How to deal with unreasonable debt collectors?

Question

I lost my job a while ago and havent been able to find anything since. I was having trouble paying a bill for T-Mobile and tryed to arrange a payment plan or something however they were having none of it....You have to pay us in full by the end of the month. I told them i wasnt working and they still wanted payment by the end of the month, they said the bailiffs would arrange a payment plan as they couldnt.

The Bailiffs contacted me, i explained the situation and they replied, we dont do payment plans..you have to pay all of it. I told them i still wasnt working and he asked if i was on benifits. No i dont qualify. then you still have to pay all of it. Finally after months they agreed to let me pay half but i have to pay them with a credit card or a cheque as they dont do direct debits....My account doesnt provide me with a cheque book or a card that can be used to pay for things...What do i do?

They dont do Giro Payments and I was living withon my means untill i lost my job.

Answer 1

Firstly everyone does once in their lifetime get into money problems, and it not to another individual to scrutinise the reasons of how you live your life.

The bailiff they may have appointed has probably bought the debt form T-Mobile, and now see this as their money owed.

As long as they have taken no court action as yet they are in no right to harass you or take any of your property. You have to write, not ring, to agree some sort of payment plan that you feel comfortable with, not what they decide.

If they do not agree, still send them a bank order on the basis they agreed. you will soon notice that your bank orders are taken and cleared by them.

At the end of the day if they go to court you can provide evidence of your willingness to pay and their stubbornness not to agree. The court will see in your favour , and will deem them to be unduly unreasonable in analysing your financial circumstances.

Write a letter keep a copy, never just do things on the phone....

Answer 2

Definetely go with what people are saying with regards to offering to make a payment - work out all your outgoings for a month, take that away from your incoming payments (even if it is your giro/jsa etc.) and then work out how much you can afford to pay of whats left - if it's a pound or more, they'll have no choice but to accept it.

Contact your local citizens advice bureau - they have all the info on how to deal with these companies, and if the bailiffs do come round you'd be surprised at what they're not allowed to take (TV, fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, computer, and the list goes on...)

good luck

Answer 3

Go to your local CAB. Take all of your correspondence regarding the debt with you along with a budget of your income and outgoings every month. They will make sure that your most important bills are going to be paid and they will help you to work out how much you are able to afford to pay your creditors, and they will help you to come to an agreement with them. Obviously paying the mobile bill is not as important as making sure you have a roof over your head, heating, lighting and food.

If you post a question on here about money problems, it seems that some people see this as a reason to patronise you and tell you that you should have been more cafeful with your money in the first place. My advice? Ignore them. These people are not perfect and they should not judge you for not being perfect.

Good Luck,

Adele :-)

Answer 4

Most companies will negotiatie a payment plan, but if they're being unreasonable you could call the National Debtline - 0808 808 4000 for free advice.

Some people get loans out to pay their debts off but having seen friends do this, I would NOT recommend it as it ultimately just leads to more debt.

Also, contact you bank and see if they can change your account because most should provide a cheque book and card.

Answer 5

Debt collectors only get paid from the money they retrieve. Most accounts are sold off after 6 months they should accept a payment plan as at least they are receiving payments from my understanding if you are willing to offer regular payments and you make these payments they shouldn't be able to harass you. Speak to your banking ombudsman has to what your rights are.

Answer 6

When I had a mobile stolen and a massive bill rung up on it - £300 I told them I refuse to pay, they got increasingly threatening, saying they were going to send bailifs, court proceedings, blah blah blah, I rang them up and said "Come find me then coz I've moved house, now get f***ked" (I hadn't moved) Anyhow nothing ever materialised and that was 3 yrs ago now. I think that beyond a certain point it's not worth the time or money to chase it up so they just write it off.

Answer 7

i had a similar situation with orange. They had managed 2 stick 2k on my bill even tho my contract had ended. They call centre staff were highly unhelpful and in the end it was put 2 an external company. I tried 2 explain that i could not pay them double my monthly income like they were asking.Inthey end sold some stuff and emptyed savings

Answer 8

Ignore them, unless your debt is secured to your home, or is for a tax or fine the Bailiff need your permission to come into your home and remove goods, if you say no they are knackered. They may blacklist you though. Have a look at the Consumer Credit Counselling Service website.

Answer 9

Depending on the amount, I would say to swallow your pride and borrow from a friend or relative. Discuss payments to friend/relative, set a weekly/,monthly payment plan, add interest etc. GOOD LUCK!!
I've been there and It took me a while to get my credit straightened out. We borrowed from family and I hated it!!!!! I was afraid that we wouldn't be able to pay them back and I'd loose credibility with them. It all worked out.

Answer 10

Find a new job, and go to the citizens advice bureau, explain the situation, they will contact t-mobile and by law will force them to accept the minimum payment per month, trust me it works