Time for a complete boycott of bailiffs?

[smashedbobo]

just popping in to say good luck saffron for tomorrow. And to let you all know we dont all disappear. I wish i could contrbute more but still learning myself. This site has spurred me into taking some sort of course into consumer law though. I am finding it all very interesting. And of course the bailiff situation i believe is paramount in helping everyone if it can be sorted out. x

[dippydodar]

Having read even more horror stories on this site, I am wondering whether the most effective course of action may be that everyone refuses to have anything whatsoever to do with bailiffs?

 

Remember the Poll Tax - and how effective direct public action was?

 

I'm not advocating violent protests etc - simply saying that, whatever the contact from the bailiff, simply ignore it - and deal ONLY with the Council.

 

Make payments ONLY to the Council / write ONLY to the Council / discuss matters ONLY with the Council etc?

 

As long as you are offering to pay (and by dealing with the Council you are dealing with the people who are owed the money anyway) - I cannot see any comebacks?

 

Remember also - unless we get this situation sorted before the dreaded new TCE Bill becomes law - the bailiffs will get extra powers and lots of extra opportunities for breaking the law.

im with you ,one small problem with that if its like my council they cant help anymore as of this year they were yold they were being to soft so once the case has gone off site its not there problem anymore

[The Watcher]

im with you ,one small problem with that if its like my council they cant help anymore as of this year they were yold they were being to soft so once the case has gone off site its not there problem anymore

 

Or so they say ! I think you are being "fobbed off".

I haven't read your full story so can't really comment - but the Council CANNOT refuse to accept payments made direct.

[dippydodar]

Or so they say ! I think you are being "fobbed off".

I haven't read your full story so can't really comment - but the Council CANNOT refuse to accept payments made direct.

well they did me i was there earlyer and they said they could not take the case back like they use to .i tried to reason with thr lady but she was very nice and said if it was up to her then she would but it wasent and she cant

[Candle]

My council simply refused an offer of payment, even though I was/am disputing I even owe it!

 

Go Saffron, I don't think it would matter if you put wellies on, stand your ground. 8-)

 

In terms of a boycott, you really would need 'strength in numbers' and I'm not sure there would be enough people who do not feel intimidated.

They prey on people who do not/are unable to stand up to them, and even those who disagree with their actions/charges etc pay to 'get them off their back', I know quite a few. There needs to be more publicity about people who have stood up to them and achieved a positive solution, to show it can be done.

I for one, will make sure people know about it if I am at all successful in my dispute.

And I WILL be back......

[casbah]

I know from personal experience that there are "good" bailiffs..............In their office someone was not doing their job properly and not updating payments received, I got a telephone call from A mrs atilla hun and it resulted in her and me having a heated slanging match over the 'phone, we were as stubborn as the other, both refusing to back down, but I knew I had made the payments and told her (not so politely) to check her payments office and then she slammed the 'phone down, I , truely, expected a knock at the door and the GB womens wrestling champ to be standing there................but within 10 minutes the 'phone rang again, she was back!!!! but she apologised and said the payments had been made and records not updated, and she would personally insure the records were...............now the point to this is, surely the "good" bailiffs must be fed up with being labelled with the "bad" brush. We all know some bailiffs read this web site and maybe one or two of them are fed up with this as we are?

[The Watcher]

In terms of a boycott, you really would need 'strength in numbers' and I'm not sure there would be enough people who do not feel intimidated.

They prey on people who do not/are unable to stand up to them, and even those who disagree with their actions/charges etc pay to 'get them off their back', I know quite a few. There needs to be more publicity about people who have stood up to them and achieved a positive solution, to show it can be done.

I for one, will make sure people know about it if I am at all successful in my dispute.

And I WILL be back......

 

I agree entirely - as I said before, many people want to "forget" about the whole experience and pretend it never happened once their particular problem is sorted.

 

This "bury your head in the sand" mentality is not helping anyone.

 

A boycott would need numbers to make it work - but you have to start somewhere !

[ducatibabe]

Good Luck Saffron,

 

I still cant thank you for directing me to this Forum and everyone here enough for the help and support I got when I had problems..............i still lurk, but dont really feel qualified to post advice,. and often when i can help someone has already got in before me

 

what i am doing though is writing and emailing as many people as I can think of that may be able to bring to the publics notice the bad practices of SOME bailiffs follow.

 

If we all do a little bit we will get there eventually

 

Dx

[The Watcher]

what i am doing though is writing and emailing as many people as I can think of that may be able to bring to the publics notice the bad practices of SOME bailiffs follow.

 

If we all do a little bit we will get there eventually

 

Dx

 

Fantastic ! Every little helps !

 

Also - Good Luck to Saffron Flowers for today - we are ALL with you !

[smashedbobo]

good luck again saffron. Thinking of you. I too am talking to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen. I know for a fact a lot of people i know have had a brush with the bailiffs. Sadly i am met with where did you hear all this from.Of course i direct them here. But because this has not made national news as such they think i am slightly off my rocker and dont believe about the new powers bailiffs will have. I get soooooooo frustrated. But i will carry on talking to people. But sometimes brick and wall and head come to mind.

[casbah]

I signed the petition now I'm going to nag ten more of you to sign by Friday.

And BOY!!!!! Can I nag:D

[Saffronflowers]

Back knackered will post later

 

SFx

[casbah]

Me knows how you feel

[smashedbobo]

Hi all, has anyone heard from saffron. Has she posted on her own thread. Cant see anything. Hope you are ok saffron. And does anyone know what happened with her meeting. x

[The Watcher]

Hi all, has anyone heard from saffron. Has she posted on her own thread. Cant see anything. Hope you are ok saffron. And does anyone know what happened with her meeting. x

 

See post 62 (above) - still waiting for an update ?

[smashedbobo]

Thank you Watcher, was a bit worried as saffron had not posted an update. Worried more for her rather than the outcome of meeting. I know she has not been well recently. Will keep an eye on thread. x

[The Watcher]

Yes, I know all of this has made her very ill - so I too have been watching for an update.

[Saffronflowers]

Hey guys = thank you so much for the concern, basically my husband has banned me from posting anything for a while as he is very concerned about me!!! Anyways, I will post a thread about the meeting. Sorry for not having got back to you earlier.

 

SFx

[The Watcher]

Hey guys = thank you so much for the concern, basically my husband has banned me from posting anything for a while as he is very concerned about me!!! Anyways, I will post a thread about the meeting. Sorry for not having got back to you earlier.

 

SFx

 

Just pleased to hear that you are fine.

[breenie07]

Hi All. I have had recent dealings with both private bailiffs ('contractors'), and fines officers who are Govt. employees. Though on paper they all should operate within tight rules, we all know that reality is different. I think one of the big problems is the contracting out of collections which many regions have taken up. I have seen a massive difference in the attitude and methods employed by private bailiffs to those of fines officers and county court bailiffs.

 

The BBC expose on private contractors clearly showed that there is a bad culture in some companies where they play on our fear and ignorance. I was told by a man from Drakes who called last year that if I did not pay up I would go to jail. I was on the brink at the time. Some of these people act in cold blooded fashion in my opinion. He missed out all the steps that would take and other options open.

 

- The emphasis of the Collection of Fines Order 2006 is to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of collections but within that to allow 'the offender' 'every opportunity' 'to cooperate'.

 

If you have had a call / letter from Drakes for example have a look at the procedures they are supposed to follow. Then compare that to what you have seen and experienced.

 

- My point is that unpaid fines do need to be collected where possible. It is how it is done, that is the big issue I feel. I would like to see the Govt. take all private contract work back into the pubic sector. However, I doubt that this will be on either this Govts. agenda or the Tories agenda if they get in. So, in the absence of likely future positive change - and looming negative change - on this subject, we need to continue campaigning and use what is there in every way possible. Knowledge, rights, complaints procedures, MP's etc.

 

This site and others like it are vital resources. I knew next to nothing about my rights / bailiffs / debt collection until I looked here and then wider on the net. Information is power!