Shabby practices amongst the Debt Collectors

In 2006 I banged on about the despicable lengths to which debt collectors went, in order to retrieve monies owed. I had been shocked to read some of the methods used against my late mother when we’d cleared up her things. At a meeting in my MP’s office in Portcullis House, we’d met Paul Smee who is Chief Executive of APACS the UK trade association for payments and for those institutions that deliver payment services to customers. He was sympathetic when he read some of the more nasty letters sent to her and noted several of them had crossed the threshold of legality. I went on later to talk to Mr Smee on camera for the television programme I took part on concerning debt and the elderly.

Sadly the same methods are still being employed as BBC1’s Watchdog has been showing over the last few shows. It serves no purpose if these horror stories are shown to shock us all, but nothing is done to curtail these practices. For so called ‘legitimate companies’ to act like back street money lenders is totally unacceptable and tougher legislation should be seen as a matter of urgency. For starters, if these companies will not differentiate between can’t pay and won’t pay, they should be brought to account for the methods they employ in harassing those who are simply caught up in a spiral of debt.


nick