BPM Ground Services / Credit Resource Solutions

[spuzzcake]

Hello all,

 

I received a letter today from Credit Resource Solutions acting on behalf of BPM Ground Services Ltd collecting a debt of £75.00 relating to a parking charge. This is the first communication I have received relating to the incident with no initial letter from BPM Ground Services. I have not been given a chance to deny the alleged charge and it's gone straight to a debt collection agency?! Do I state that the debt is in dispute, refer to client? State my case to the DCA? It's a very templatey looking letter with an 08707 number to call with your credit card ready threatening further action if I fail to comply.

[patdavies]

Ignore it - further action will be another letter (or several)

 

If you feel that you must reply, then write to them (do not telephone) following the template letters on here.

[spuzzcake]

I really do not think ignoring it is the right thing to do. I need to dispute this and get it resolved but need to know the correct course of action and who to correspond with.

[Barnsley Boy]

This topic is also on the pepipoo site - parking forum

 

It seems that BPM have gone into liquidation and Credit Resource Solutions have bought the "debt". If you google Credit Resource Solutions their website comes up soon enough.

 

From Credit Resource Solutions Website:

 

We specialise in debt in the following areas:

 

• Tertiary placement, let us work hard to squeeze value from your debt.
  
• High dispute Consumer/Commercial debt, let us find a way to collect your disputed debt.
  
• Debt purchase, let us add immediate value to your bottom line.

 

 

May as well say "we specialise in scraping the bottom of the barrel". Might be just about legal but unsavoury to say the least. Despite the smiling girl on the webpage [although even she looks a bit sharky] I would not like to invite any of these people round for dinner.

 

"High Dispute Debt" err............ isn't that against the OFT guidelines whereby you write to the DCA, say the debt is disputed, refer back to issuing company and they are meant to do just that.

 

"Tertiary placement"

An innocuous term for collecting on accounts that have been through several debt collection agencies already and are considered to be virtually uncollectable - for example, because they have not been admitted for over 6 years and are statute barred or they have not got proper substantiation. OFT Guidelines have quite a lot to say about this as well.

 

"Debt Purchase" - lets hope they have caught a cold on this one.

 

Standard advice would be to write to them, disputing the debt and insist that it be refered back to the issuing company or you could send the cease and desist letter. All Bernie's letter templates are in the "sticky" at the top of the forum.

[Bandura]

Hi All

I also received the letter from Credit Resource Solutions under the same circumstances ie never received any notice or correspondence other than a debt collection letter. The letter itself is decidedly dodgy as it refers to details on the back and the back is blank. It is also illegal in its own right as the address shown is not the company registered addressed which is a legal requirement for a limited company. I didn't see your comments until after I had rung the company, but this was only to say I had no idea what they were referring to I would look into it. They very kindly offered me a deal for half price if I paid immediately and only £20 (bargain) if I wanted a copy of the parking notice.

[spuzzcake]

I am going to be sending a letter saying I am unable to help unless they substantiate their claim with evidence. I wouldn't phone them again it was probably a quid a minute!

[parkingpig]

i have received a letter from credit resource solutions asking for £90. payment for outstanding parking ticket that i know nothing about. i phoned them to be told ticket was issued in February , they couldnt tell me where. told I had 3 options. 1. Pay 2. Pay £25. to see original ticket or 3. Pay and THEN they could give me details of how to dispute it ?? Great choices.

Hvae read on this great forum other people in same boat and would be obliged if someone could tell me what to do. please ty

AM sorry but no idea what a 'sticky' is !

[spuzzcake]

That is disgusting!

 

If anybody else reads this - DO NOT PHONE THEM!

 

EVERYTHING is in writing. There is absolutely nothing to gain from phoning them only adding to your phone bill. The ticket in question was issued unlawfully, it has then been bought by a DCA who are now trying to collect the debt unlawfully.

 

Send them this letter:

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Re: Your letter dated [dd/mmmm/yyyy] Reference[#]

 

Unless you provide evidence to substantiate your claim against me I shall be unable to assist you further in this matter. In the meantime I absolutely deny your claim that the amount claimed, or any amount at all, is due to you from me.

 

Yours faithfully

[Barnsley Boy]

i have received a letter from credit resource solutions asking for £90. payment for outstanding parking ticket that i know nothing about. i phoned them to be told ticket was issued in February , they couldnt tell me where. told I had 3 options. 1. Pay 2. Pay £25. to see original ticket or 3. Pay and THEN they could give me details of how to dispute it ?? Great choices.

Hvae read on this great forum other people in same boat and would be obliged if someone could tell me what to do. please ty

AM sorry but no idea what a 'sticky' is !

 

The standard advice is simply to write back to them stating that the debt is disputed and should be refered back to BPM. If there are a legit Debt Collection Company, they are obliged to do just that in accordance with OFT guidelines. If they write again you can send the cease and desist letter as per the letter templates "sticky"

 

["Sticky" refers to those topics at the top of the forum page - under a separate heading]

[parkingpig]

thanks for the very quick reply i will write now. Do i need to send recorded delivery?

[battyboomboom]

The question those who have been sent letters need to consider is this:

 

Would you pay £75+ to someone, proporting to be a DCA (which has no legal power to enforce the debt unless it takes you to court and wins), acting on behalf of someone who may or may not have send you an invoice, who has sent you a letter to you asking for money for something you don't know anything about?

 

If the answer is yes, can I have your address so I can send more letters asking for money, thanks!

[Timmeh]

The question those who have been sent letters need to consider is this:

 

Would you pay £75+ to someone, proporting to be a DCA (which has no legal power to enforce the debt unless it takes you to court and wins), acting on behalf of someone who may or may not have send you an invoice, who has sent you a letter to you asking for money for something you don't know anything about?

 

If the answer is yes, can I have your address so I can send more letters asking for money, thanks!

 

No!

 

Also, I have never seen such unprofessional-looking letters before, although they did phone me up on my home phone and gave me another number I had to call... 01 something something something this time.

 

My letter arrived on Sat 1st Dec.

 

I decided to phone it and actually got through to someone. They told me there were multiple tickets dating back from february, yet they couldn't tell me where or when (same as parkingpig) also for £75.

Apparently they case/tickets had been "archived" so they would have to call me back with more info..they made no attempt to try and get money off me over the phone. Yet.

 

Anyway, before I found this thread (3rd link in google, no less) I sent a letter this morning basically stating that I had no idea what they were on about, and unless they could provide some sort of details/evidence i would be unable to assist them (I gave nothing away - the letter just had my car's make/reg but not model/colour) ... well, I basically told them where to stick it, but more diplomatically.

 

Very much like as suggested by spuzzcake.

 

It's going to be interesting to see what/if anything comes of this.

 

I wish we could take these people to court for wasting our time.

[Barnsley Boy]

thanks for the very quick reply i will write now. Do i need to send recorded delivery?

 

It is your call. Recorded Delivery is expensive, and some of the Parking Companies & Debt Collection Agencies are brazen enough to ignore even letters which they have signed for.

 

Suggest writing by oridinary post first. If it becomes obvious that they are simply ignoring your correspondance then you may consider a recorded delivery letter, also enclosing copy of your earlier letter.

 

The tactic of simply blanking them completely also works reputedly just as well.

 

Please don't worry unduly. In this case, the Debt Collection Agency simply do not appear to have any substantiation whatsoever and the chance of them actually doing anything other than issue annoying drivel is very small.

[Barnsley Boy]

The Credit Resource Solutions Website boasts under the "services" section.

 

"Use of Field agents to 'Knock on the Door' of debtors to collect cash. "

 

These people would typically be self employed working on a commission basis. These tactics, for a hotly disputed debt are simply beyond the pale.

 

Again from OFT guidance:

 

"Debt Collection Visits"

 

2.12 Examples of unfair practice are:

 

f. visiting or threatening to visit debtors without prior agreement when the debt is disputed or deadlocked.

 

If anyone thinks that there is a real danger of a "visit" they should write recorded delivery to Credit Resource Solutions stating the debt is disputed and they categorically withdraw common law permission for any "representative" to visit their house.

[Sidewinder]

The below letter (courtesy of Curlyben) may be of use.

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

You have contacted me/us regarding the alleged debt with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself/ourselves.

 

I/we would point out that I/we have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to (insert company name).

 

I am/we are familiar with the Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidance which states that it unfair to send demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question.

 

I/we would also point out that the OFT say under the Guidance that it is unfair to pursue third parties for payment when they are not liable. In not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive/and or unfair methods.

 

Furthermore ignoring and/or disregarding claims that debts have been settled or are disputed and continuing to make unjustified demands for payment amounts to physical/psychological harassment.

 

I/we would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above account unless you can provide evidence as to my/our liability for the debt in question.

 

I/we await your written confirmation that this matter is now closed. Otherwise I will have no option but to make a complaint to the trading standards department and consider informing the OFT of your actions.

 

I/we look forward to your reply.

 

Yours faithfully

[Timmeh]

So those of us who have received such letters, is this the first you've heard of any supposed offence(s)?

 

Or *might* you have committed one? I believe mine are completely made up/not my car.

[bobber1]

I got my letter from CRS yesterday - it appears to be exactly the same as many others who have posted here, verbatim. 6th Jan was the alleged offence - I would say I am 99.9% certain that I didn't park illegally, and that this is all a crock of proverbial. Have already rung/written (did so before finding this site ), but fortunately appeared to have followed the advice (without knowing it).

 

Sick of fighting these things on principal - this country is draining.

[parking pigs]

I also received the letter to say I owed £90. I called them and as mentioned inother threads they wanted £25 to let me know where it was.

 

I have made various calls - one of which to trading standards. All gave me the same information which was I am entitled by law to find out free of charge where these tickets were given.

 

They also said to write a letter and get the free proof of postage as to send it recorded would be a waste of time as it is a PO Box number.

[demon_x_slash]

No-one has committed any offence or broken any laws, as these are private tickets, and have nothing to do with the criminal or official system whatsoever. There are plenty of theads on private parking which explain the legal standpoint and why these people are trying it on with you...

[parkingpig]

help. Sent letter asking for credit resources to provide evidence of their claim etc etc on 3/12. have today received another letter from them stating that "despite attempts to resolve this long outstanding debt. (what... one letter?????) it appears that you are not prepared to honour your contractual obligations with this debt. I am preparing documentation to recover this debt through the county court. Further costs will be added to your debt as follows. Court disbursement £30.00 Solicitors cost £100.00

Statutory interest @8% per ammun from date of default." adding the only way to clear this debt is to ring and pay over the phone with either switch or credit card!!

What do I do now?? please.

[Timmeh]

They're trying to bully/scare you into paying. They clearly have as much proof of this "offence" as you do that the moon is made of cheese (Wallace and Gromit A Grand Day Out doesn't count!).

 

I'm expecting another letter. It will either be ignored, or replied with a "See you in court, then." type response.

 

I'm sure they have to provide you with evidence for free, don't they. If they're going to rely on it in court.

 

I'll wait for someone who's not in the same boat as you/us to reply, hopefully echoing my sentiment(!)

[Barnsley Boy]

help. Sent letter asking for credit resources to provide evidence of their claim etc etc on 3/12. have today received another letter from them stating that "despite attempts to resolve this long outstanding debt. (what... one letter?????) it appears that you are not prepared to honour your contractual obligations with this debt. I am preparing documentation to recover this debt through the county court. Further costs will be added to your debt as follows. Court disbursement £30.00 Solicitors cost £100.00

Statutory interest @8% per ammun from date of default." adding the only way to clear this debt is to ring and pay over the phone with either switch or credit card!!

What do I do now?? please.

 

Don't worry - so far so predictable. Remember that you are dealing with a debt collection agency, they write threatening letters for a living. Having "bought" the debt for the liquidated parking company, they are hardly likely to give in quietly. Equally they are very unlikely to actually issue proceedings. This is as rare as hens teeth for private parking tickets, for two main reasons:

1. It costs them money

2. They would lose against any sort of reasonable defence.

 

I suggest writing to them along the lines of:

 

I am in receipt of your letter dated XXXXXX. I note that you have not responded to any of the information I requested in my letter to you dated XXXXX. In the absence of these requested detailed particulars I am unable to help you further on this matter.

 

In anticipation of receipt of requested information, I wish to answer the points raised by your letter as follows:

 

I refute the existence of any "contract".

 

There is no debt, merely an unsolicited invoice which has no validity.

 

Please consider this letter as written notice that any debt is denied. You will be aware of the OFT guidelines which places onus upon Debt Collectors to cease collection activities for disputed debts and refer back to the issuing company. Any further actions by you, in contravention of the above guidelines will result in an official compliant to the Office of Fair Trading.

 

Happy New Year.

 

Y/F

[spuzzcake]

I have now fired off 3 letters to these losers trying to initiate some sort of attempt to resolve this and they are just sending off template letter time and again. I doubt if they actually have any staff or a computer spitting out sobby grovelling letters every 60 days. My last letter to them basically says I have done my utmost to get to the bottom of this and you failed to enter into meaningfull communication, please take me to court and i shall countersue for for undue stress and damages, reported to oft, any further communication considered harrassment.

 

Up yours,

 

Spuzzcake

[spuzzcake]

To anyone who is receiving these letters please don't stress or worry about them they clearly are a novice outfit. If you don't know what to do reply here and a letter will be drafted for you. If anyone does actually get taken to court by them I will be absolutely astonished. Whatever you do, don't phone them and don't give them any money! Their letters could as easily go ignored but you are better to do your best to resolve it and keep yourself in the clear.

 

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best!

[parkingpig]

Thanks all. Will use Barnsleys advice and write again. Will let you know what these pests come up with next. and a happy new year to all !