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Topic starter
15/03/2011 3:53 pm
Hi Guys
Since my trust deed got protected in January my phone had gone quiet for a while. I did wonder which of my creditors would be the first to fall out of the communication loop. That honour goes to Barclaycard and Mercers, their collection arm.
This week, they've been calling several times a day which I've ignored.
So today I took the step of writing (recorded delivery) and faxing both Barclaycard and Mercers pointing out their previous written acknowledgement of the TD and attaching a copy of my "protection" letter from my trustee.
I also took the opportunity to advise them that their use of silent calling this week has been the subject of a letter to the Office of Fair Trading. Last September the possible fine for this practice was raised from £50,000 to £2,000,000 so hopefully that will be enough to spur them into action and that will be the end of it.
While most of my other creditors have simply been silent on the matter, two did write saying that they would be claiming from the TD and that they would not contact me any more. Those were Capital One (credit card) and Santander (credit card). It was good to receive those letters because you can at least tick 2 of them off your list of possible tormentors.
Cheers,
DFW
15/03/2011 4:18 pm
Hi DFW
I have to admit that this is one of my pet hates. It can sometimes take quite a few months to get a creditor to stop pursuing the person who has signed the Trust Deed. It's amazing how many letters and faxes go astray!
I'm glad to hear that you have had some success though!
Julie
Julie is not currently posting in the Trust-Deed.co.uk forum.
15/03/2011 4:26 pm
Took Barclaycard 3 months to stop contacting me, they are allegedly well know for this...........
Topic starter
15/03/2011 4:53 pm
Thanks guys.
It must simply be down to poor processes and systems because it's not exactly rocket science for them to note that the TD is protected and make that information available to those who need to know.
I actually feel a bit sorry for the employees who have to make the calls because they're completely and utterly wasting their time through no fault of their own.
Cheers,
DFW
15/03/2011 8:31 pm
I had the same experience with Barclaycard, despite telling them several times and sending a copy of the PTD I kept getting calls and letters for several months, they usually insisted on calling at 8 am on a Saturday morning and I would have the same conversation every week - eventually it stopped but it really wears you down after a while.
Things can only get better!
Topic starter
15/03/2011 10:59 pm
There isn't a dicky bird they can do and they actually do know that. So it's not that they're trying it on, it's simply that their internal systems are shambolic and the ongoing calls are the result.
They'll eventually catch up with the rest of us 🙂
DFW
16/03/2011 7:55 am
Ahh, Mercers. They were the bane of my life for 6 months, yes 6 months people. Everytime a letter came in or they phoned, I contacted my trustee who sounded more exasperated every time. I spoke to them a few times and asked if they understood what a trust deed was. They said each time 'we'll update the file'. Then the 'we're coming to your house' cards came in. At that time, if they had come round, I'd have happily sat them down and went though all the trust-deed paperwork. Again, I sent everything to my trustee. They are more than persistant. The treatment I've had from them was the only thing I regretted about entering the trust deed.
Nothing left to discharge - everything's done and dusted!
16/03/2011 3:17 pm
Hi Folks
Just to provide an alternative point of view. I'm three months into my TD and after the initial phase of wanting to know what's going on, all my creditors have gone quiet and all I've had is the occasional letter. Though Barclaycard is not one of mine. I was very worried about what would happen. Maybe I've been lucky (so far).
Regards
Snowball
Topic starter
17/03/2011 11:36 pm
Faxed them again today. If I lodge an official complaint, do they need to reply or am I wasting my time?
Cheers,
DFW
18/03/2011 8:59 am
i had the same with them rude callers even though i said i was in a trust deed and not allowed to pay them they still kept asking for my card details they also on statement kept adding intreset .eventually ip got back onto them and with my trucall blocker i have not heard from them again so far i would get back to your ip get caller id on your phone(it was free for me on bt) pass on all paperwork again to your ip
dont worry they will stop
Topic starter
13/04/2011 11:38 am
Just to update you, a day or two after I faxed and wrote to Barclaycard and Mercers (AKA Barclaycard's debt section), the calls stopped.
I then received a letter from Barclaycard saying they would investigate my complaint and a date by which they would respond.
Lo and behold the letter came in last week apologising and explaining they had been waiting for paperwork. They confirmed they had received the TD paperwork and that they would not be contacting me again.
Result!
Cheers,
DFW
13/04/2011 1:47 pm
Great news DFW.
It's good to hear that Barclaycard and Mercers can take care of this, but what a shame that it takes a complaint to make it happen.
Qualified Debt Adviser & Forum Administrator - Ask me anything about Trust Deeds 
Topic starter
13/04/2011 2:12 pm
That's true TDA.
One thing you learn from going through this process is that everything happens slower than you think it will.
If it's set up properly from the get-go then it should run smoothly, it's just that things don't happen as quickly as you think they will.
But that's OK, the end result is the same and infinitely better than the stress and pain of dealing with unamanageable debt.
In the case of Barclaycard/Mercers, yes it was a bit of a pain when they kept calling but:
(a) It was an inconvenience because nothing was actually going to happen
and
(b) A letter and fax sorted it which was a lot less hassle than the mountain of other paperwork I had to do with new bank accounts, direct debit movements and so on!
Cheers,
DFW
17/04/2011 12:05 am
It is a shame that it often takes so long for creditors to update their systems, but unfortunately the paper trail from signing the trust deed to Barclaycard/Mercers actually actually getting it is a long and winding road, going from the IP to Barclaycard to the company that represent them, then back to Barclaycard and then finally to Mercers, and even then it doesn't always get dealt with straight away.
