Cabot claim- Scared! Please help.

[louisapj1]

Ah.. I doubt it.. he seemed reluctant to my charm.

 

They're a nasty hard-nosed bunch these dca's.

 

Though that's just over the phone... wouldn't mind getting one of them in a boxing ring (though my experience is limited in this area to just holding up the numbers. Still... I'd give it a go)

[Seahorse]

Ye little tease. They're always model types that do that.

[louisapj1]

Ye little tease. They're always model types that do that.

 

lol.

I guess that makes me a model type...

 

(though sadly not a model-typist, there's some bad errors in some of my previous posts)

[Rhia]

Though that's just over the phone... wouldn't mind getting one of them in a boxing ring (though my experience is limited in this area to just holding up the numbers. Still... I'd give it a go)

 

I think a good knee in the groin would do wonders followed by a left hook.

[ODC]

Could you not ask the nice chap you rang at Fredriksons to confirm the account was settled fully in writing - please pretty please... Just so you can get rid of that nasty Cabot firm and seeing as he acted so professionally etc... Then post a copy to Cabot and tell them to naff off.

At least to OP can get a print out from Fredriksons proving no debt:D

[louisapj1]

So.. I've recieved a reply...

 

Thank you for your letter, I regret that you hav felt the need to contact us to express your disatisfaction etc etc etc

 

You have stated during a telephone call that this account was paid in full to Fredrikson. I would be most grateful if you could provide me with further detals of this i.e. a copy of your paid in full letter.

 

We are currently investigating your concerns and shall aim to provide you with our response as soon as we have been provided with the details.

Please also find enclosed a leaflet which sets out the process we will take in order to deal with your complaint.

In the event you remain disatisfied with our service and or response after 8 weeks from the date we recieved your complaint you may refer your complaint to the financilal ombudsman service...

In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us on 01732 etc etc

 

 

 

 

 

So, now that I have learnt a few things from this forum I was wondering what everyone would suggest? Re-try Fredrikson for a paid in full letter? (will this cost? are they obliged to send one?)

Or just send Cabot a letter reminding them that it is up to them to prove that I owe them money, not down to me to disprove I owe it?

 

Suggestions please...

 

 

Oh and another thing... Is there anyway I can change the title of my thread as i'm not scared anymore

[ODC]

Its not your place to prove a payment but its up to the **** to prove you owe money. I suugest you send them a letter advising that they are alleging the debt and they should contact Fredricksons. You do not work for the scummy DCAs

[louisapj1]

Its not your place to prove a payment but its up to the **** to prove you owe money. I suugest you send them a letter advising that they are alleging the debt and they should contact Fredricksons. You do not work for the scummy DCAs

 

Just the answer I was looking for! Thanks

[andrew1]

I must admit, I'm not a lover of the word '****'. Now correct me and forgive me if I appear to be coming across as going soft, but come on - people working in dca's are no different from you and me just doing a job. Not a nice job, and some of them are reckless with what they say, I am the first to admit that. The people we need to educate are the management who tell the people on the coal face what is right or wrong and these are the people who we need to educate. Training their staff properly is what we want to achieve.

 

ODC, I am the first to admire the work you have done and do, but would you consider that we might just lose the moral arguments if we use language like that? I am not judging you or anyone else, people on here have every right to be angry - me too and I'm no angel believe me, but if we stoop to their levels we lose the moral high ground and it's been a long hard fight getting this far and we ARE winning.

 

I met a person tonight who works in a DCA in management, that person is a true professional in every sense of the word and does one hell of a lot for community education trying to teach the youth in schools how to manage money so they will not get themselves into debt. It is those kind of people we are calling ****? I don't think so and we shouldn't. It is the people they train or ought to train who are full of their own self importance and on some ego trip because YOU are the debtor and YOU who are a lesser person than they - in their minds. It is those who we want ousted out and who would be referred to in the manner you describe.

 

Lets all go out and tell a child, just one what to watch out for. Now that would be admirable.

 

No offence ODC, forgive my using your example. You are not alone and I have done the same myself on occasions I just think sometimes we can get carried away tarring every dca with the same brush - It ain't like that in reality.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Whether or not DCA staff are **** is an interesting debate and one that could no doubt be prolonged.

 

I don't doubt that there are some people for whom debt collection (or 'credit services' as they like to call it) is a fulfilling career, and who contribute to their community. However, I think that it's worth thinking about why the poeple we deal with most often - the low level, factory-floor staff - behave as they do. Why are they aggressive, rude, and threatening? Why do they lie, and why do they harass? Partly, I suppose, because they know that that's what gets results in many cases, and partly because for some of them it's the only bit of power they have in their lives - and it's better than flipping burgers. However, they couldn't do these things without management either encouraging them or at least turning a blind eye. The processes they use and the way in which staff are paid commission indicates that the former is usually the case.

 

You only have to look at the advertising the industry puts out. From inventing a new name ('credit services'), to their descriptions of ethical practice, they seek to cover up the truth - that it's a grubby business that in many cases profits from the misfortune of others. In many cases, I suspect that they seek to create this false impression as much for themselves as for anyone else, to help them to feel more comfortable about what they do and how they do it.

 

Do I think DCAs are ****? Some of them behave so badly that I think the epithet suits, in the context of normal business practices in the UK today. Most, however, are just ill-mannered, immature people working in an industry that encourages and rewards that sort of behaviour. Away from work, they wouldn't behave the same way, because they would not have the protection of not knowing their target, or hiding behind a telephone. I'd love to introduce them to some of the real **** I've dealt with - Serbian Chetniks and PIRA, for example.

 

Actually, forget PIRA - we wouldn't want the DCAs to learn from an organisation whose management approves of unlawful methods but denies it, and then presents an entirely different corporate image - and gets money from the Government!

[Curlyben]

Guys ODC was NOT saying that the STAFF are ****, just that the organisation is.

Granted they are people trying to do a job, an unsavoury one, but a job none the less.

If they are forced, harassed, pushed, to use dubious methods by their "organs grinders" and senior management in order to keep their meagre job then I for one actually feel rather sorry for them.

[Seahorse]

At least Cabot's management haven't tried denying they are tied in to murder and torture, Scarlet. I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies.

 

But to be fair, from what I have seen of the staff at Cabot so far, I'd be hard pushed to assume they see debt collection as any sort of long term career. It wouldn't even surprise me if they aren't told at the interview exactly what the job entails.

 

No, Sarah's right. It's the top guys who need nailing for forcing ordinary folks to leave their morals at home every day before heading off to work.

 

Amongst their many other crimes against humanity.

[ODC]

I am on record here as saying that if a DCA treats me with civility and respect and actully listens then I will try to work something out with them and pay what I owe. In all my dealings with DCAs I have only found one that fitted this category and as a result reache an amicable agreement regarding paying off a debt. That said every other DCA that I have had the misfortune to deal with treated me with the contempt usually reserved for child killers. To call them arrogant qould be a gross understatement.

 

What would you call someone from a DCA who rings when I was waiting to hear from a hospital about my wifes cancer treatment refused to go off the phone and told me he would keep the phone jammed all day if I did not give him money. I pleaded with him to go away so I could hear from the hospital to which he replied ''Listen Pal I dont give a toss about whether your wife lives or dies'' Now what would you call someone like that?????

 

That is just one example of the people skills of a DCA employee. He wasnt from some of the low life ones that you would expect but one of the mainstream which prides itself on its professionalism and understanding.

 

I am the first to admit that I do get very angry when I hear of the activities of these people and sometimes do use intemperate language.

 

I blame the management of these DCAs who train their staff to be aggressive and rude and treat everyone as a 'Rogue Debtor' no matter what the cause of the persons indebtedness. The management are the people who encourage these people to have a target driven attitude. Its no use a manager saying he/she wasnt aware of the blatant lies and untruths his staff were spouting off to debtors. They are responsible for the actions of those under them. Who designs the threatomatic letters that they churn out with monotonus regularity quoting untruths and threats which they cannot legally carry out. I have been driven to the verge of suicide by these people and you wonder why I call them names.

 

Sarah you have met a nice guy from a DCA who does a lot for community work. I would venture to suggest he is the exception rather than the rule. The company I work for is regularlt approached by debt collector offering to chase bad debt for us. Most of them come accross as particularly nasty individuals who not only admit to bending the law but actually break the law and smile about it. They have the attitude that what the public doesnt know about the CCA does them no harm.

 

Sorry but the Debt Collection sorry Credit services industry is rotten to the core and the sooner proper legislation is put in place to regulate the better. At the moment it's self regulating and most official bodies seem powerless or unwilling to clean up this dirty industry

 

I attach a dictionary definition

 

**** (skŭm)

n.

1. A filmy layer of extraneous or impure matter that forms on or rises to the surface of a liquid or body of water.
   
2. The refuse or dross of molten metals.
   
3. Refuse or worthless matter.
   
4. Slang. One, such as a person or an element of society, that is regarded as despicable or worthless.

[djdave]

Given what we know about Cabot's staff turnover, it is reasonable to assume that a lot of their staff hate working there.

 

Can't blame them, really, given the way their employers behave.

[Seahorse]

K-Lee "loves her job, so ner!". Apparently.

 

So she says on her MySpace page anyhow.

 

Didn't used to say that though.

 

Never mind Kayleigh, you'll find a job soon enough that lets you sleep at night. I dare you to write "Feck Off Ken" in your resignation letter when you finally manage to break free.

[andrew1]

She probably got promoted cos staff numbers are getting a bit thin from what I heard!

[louisapj1]

after reading through all your advice what I decided to do was to ignore them.

After all, it's their job to prove I owe the debt, not mine to prove I don't and I wasn't about to get into some letter writing war as I'd rather not give any more of my cash than entirely necessary to Royal Mail.

 

I received a letter this week-

 

Dear Louisapj1

 

I refer to your letter recived in this office on 19th September 2007.

 

I regret that you have felt cause to complain to Cabot and apologise for any inconvenience that you may have suffered in relation to this matter. I am disappointed that Cabot has not been able to satisfy your concerns on previous occasions.

 

I understand that you believe that you have previously settled this account and you are concerned Cabot is continuing to collect on the same.

 

On investigating this matter, it would appear that proir to The Cabot Financial Group purchasing your account you had arranged and paid a full and final sttelement. Therefore, the account should not have been available to us. Please be advised your account was sold to Cabot as part of an assignment and all correspondance you subsequently recieved was sent to you in good faith. Nevertheless, on behalf of Cabot, please accept my sincere apologies for any anxiety or upset this matter may have caused you. I can confirm that our records have been amended and you shall recieve no further contact either by Cabot or our agents.

 

I can also confirm that I have contacted the Credit Reference Bureau to ensure your credit file is fully updated with immediate effect. Please be advised that this will take approximately 14 days to show on your credit file.

 

I trust we have set out our position clearly. However, if you remain dissatisfied with our final response, you may bring the complaint to the attention of the Financial Ombudsman service, within 6 months of this letter, who may investigate the same.

 

If you have any other queries in relation to the above account, please do not hesitate to contact me on etc etc etc

 

Yours sincerely

Some girl

Customer Assurance Department.

 

 

 

Ok.

So now, though relieved, I'm even more angry.

How can this happen? I AM still dissatisfied. I'm angry with Cabot for trying to get cash out of me (what if I had been in a position to pay up and handed over the cash? would they've eventually discovered their mistake and reimburse me? somehow I think not) I'm angry with Argos for passing on my details for a debt I cleared many years ago.

 

What is the Credit Reference Bureau? This "debt" never showed on my experian report (i'm guessing that's because it didn't exist)

where else could it have been recorded?

I live with my mum and she's had problems recently gaining credit, despite having a good record and no debts (though she has not checked her experian report) could this somehow be responsible?

 

 

What are your views??

[ODC]

A complaint to the FOS against Cabot for not checking their fact before harassing you.

[andrew1]

A complaint to the FOS against Cabot for not checking their fact before harassing you.

 

Dead right ODC stirling advice once again. report this to as many as you can. There's dozens of cases where this is happening, look at tbern123 threads re Barclaycard, exactly the same - he never had a barclaycard and Cabot chased him for outstanding amounts. This also needs to go to the Information Commissioner - Cabot buy debt en-bloc, hundreds if not thousands of accounts at a time and we in the Cabot Fan Club have seen the sales agreements between Cabot and the banks/finance companies and know what gets passed across with each assignment - they DO NOT check the validity of these accounts they just take it on trust that the bank/finance company provide accurate data and it is not accurate at all. COMPLAIN ! the more complaints the more pressure we will put onto them to abide by the law or risk losing their license to trade ( which will be the cherry on the cake! ).

[louisapj1]

Any clues on where to start?

I want it to be as professional and as forceful as possible.

 

I'm so enraged by this whole thing.

It took effort to clear my debts and the accusation that my debt still remained shocked and worried me.

Had I been in a position to pay up I would've done so without question, hadning over money which wasn't owed.

 

There must be people out there right now in the same position who perhaps don't have access to sites like this or don't know that this kind of thing is going on.

 

The thought of Cabot ripping off little old ladies, low-income families and other vunerable people who aren't as fortunate as us on CAG makes my blood boil!

 

It's criminal. I want to tell the world about this, now where do I start?

[djdave]

Also report them to the Consumer Credit Licencing dept at the OFT. They won't take action on individual complaints but it is important that they can build up a picture of Cabot's activities.

 

Their address is:

 

Consumer Credit Licensing

Room 1C/5

Office of Fair Trading

Fleetbank House

2-6 Salisbury Square

London

EC4Y 8JX

 

 

(Here's the letter I sent, you'd need to change almost all of it, and here is the OFT reply)

 

[louisapj1]

Thanks DjDave!