I am concerned about the methods adopted by certain large organisations (the Water Companies are a typical example) in their attempts to recover debts from their customers and, in particular, their readiness to resort to sending what purport to be “solicitors’ letters”.

 

Of course, such letters, if genuinely sent by a solicitor acting for the creditor concerned, are often entirely reasonable and in order.   But sometimes, and especially if they are sent automatically, they can cause stress and amount to unreasonable harassment.

 

I am trying, so far without much success, to raise the issue with various bodies who ought to take it more seriously than they do.   So I am seeking anecdotal evidence of the trouble these letters cause.   If anyone reading this has had (or knows of someone else who has had) an unhappy experience with such a letter, please let me know through this message board.   If enough of us complain, the Regulators of the industries concerned will see that they need to address the problem.

Hi Mancunian

 

Have you looked at our 'How to campaign' section, http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-gb/Campaigns/HowToCampaign/? These pages contain advice and resources that might be of some use to you.

 

Kate Roberts

New Media Editorial Assistant, Help the Aged

Kate Elizabeth

 

Thanks for your helpful reply.   I’ve looked at your ‘campaigns’ section and it should prove to be useful.

 

As you will have realised, I have already approached various bodies (Consumer Council for Water, Ofwat, Law Society, Solicitors’ Regulation Authority) but, as one might expect, they are all (to varying degrees) complacently satisfied with the status quo and do not consider there to be a “significant” problem.   Commonsense will tell any open-minded person that there clearly is such a problem but my direct evidence is, so far, very scanty.

 

I should say that my concern lies with those who, for one reason or another (not, I stress, solely their indebtedness, if any) are vulnerable to excessive pressure.   While such people are not exclusively elderly (the one case which I know to have gained newspaper publicity concerns a grandmother in her fifties), it is likely that older people are more at risk in this way.   I don’t know of any Society whose constituency would exactly cover the people in question but I think I can fairly assume “Help the Aged” to be more appropriate than most.

 

I repeat my invitation to anyone who has felt threatened or aggrieved by one of these inappropriate letters to come forward (anonymously, if preferred).

 

Mancunian

 

Hello Mancunian

Have a look at this site: www.fool.co.uk and go to the 'Dealing With Debt' board.  You will see that there are people who post on there who are being 'threatened or aggrieved' (your words) by different organisations to whom they owe money, and there's helpful information headed 'What can they do to me?' and 'What can I do to them?'

HTH

Margaret

Margaret Clare

 

Thanks for your suggestion of “fool.co.uk”.   It seems to be a sizeable archive and certainly contains reports of apparent harassment.

 

I’ve looked at it (only briefly so far) but haven’t yet found any examples which specifically involve solicitors’ letters.   I’ll continue to dig into it and shan’t be surprised if a number of such cases come to light.

 

Meanwhile, perhaps I can take this opportunity of again saying that my concern is with the inappropriate use of such letters.   There can be two causes of this impropriety:  first, the letters are despatched automatically and take no intelligent account of the particular circumstances of the individuals who are to receive them and who may, as a result, suffer distress out of all proportion to the (perhaps trivial) nature of the alleged debt.   Second, in order to heighten their impact, they are commonly given a deliberately deceptive appearance in that they purport to come from an independent firm of solicitors while really emanating from a solicitor who is a salaried employee of the creditor company.

 

Again, I invite anyone reading this who has had (or knows of someone else who has had) a solicitor’s letter and who feels that it was in some way improper, unfair or inappropriate, to let me know through this discussion board. 

 

Best wishes to all for the season.

 

Mancunian