. Wordpress is an easy to use system, and I think I'm right in saying, they'll even host it free. Just Google for wordpress, blogger, or even just "free blog"

 

Scarlet, coppermine might be the way to go for your idea. folks could then just upload their own docs as images in a gallery type style. It could be restricted to those who register to avoid abuse.

[andrew1]

..and I'll give full support from the Fan Club to get you going - just PM me...

[ScarletPimpernel]

I'm going to set up a site. I've pm'd Andrew1.

 

In the meantime, any suggestions for a domain name? The best I've come up with so far is roguecredit...

 

Once I have registered the domain, I'll ask for contributions, and I hope that some of the experts here will help with pointing out the contraventions in DCAs letters so they can be named and shamed.

[ODC]

What about DCA_Facts

[NailPost]

Has Mr Berkley had the courage to look on this forum and taken note of what people are saying?

 

Has he even taken the trouble to contact the top Cagers? Invited them for tea and biscuits and a little chat?

 

Probably not. In a year's time, at the CSA/DBSG agm he'll tell his cronies we didn't return his calls. Let's not give him that pleasure. Let's monster him with calls, e-mails, letters expressing our disgust at what he's insinuating and get him to prove the "misleading nature" of the threads on this forum.

[Goldlady]

How would they go about stopping CAG or any other site/blog - would they have to get an injunction? I wonder on what basis they would achieve it, bearing in mind the Human Rights Act.

[Seahorse]

They stopped mine because I registered the name cabotfinancial.eu

 

Didn't stop me setting up shop at coveritup.co.uk though

 

So long as everything is factual, there isn't a lot they can do about it. Except spill tea all over their nice white shirts when they discover the word is spreading even further.

 

In fact, if anybody feels confident enough to run a blog, I could set you one up with a Wordpress one. It's bad enough having http://www.coveritup.co.uk to contend with. Imagine how they'd feel with http://odc.coveritup.co.uk, http://djdave.coveritup.co.uk, http://nailpost.coveritup.co.uk etc, etc... ad nauseum?

 

UNITED WE STAND!!!!!

[Goldlady]

They stopped mine because I registered the name cabotfinancial.eu

 

Didn't stop me setting up shop at coveritup.co.uk though

 

 

Was worth a try - it probably beat theirs on Google:o

[elizabeth1]

They stopped mine because I registered the name cabotfinancial.eu

 

Didn't stop me setting up shop at coveritup.co.uk though

 

So long as everything is factual, there isn't a lot they can do about it. Except spill tea all over their nice white shirts when they discover the word is spreading even further.

 

In fact, if anybody feels confident enough to run a blog, I could set you one up with a Wordpress one. It's bad enough having http://www.coveritup.co.uk to contend with. Imagine how they'd feel with http://odc.coveritup.co.uk, http://djdave.coveritup.co.uk, http://nailpost.coveritup.co.uk etc, etc... ad nauseum?

 

UNITED WE STAND!!!!!

 

All we need to do it tell the facts as they stand - nobody can touch us for that at all. If these companies didn't act so unfairly - there wouldn't be the need for us to do this stuff would there?

[sosumi]

Here's an idea:

 

We keep hearing about ways in which DCAs and creditors flout the law and breach regulatory rules and guidelines; there are documents posted all over CAG which prove it. Why don't we set up a sort of 'rogue's gallery' of this stuff, which will not only help people to identify what's bollox and what's not, but also provide a useful resource for media types or politicians wishing to see what we are always banging on about. Who knows, perhaps we could even ask the CSA to comment on why their members aren't compliant.

 

Naturally, any scanned documents would be depersonalised. I don't see there being any discussion or comment other than an analysis of why it doesn't comply, or why it is misleading.

 

If the owners of CAG don't want to do this, for reasons of bandwidth or because they see it as outside their remit, I would be happy to set up an external site for it.

 

What do others think?

Brilliant - and brilliant everybody! If it's okay for you SP, go for it!

Hugely proud to be a member of CAG!

[andrew1]

Brilliant - and brilliant everybody! If it's okay for you SP, go for it!

Hugely proud to be a member of CAG!

 

[sosumi]

A1 -

- and let's not forget the Debt Collector of the Year is coming up.