Being chased by debt collection agency

Simon1963

Member
Messages
819
The thing with these debt collection agencies is their fees.

Once they've tracked you down. They will issue a CCJ (or try), this costs 30 quid or something. Plus costs.

So in a flash, should the CCJ be granted, your £15.33 has turned into an enforceable debt of circa £250.

Then if they send bailiffs then that's another 300 quid+.

So for £15.33 you nor are looking at a debt of well over £500. Are your principles worth that much for so little?

Just pay it. In instalments. Of a pound a month. And send a cheque. Through the post. Without a stamp on it.
Another thing is the collection agency doesn’t want to just collect the £15. Nothing much in it for them. If you refuse to pay or ignore them then their rubbing their hands together as they pile the charges on and make some real money.
 

EnzoMC

Member
Messages
1,998
I just don't get these companies.
For this small amount I would have expected them to just right off.

Let hope it works out for you

If not I would partly agree, pay it and move on but if they did this to everyone, it soon mounts up. On the other hand ask them to provide evidence and as you said the recording. also record your time spent and the calls, the more details the better.

good luck
 

Hawk13

Member
Messages
1,471
I just don't get these companies.
For this small amount I would have expected them to just right off.

Let hope it works out for you

If not I would partly agree, pay it and move on but if they did this to everyone, it soon mounts up. On the other hand ask them to provide evidence and as you said the recording. also record your time spent and the calls, the more details the better.

good luck

It's a business arrangement that is not based on monetary amounts.

These debt collector types buy the 'debt' at pennies in the pound. Phone company shows all accounts settled / no debt and debt collection works on the basis of making big sums on larger amounts and crossing fingers that most people pay up smaller amounts after a first threatening letter.
 

Silvercat

Member
Messages
1,166
More than likely they will write off if you just ignore but be aware that they could rack up ridiculous costs and apply for a court order ... and potentially feck up your credit report. If you have a UK address, it is frighteningly easy to lodge a CCJ (and an effing nightmare to get it removed).
This is similar to what happened to my son. He got a £60 parking ticket for parking in a private parking bay outside his flat in Newquay for 1 hr at 10.00pm(!) so he could load some furniture in to his Jeep. He was told to ignore it by people in the block of flats because the outfit who left him with the ticket were a right bunch of scammers. So he did ignore it.... for 18 months. He recieved a couple of reminders but ignored these to, thinking nothing would happen. Then the threat of a CCJ came through the post with a fine of £420. He appealed and requested photographic evidence of the illegal parking, but surprise, surprise, none was forthcoming. Several days later he received notification of a County Court Summons from Northampton County Courts. Rather than travel all the way down there from Cumbria, he paid the fine to avoid the CCJ. I guess the lesson here is becareful what you ignore. No matter how insignificant the fine might be, its shocking how determined some companies will be in persuing fines even using unscrupulous solicitors to do their dirty work for them. So be warned...
 

Hawk13

Member
Messages
1,471
This is similar to what happened to my son. He got a £60 parking ticket for parking in a private parking bay outside his flat in Newquay for 1 hr at 10.00pm(!) so he could load some furniture in to his Jeep. He was told to ignore it by people in the block of flats because the outfit who left him with the ticket were a right bunch of scammers. So he did ignore it.... for 18 months. He recieved a couple of reminders but ignored these to, thinking nothing would happen. Then the threat of a CCJ came through the post with a fine of £420. He appealed and requested photographic evidence of the illegal parking, but surprise, surprise, none was forthcoming. Several days later he received notification of a County Court Summons from Northampton County Courts. Rather than travel all the way down there from Cumbria, he paid the fine to avoid the CCJ. I guess the lesson here is becareful what you ignore. No matter how insignificant the fine might be, its shocking how determined some companies will be in persuing fines even using unscrupulous solicitors to do their dirty work for them. So be warned...

For future reference, if you are the defendant, you can apply to have it heard at a more convenient Court so as to stop claims being deliberately lodged many miles away.
 

Silvercat

Member
Messages
1,166
For future reference, if you are the defendant, you can apply to have it heard at a more convenient Court so as to stop claims being deliberately lodged many miles away.
Thats a really great tip. Not heard of this before.
He is a 23 year old lad so wasn't really aware of the process and didn't want to get a bad credit record or worse still affect his future employment prospects. So he decided to pay it in the end.
 

alfatwo

Member
Messages
5,517
Barclaycard tried to stitch me up with there new terms and conditions in January , I tried to opt out but it didn't happen
Had a call today waffling on about how bad there service was and would I accept 500 quid and all interest charges canceled if I kept quite!

Dave
 

lifes2short

Member
Messages
5,821
the local authorities have a lot to answer for as well, using ****** debt collecting agencies who twist the legislation, remember watching that heart wrenching story on tv "killed by my debt" both the LA and debt collecting agency had blood on their hands

Killed by My Debt is a 2018 BBC Three drama based on the life of Jerome Rogers who died by suicide aged twenty having accrued debts of over £1,000 stemming from two unpaid £65 traffic fines. The film was written by Tahsin Guner who worked closely with the Rogers family.
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
For future reference, if you are the defendant, you can apply to have it heard at a more convenient Court so as to stop claims being deliberately lodged many miles away.
I need to remember this as currently ignoring a £100 'fine' from a private parking company outside an out of town retail park.
They have already sent me photos of my car with child seats in parked in a disabled bay (the parent and child was the next bay) no one else in the carpark
 

dgmx5

Member
Messages
1,142
If you defend a money claim it is automatically transferred to the county court of your home address.

If a CCJ is entered against you and it is paid within 30days, the judgment is not entered on the Register of Judgments, Orders & Fines.

If there is an ombudsman or tribunal that can be applied to to consider the monies in dispute, always consider paying first under protest. If the tribunal or ombudsman find in your favour, the other party will need to return the money.
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
OMG talk about resurrect an old thread
Well further to my post above after another 2 years I have finally got a County Court Summons for £289 - it’s miles away in Northampton - I think I will probably have to pay although I’m not done yet - I want to apply to move the hearing to a local court - assuming this doesn’t actually cost, I have (weak) defence - the disabled badge was not displayed - I offered to pay the reduced amount about 18months ago - this was refused, I will offer again.

To be fair I hate these leeches on society, it is in my opinion a money making scam designed to catch out and take advantage of people. The motorist is an easy target - this is just another example on how we are caught out!
 

Scaf

Member
Messages
6,512
OMG talk about resurrect an old thread
Well further to my post above after another 2 years I have finally got a County Court Summons for £289 - it’s miles away in Northampton - I think I will probably have to pay although I’m not done yet - I want to apply to move the hearing to a local court - assuming this doesn’t actually cost, I have (weak) defence - the disabled badge was not displayed - I offered to pay the reduced amount about 18months ago - this was refused, I will offer again.

To be fair I hate these leeches on society, it is in my opinion a money making scam designed to catch out and take advantage of people. The motorist is an easy target - this is just another example on how we are caught out!
I don’t know your circumstances, but sound like you were ignoring the original £100 fine for parking in a disabled bay without displaying a permit - which is never going to work.
Now it’s going to cost you the best part of £300.
Is your case based on the fact you have a disabled badge but failed display it ? or that £100 fine was too high for such minor infringement?
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
I don’t know your circumstances, but sound like you were ignoring the original £100 fine for parking in a disabled bay without displaying a permit - which is never going to work.
Now it’s going to cost you the best part of £300.
Is your case based on the fact you have a disabled badge but failed display it ? or that £100 fine was too high for such minor infringement?
Bit of both really, my only solace is it’s taken nearly 3 years so probably cost someone the additional £200
 

dgmx5

Member
Messages
1,142
If you defend the claim it will automatically be transferred to your (the defendant's) local county court. CCMCC has a Northampton base but not a hearing centre. This should all be explained in the paperwork you received with the claim fom.
 

dgmx5

Member
Messages
1,142
For anyone else in @RSM Masser 's position, it is probably better to pay the penalty and pursue the appeals process rather than ignore it and hope these firms will not take action.

And if a claim is issued, make sure you respond promptly and if you don't decide to pay now but instead defend the claim, you pay any judgment sum straight away if the court finds against you.
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
I do agree with the comments above
I am not after sympathy it is just principal of the matter. These are “free” car parks however a company has realised they can dictate to the general public on their use (fines)
To make matters worse The County Court Business Centre that has issued the ‘Summons’ is not even a proper court! It has been set up to assist these f@@king leeches!

Sorry for the rant - but the thread has been deleted!
 

dgmx5

Member
Messages
1,142
I do agree with the comments above
I am not after sympathy it is just principal of the matter. These are “free” car parks however a company has realised they can dictate to the general public on their use (fines)
To make matters worse The County Court Business Centre that has issued the ‘Summons’ is not even a proper court! It has been set up to assist these f@@king leeches!

Sorry for the rant - but the thread has been deleted!
The CCBC is one of the more effective parts of a civil justice system ripped apart by successive governments. It is a proper court, it hasn't been set up to assist these leeches, and it offers litigants in person better access to justice than the old days of lodging claims personally in a local county court with idiosynchratic opening hours.

And you haven't been sent a summons, you have been sent a claim form. You are not obliged to attend court to defend the claim.