Recorded telephone call with Quick Quid

[Jon Danzig]

London payday loan company, QuickQuid, records all its phone calls – but they objected when I said I was recording the call too.

I was trying to complain that someone pretending to be me had borrowed £400 from them at 5,200% APR interest - and that I was not responsible for paying back the loan, as QuickQuid was demanding.

Hear what happened:

Edited March 3, 2012 by BankFodder
You can post the full story on this forum if you like.

[BankFodder]

Brilliant. Thanks.

 

I had the same scenario with Lloyds a few years ago where the woman said that she wouldn't continue the call if I was recording it.

 

British Gas threatened me over the phone after I revealed that I had recorded evidence against them.

 

Best not to give warnings - you don't have to. Just record your calls - always. Always.

 

Any organisation which is worried about having its calls recorded by its customers is not the kind of organisation you should want to do business with.

 

Always record your calls.

[Jon Danzig]

London payday loan company, QuickQuid, records all its phone calls – but they objected when I said I was recording the call too.

 

I was trying to complain that someone pretending to be me had borrowed £400 from them at 5,200% APR interest - and that I was not responsible for paying back the loan, as QuickQuid was demanding.

 

As a newbie here I have sadly not been allowed to post a link, but you can hear the phone conversation on my YouTube channel at EyesEars.com

 

The video is called, "My exasperating phone call with QuickQuid"

 

[Jon Danzig]

 

I've produced another video of how QuickQuid allowed my identity to be stolen in the first place:

 

[Andy77799]

I did the same once! You can almost predict the conversation from the point you say you are recording!

Or the hilarious change of tone when you mention it! If you stick to the point then these conversations can go round and round in circles for hours!

 

Had one with BT (India) last year, funny bit is when they ask at the end if you are happy and if problem resolved when it clearly isn`t!!!

[seanamarts]

If these people are working on behalf of UK companies and dealing with UK citizens, then they need to know UK laws and regulations. Nice one Jon

[seanamarts]

Merged all three threads.

[LaughingGirl]

Oooh, burn! Nice to see someone play them at their own game. I hope this situation is resolved quickly and to your satisfaction, Jon.

[Jon Danzig]

Oooh, burn! Nice to see someone play them at their own game. I hope this situation is resolved quickly and to your satisfaction, Jon.

 

Thanks LaughingGirl. Yes, I won in the end. QuickQuid were quick quitters after I fought back, which is often the case when you challenge the bluff of bullies. My view was that QuickQuid had to prove to me that I owed them money, and not that I had to prove to them that I didn’t.

 

See my other thread, "QuickQuid: My payday moan" to see how the story ended.

[sillygirl1]

Excellent, it is lovely to get them stuck on their 'script' and make them look silly.

 

I had similar with a UK company (Mucky Hall) who wanted my licence no as I was recording, I told them I did not need a licence.

 

If anyone phones me up from a DCA or other company I don't know I tell them before we go through security that the call is being recorded, usually sends them packing.

[Michael Browne]

I won in the end. QuickQuid were quick quitters after I fought back, which is often the case when you challenge the bluff of bullies. My view was that QuickQuid had to prove to me that I owed them money, and not that I had to prove to them that I didn’t.

 

 

See my other thread, "QuickQuid: My payday moan" to see how the story ended.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?340704-QuickQuid-My-PayDay-Moan&p=3743131#post3743131

[LaughingGirl]

Thanks LaughingGirl. Yes, I won in the end. QuickQuid were quick quitters after I fought back, which is often the case when you challenge the bluff of bullies. My view was that QuickQuid had to prove to me that I owed them money, and not that I had to prove to them that I didn’t.

 

See my other thread, "QuickQuid: My payday moan" to see how the story ended.

 

Delighted to hear that, and well done to you. I really hope, though, that QQ also address the issue of allowing loans to be paid into third party accounts - what a shocker.

[Jon Danzig]

Brilliant. Thanks. Any organisation which is worried about having its calls recorded by its customers is not the kind of organisation you should want to do business with.

 

Always record your calls.

 

I agree, if they can record, so can we. I should add that I only record phone calls with businesses - not with friends. I don't want my friends to stop phoning me!

[Jon Danzig]

If these people are working on behalf of UK companies and dealing with UK citizens, then they need to know UK laws and regulations. Nice one Jon

 

Thank you Seanamarts.

 

A lot of consumers are unfamiliar with the UK law about recording phone calls, as are companies. Businesses often announce that “calls may be recorded”, but when I tell them that I took that as permission for me to record the call as well, they often get shirty. Actually, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 allows consumers to record their phone calls, without any prior announcement or permission, so long as the recording is used for their own personal purposes and not passed on to any third party without permission.

[Andy77799]

If you tell them you are recording, can you then pass onto a third party???

 

Or publish on facebook???

[Jon Danzig]

If you tell them you are recording, can you then pass onto a third party???

 

Or publish on facebook???

 

I am not 100% sure. However, in the case of QuickQuid, they clearly announce at the beginning of every call, "For quality assurance purposes, this call may be monitored or recorded." I have taken that to mean 1) That I may also record the call and 2) that I can also have the call monitored for quality assurance purposes; in this case, monitored by all the readers of Consumer Action Group and my viewers on YouTube. How's that for logic? In any event, it's the logic I used to conclude that it was alright to broadcast that phone call on YouTube.

[Jon Danzig]

If these people are working on behalf of UK companies and dealing with UK citizens, then they need to know UK laws and regulations. Nice one Jon

 

Here's Ofcom's advice on the recording of phone calls:

 

Recording and monitoring telephone calls or e-mails

[Jon Danzig]

There's an interesting article just published in 'This is money' about another victim of QuickQuid's slack vetting procedures. TONY HETHERINGTON: Dodgy 'debt' demands of US payday loan firm

 

Mr Hetherington's conclusion: "The blunt fact is that QuickQuid seems content to ignore British law."

[sillygirl1]

The OFT need to immediately revoke any PDL company licence which has an offshore parent company. This would send a clear message to the murky market - you need a UK office to operate here and UK based staff or else you don't get a licence.

 

Many of QQs 'staff' are on high commission retainers, at one point they used an Irish call centre operation and then moved onto Canada, Canada turfed them out quickly (wish we had Canadian laws on PDL companies here....) and now I'm not sure where their 'base' is. Its been about four years since I last had any dealings with them directly myself.

[Jon Danzig]

The OFT need to immediately revoke any PDL company licence which has an offshore parent company. This would send a clear message to the murky market - you need a UK office to operate here and UK based staff or else you don't get a licence.

.

 

I agree. At the very least, a loan company needs to have a proper presence in this country to be able to operate here. Every call I tried to make to QuickQuid London was automatically routed to the USA - and to members of staff who often appeared to know little about our financial regulations or procedures.

[sillygirl1]

I think that is one plan that needs to go to the 'powers that be'.

 

Another one is 'one company one licence' to stop them using multiple trading names on their licences. Any company with more than one name needs more than one licence. And these comanies need to be properly staffed, not one man bands.

 

If they have a debt collecting company it should have its own debt collecting licence, and not go under a 'general' licence.

[gezwee]

Reminds me of a conversation I had with Amex a few years back, 'we're an American co, and we don't have to adhere to UK legislation'............ muppets

[LaughingGirl]

There's an interesting article just published in 'This is money' about another victim of QuickQuid's slack vetting procedures. TONY HETHERINGTON: Dodgy 'debt' demands of US payday loan firm

 

Mr Hetherington's conclusion: "The blunt fact is that QuickQuid seems content to ignore British law."

 

From the article you linked to:

The demand letter your wife received fails to show the company’s real name or registration number. Maybe they can do this in Delaware or Chicago, but in Britain this is an offence.

After some to-ing and fro-ing, even the OFT told me: ‘Businesses should comply with the Business Names Act. Failure to do so may be relevant when assessing fitness to hold or retain a consumer credit licence.’

QuickQuid’s licence expires in July. If it applies for renewal, I hope the OFT will bear in mind the way the company has treated your wife and its disregard for laws saying companies must identify themselves.

 

 

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/experts/article-2109762/TONY-HETHERINGTON-Dodgy-debt-demands-US-payday-loan-firm.html#ixzz1o912y8x9

 

Only 'may' be relevant? If QQ are committing an offence, it is not remedied by the time their licence is up for renewal and that renewal is subsequently granted, I will officially lose all faith in the OFT. Businesses like this must love the UK - it seems like we'll lie down for anything.

 

Actually, to hell with the renewal - if they are demonstrably committing an offence, why aren't they being prosecuted?

[Fisco2k]

I had the same with QQ she was making all sorts of demands and threats so i just let her know i had been recording the call (i know i don't have to but i wanted to get her reaction and change in attitude)

 

Lets just say she kicked off big time, insisted it's illegal as she didn't give permission even though i stated i don't need her permission when recording for personal use.

 

I found it funny.

 

She didn't

[sillygirl1]

It again backs up the theory of high commission earning staff working from home, I am pretty certain if you look at QQs company accounts you will find they have no actual eployees down, other than the directors.