Why do creditors call?
Creditors call to obtain payment or set up a payment plan and may respond with threats of further action if payments are not made, they often exaggerate the consequences if you don’t pay. Common scare tactics range from threatening court action to bailiffs at the door. However, many of these threats are just effective ways of pressuring you into making payments you cannot afford.
Any reputable lender will consider a reasonable settlement and give you a ‘breathing space’ of 30 days to get debt advice or legal representation.
What should I do when a creditor calls me?
Explain the situation to creditors. Remember, you don’t have to speak to them if you don’t want to. Instead, you can ask them to call at a later date once you have obtained legal advice, if we are handling the matter for you then you can simply refer them to us. It is suggested that you retain any letters you might receive.
How often can they call me?
If your creditors call you too often, it can amount to harassment. This is a legally grey area but if you feel the number of calls you’re getting is unreasonable, you can ask them to stop.
What times can creditors call me?
Your creditors should not call you at ‘unreasonable’ times. If you can’t take calls at certain times of the day, then tell your creditors. They should keep a record of this and avoid calling you at these times. You can make a complaint if they keep calling at times you’ve told them to avoid.
Can my creditors speak to anyone else?
Your creditors can’t discuss your debt with anyone apart from you unless you’ve permitted it. If your debt is in joint names, they can talk to either person involved. If someone else answers the phone, your creditor can ask to speak to you, but cannot give any other information on the matter.
Can my creditors call me at work?
If you gave a work number on the application form when you took out a debt, your creditor could contact you through it. However, if you tell them you don’t want to receive calls at work, they must stop using the number.
Using Lestons as a mediator
Lestons have specialist staff who can contact nuisance callers for you and in certain cases you can redirect their calls to us, we would need you to open a case to arrange this. To create a case on this topic just click the link at the top of this page, our staff are ready and eager to assist you in any way possible.
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