DCAs: Fun and games with BT

[Franz-K]

SIMPLIFIED VERSION IN 9TH POST BELOW !!!

Dear fellow funsters,

Just joined up to inform you all of my letter-lobbings regarding a BT 'debt'. (Also relates to success with disputed gas bill DCA, and another 'credit card' one.)

I am a fairly-long-term-unemployed muso surviving on 'jsa'. I moved into a newish rented flat around 19 months ago with no option other than to pay BT an extortionate 'new connection fee' of some £125, despite having been a 'customer' of theirs for at least a decade previously. Due to skintness I had to pay the minimum via monthly direct debit, never quite catching up with what I 'owed' this lovely company.

Some time after the mandatory 12 months 'contract' had expired, I decided to save money by switching to another provider, leaving some £60 outstanding 'debt owed' to BT. That's ok, I thought: Forget about that one - I wanted to rent the line, not buy it for them!

So I proceeded to ignore a couple of letters they sent, not least because I found them more than a tad impolite.

Then, a short while later, (circa 26th August) I received one from a bunch of twerps calling themselves 'Consumer Credit Services' which was downright rude, and not a little threatening in tone, in which the £60-odd had magically grown to £80-odd! And the silly phonecalls/messages began, which I ignored.

Brilliant! I thought. I can now continue to practice sending Veronica's template: Notice of Request To Cease Harrassment, a copy of which I'd sent to CSL a week before. (Link at foot of post.) This went 'Recorded, signed for' on 1st September 2009.

A few days later I received another form letter dated 2nd September 2009 from another bunch of twerps calling themselves S C Gray Solicitors Limited in which the £80-odd had miraculously now become £160-ish!! Funnily enough (!) they appear to occupy a 'suite' in the same building as CCS. And they like using the word 'may' a lot in their threats of 'court action' and so-on and such-like.

Despite the fact that this had obviously come from the same bunch, and had clearly crossed in the post with my Notice of Request To Cease Harrassment, I decided to play safe by replying with my Warning: Request Under the Civil Procedure Rules copied from this very forum http://tpuc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3603 with huge thanks to tigereyes. This second letter was lobbed at them (recorded again, of course) on 9th September 2009.

Imagine my surprise and delight, when the following morning (10th. Sept) I received the following, a proper letter sent first class:-

"S C Gray Sol . . . etc

8th September 2009

Dear Sir

RE: OUR CLIENT - BT GROUP PLC

We have been passed your letter addressed to Commercial Credit Services dated 1st September 2009 which unfortunately crossed with a letter sent to you by this firm.

We can confirm that your letter has been passed to our client, BT Group plc due to the contents and we confirm we were not aware of any dispute on this matter and have therefore closed our file.

We confirm that we will not write to your (sic) further.

Yours . . . etc."

This is clearly a reply to my original Notice of Request To Cease Harrassment to 'CCS', courtesy of Veronica, (link below) to whom I am hugely grateful.

Of course, it remains to be seen what BT will do now. 'CCS's solicitors have, incidentally, forwarded my Notice of Request To Cease Harrassment, which was specifically addressed to 'CCS', to BT. This notice was clearly not intended for either the solicitors or BT. It shows how little attention they actually paid to the contents. And I never mentioned anything about 'dispute' - don't know where that came from.

However, as a result of Veronica's template, all silly phonecalls have ceased, and no more letters from 'CCS'. Whoopee!!! I'd also sent copies to 'CSL' and 'Buchanan Clark + Wells' around the same time, and ain't heard from them since either . . .

Fingers crossed, and I'll keep you posted.

Link to the templates courtesy of Veronica: Chapman is http://templates.fmotl.com/ (I used the top one - simply follow her instructions.)

More power to all your efforts,

Up'n'at'em!
Franz-K


SIMPLIFIED VERSION IN 9TH POST BELOW !!!

[ForestNymph]

Thanks for posting your experiences and explaining the methods you have used,others here should find the information useful,please do keep us updated if you would as it all helps,good luck by the way,
hugs
Tigs x

[emmanualgoldstein]

Success all over the place on this front today - a member of the fmotl has successfully addressed an issue with HSBC bank.
http://www.fmotl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=924

[Jargon buster]

Franz-k wrote

I am a fairly-long-term-unemployed muso surviving on 'jsa'.

Could this fact have any bearing on the decision of the DCA companies ceasing to chase you?

Again devils advocate no disrespect intended.

Regards JB

[Franz-K]

Thanks, tig and emmanual. I couldn't have won this one small battle without you and all in this forum, or V's DCA Rebuttal template. Good to read of the HSBC success, too.

I'm still astonished at how quickly CCS closed their file.

Hello, Jargon Buster. No disrespect taken - I always love a good devil's advocate! In answer to your question, to my knowledge CCS know nothing of my financial situation. And if they did, I'd want to know how. I have certainly not given anyone my permission to share my details with anyone else! And, furthermore, they would have broken the statute on data protection. Yes, I know these lovely people do that all the time, but I hardly think they'd bother over a paltry £60?

Love to all,
K

[Jargon buster]

Hello Franz

Im glad you didnt take my post the wrong way (its happened before in the past)
I always have concerns over short term success stories as the debts are "live" for a very long time and unless a letter arrives saying "no further action" then its a case of dont count your chickens.

Good luck Franz
By the way I got rid of a £10,000 debt by writing "not at this address" on around 6 diffrent DCA companies letters.
It does work but your only safe after 13 years with mortgages and 6 with loans

Regards JB

[Franz-K]

I always have concerns over short term success stories as the debts are "live" for a very long time and unless a letter arrives saying "no further action" then its a case of dont count your chickens.

The DCA's solicitors have stated that they have closed their file, confirmed they will not write to me further, and their threat of court action has been withdrawn. This is the intended result. Fine as far as that goes, yes.
I expect BT will try another DCA on me. I'll let you know.

And please call me 'K'

All the best, K

[arten]

Great thread thanks for the links I am following it all up in practice!

[Franz-K]

I'm so glad you find it helpful, arten.

I re-read my initial post, and realised it might all look rather complicated to the uninitiated, so here is a simplified version sticking to the crux of the matter:-

(Avoiding mention of letters crossing in the post, it becomes crystal clear!)

1. On 26th August, I received threatening form letter/bill from Debt Collection Agency calling itself 'Commercial Credit Services'.

2. I replied using this template with relevant details filled in: http://templates.fmotl.com/DCATemplate.php

3.On 10th. Sept I received the following, a proper letter sent first class:-

"S C Gray Sol . . . etc

8th September 2009

Dear Sir

RE: OUR CLIENT - BT GROUP PLC

We have been passed your letter addressed to Commercial Credit Services dated 1st September 2009 which unfortunately crossed with a letter sent to you by this firm.

We can confirm that your letter has been passed to our client, BT Group plc due to the contents and we confirm we were not aware of any dispute on this matter and have therefore closed our file.

We confirm that we will not write to your (sic) further.

Yours . . . etc."

4. That's it! (so far . . .)

And all in a little over 2 weeks total!

Of course, I'm not an expert, and can't guarantee anyone else will get the same result - but I hope you do, and I'm sure we're all interested to know your experiences.


Best of luck, K

[arten]

On 26th August, I received threatening form letter/bill from Debt Collection Agency calling itself 'Commercial Credit Services'.

Where are they based out of interest?