Debt Collectors will find you on Facebook and Twitter!

By : Administrator
Published 19th October 2011 |
Read latest comment - 19th June 2012

The UK Office of Fair Trading has received lots of complaints from people being hassled on Social Media sites by debt collecting agencies.

So if you owe a few quid, you could be named and shamed in front of all of your followers or fans

Guess it depends which side of the fence you are on, are you owed, or do you owe?

What do people think, is this a fair tactic, businesses using social networking sites trying to recover a debt if you are owed money, or does this push things too far?

Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn
Comments
I think, if this is how things are going to go, then facebook etc. better crack down on their no fake name policy. I think it depends on whether or not they used their "usual methods" to get their moneybefore turning to social networks, and I also guess warning people of this to avoid the shame isn't going to work either.

I brings up another problem though, ID fraud is a problem as well, so what if someone buys something on your name and decides he wants it for free? The collectors then cause a raucous on your FB page and you don't know what the heck they're talking about. It could result in a good few lawsuits methinks.

Thanks,
Dreamraven

I brings up another problem though, ID fraud is a problem as well, so what if someone buys something on your name and decides he wants it for free? The collectors then cause a raucous on your FB page and you don't know what the heck they're talking about. It could result in a good few lawsuits methinks.

Blimey, very good point, reputation damage caused by ID fraud! This could become quite an interesting and dangerous area!

Anyone had any experiences of this?

Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

Not quite ID fraud, but a bank slip up. (lol yep.. I don't like em much either) Some guy bought a new (used) car and the lad at the bank in charge of the transaction apparently made a complete balls up and made a mistake with the guy's ID number.

The guy paid for the car for the first few months, and then stopped when they were about 10 000 away from actually owning the car. It was a round of lawyers calling and demanding, being downright rude, banks calling saying that they were going to take the money from bank accounts and all sorts.

Boy was there a bit of grovelling when they had their mistake pointed out to them. Even their Lawyers responsible for their debt collection etc. had to do a bit of feet (for lack of a better word lol) kissing.

The mistake in the ID? The last three digits. He didn't copy them properly from the guys ID book, (how did he miss it when they take copies of ID's though...)

Thanks,
Dreamraven

Not quite ID fraud, but a bank slip up...

Bloody 'ell, hope you got some compensation for that! Or at least went in and beat a bank clerk to death

Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

LOL believe me, I thought about it. Even thought about buying a baseball bat especially for it. But in the end I think the bank dealt with him. They spent so much time and resources chasing down the wrong person.

Thanks,
Dreamraven

forum avatarjitendra1990
2nd January 2012 12:16 AM
Its a good idea on their behalf but I still think its kind of ridiculous.

Its a good idea on their behalf but I still think its kind of ridiculous.

How so? Businesses lose millions daily because of people that just refuse to pay their bills ( I am not talking about those that can't, but those that have the money, but refuse to part with it). Even after trying to get the money that's owed to them in the most courteous of ways, some still prefer not to pay. I mean, some even find ways of avoiding the repo-man.

The economy, as it is, kills new and existing companies the same way, and if you are owed thousands, or even hundreds of thousands from clients that have decided not to pay you, you would have to resort to pretty much what you can to recover your losses so that you can stay in business and not have to worry about having to file for bankruptcy or even worse, selling your business and joining the ranks of the unemployed.

Thanks,
Dreamraven

How so? Businesses lose millions daily because of people that just refuse to pay their bills ( I am not talking about those that can't, but those that have the money, but refuse to part with it). Even after trying to get the money that's owed to them in the most courteous of ways, some still prefer not to pay. I mean, some even find ways of avoiding the repo-man.

The economy, as it is, kills new and existing companies the same way, and if you are owed thousands, or even hundreds of thousands from clients that have decided not to pay you, you would have to resort to pretty much what you can to recover your losses so that you can stay in business and not have to worry about having to file for bankruptcy or even worse, selling your business and joining the ranks of the unemployed.

I think this is a step to far, In my books it is invading peoples personal intellectual space.

This may sound abstract but I feel like social media in some ways is a non tangible extension of somebodies mind. Being stalked here is WRONG.

Richardwell25

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