Reasonable Force
Discussion
Im not sending a 7 foot finger-breaking giant round to the houses of any of those clients who didnt pay me last year, but Im curious... (just curious, nothing more, honest!)
What is and what isnt allowed, in the shady world of debt collecting? As regards force, and sending in the heavies?
Edited to add... a client was telling me all about the reputations of the heavies he was using last year, to recover 20k... and a mate (7 foot security chap) said he could help, but wouldnt define help. Im sure he'd explain it to me some other time, but at the time he just assured me if he went knocking, Id end up getting paid. So erm... at the risk of sounding like a pansy, surely any action other than "knock knock, heres the paperwork, please pay us?" is illegal and will end in tears?
>> Edited by UKBob on Wednesday 18th January 19:20
What is and what isnt allowed, in the shady world of debt collecting? As regards force, and sending in the heavies?
Edited to add... a client was telling me all about the reputations of the heavies he was using last year, to recover 20k... and a mate (7 foot security chap) said he could help, but wouldnt define help. Im sure he'd explain it to me some other time, but at the time he just assured me if he went knocking, Id end up getting paid. So erm... at the risk of sounding like a pansy, surely any action other than "knock knock, heres the paperwork, please pay us?" is illegal and will end in tears?
>> Edited by UKBob on Wednesday 18th January 19:20
bmw114 said:I'd give him the debt, Ive washed my hands of it. My time is far too valuable, in a 'i cant be arsed' kind of way
Would it not be better to sell the debt to your 7 foot mate.
I knew some one along time ago that was owed £100 and he could`nt get it, in the end he was moving abroad and he paid a "heavy" £100 to sort him out and if he got the £100 he could keep it.
(No really, its just not worth chasing, got plenty of work on, and the stress is not a price im willing to pay. This year I'll get more contracts signed) There are a few debts which Im undecided on, but the point of the thread really was: what is legal, and how do these kinds of people get away with using force/intimidation, or is it mostly a load of cobblers, amped up my the media/movies?
Well much as i hate folks who deliberately default on payments, i also vehemently hate the "heavies" that ineviatably get sent round to do the dirty work.
Its not that i dont think the client shouldnt be paid, far from it, but theres something distinctly nasty, a bit like dogshit for example, about these people.
They dress in clothing that attempts to portray them as reasonable (shirt suit, tie etc (well some of em do) but at the same time projects their "power", that to be honest, they really enjoy weilding and is actually a non subtle form of threat.
As for the shadier members of the debt collecting fraternity, the only cure for these nobs IS 2Smokin Barrels.....
Its not that i dont think the client shouldnt be paid, far from it, but theres something distinctly nasty, a bit like dogshit for example, about these people.
They dress in clothing that attempts to portray them as reasonable (shirt suit, tie etc (well some of em do) but at the same time projects their "power", that to be honest, they really enjoy weilding and is actually a non subtle form of threat.
As for the shadier members of the debt collecting fraternity, the only cure for these nobs IS 2Smokin Barrels.....
this might help http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=9708407
dirkgently said:Thats a fantastic read, Cheers
this might help http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=9708407
Two friends of mine, brothers, used to collect debts door to door. They were a bit hard in their day and it basically went like this.
They arrived at your door one of them had a big baseball bat in his hand.
Heavies "We've come for the money you owe (whats is name)"
Sponger "Well I ain't got it, he'll have to wait 'til next month"
Heavies "Sorry mate that's not really our problem, we've got a job to do, know what I mean" Baseball bat appears.
Sponger "What you gonna do with that baseball bat"
Heavies "Oh this? It's for you" hands sponger the bat "you're gonna need that to keep my brother off you if you don't give us the cash"
They always pay
They arrived at your door one of them had a big baseball bat in his hand.
Heavies "We've come for the money you owe (whats is name)"
Sponger "Well I ain't got it, he'll have to wait 'til next month"
Heavies "Sorry mate that's not really our problem, we've got a job to do, know what I mean" Baseball bat appears.
Sponger "What you gonna do with that baseball bat"
Heavies "Oh this? It's for you" hands sponger the bat "you're gonna need that to keep my brother off you if you don't give us the cash"
They always pay
los angeles said:
A friend in dire need asked me for a loan of a fat hundred "till the end of the month." In my mind I gave him two months. It's six months later and he's conspicuously kept out of my way. Not even an e-mail. Since then I've needed that hundred a few times over but don't regret giving it. It's the silence that offends.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a young man was "Never lend money to a friend. If they really need it, they will accept it as a gift."
I've collectted business debts, using threats before, but there are so many new laws, here in the States and I imagine in the UK too, that option is now a little "iffy".
A female voice is often very effective in debt collection.
Going to court I've found is a waste of time, even if you get the judgement.
A female voice is often very effective in debt collection.
Going to court I've found is a waste of time, even if you get the judgement.
jeff m said:An IT bod once told me they worked for solicitors. The solicitors never paid. Eventually they started court proceedings and right at the last minute, the solicitors paid. And then asked the IT bod to do another Job. Repeat repeat etc.
Going to court I've found is a waste of time, even if you get the judgement.
Some people take the piss, and most people will do anything for dairy lea, er I mean to avoid a CCJ.
UKBob said:
Whats the highest interest rate you can charge a client, legally, and how do you go about notifying them and compounding the interest - that might be an interesting alternative.
I should think whatever you like. Contracts I have seen have written in xxx bank std rate + 2% or something like that for late payers. No reason why it should not be XXXX sub-prime credit card +40% !
Ben
deltafox said:
Its not that i dont think the client shouldnt be paid, far from it, but theres something distinctly nasty, a bit like dogshit for example, about these people.
They dress in clothing that attempts to portray them as reasonable (shirt suit, tie etc (well some of em do) but at the same time projects their "power", that to be honest, they really enjoy weilding and is actually a non subtle form of threat.
dont talk about our beloved goverment like that, they may have infiltrated PH
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