Author Topic: Debt Collectors  (Read 6123 times)

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Offline Dawnee

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #15 on: October 13, 2019, 12:10:33 PM »
I think under the circumstances you should have had time especially if you are in probate. They are not being fair, let them wait.

Offline Janlmb

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2019, 11:10:53 PM »
Thank you for your reply Dawnee.  They will have to wait until probate is granted. I understand that legally that is the case.

Offline Janlmb

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2019, 09:57:46 PM »
The electricity company have assured me that they are reviewing their procedures when dealing with the bereaved.  I hope that they will because I think that I would not like them to continue to hand deceased people's accounts to debt collectors immediately after they die and harass their relatives. Not sure that I believe them but at least I have made them uncomfortable and made them consider what they are doing.

Offline Karena

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2019, 01:14:16 PM »
legally as a spouse you are not personally liable provided your name wasnt on the agreement as for example with a joint bank account -or failure to pay a direct debit or bill which your name is on -  but the estate of the person who died  is liable , so when the estate is sorted out, the outstanding amount is taken out before the person who inherits it receives the rest.
If for example you are the person applying for probate and also the beneficiary  the same still applys, although you may  choose too pay if its a small amount and you want to clear it up, you cant be forced to pay it out of your personal assetts, they have to apply for payment from the estate  for the money to come out of the estate.

If there is no estate they cant then demand  the spouse (or other next of kin to pay at all)  except in certain circumstances
-  they might be able to demand half an outstanding amount if it was a joint account or a shared agreement that you were paying out too  with both names on it, as the legal assumption would be that you were paying half so you were jointly liable for the payment, and that is the case even if the whole payment was coming directly from the personal account of the person who died, the other person on the agreement would still be liable for half.

So what should have happened was that the meters should have been read and the account with the electricity company closed with an invoice  for any outstanding amounts submitted to the estate administrator to be paid from the estate - then a new account from the day of that meter reading being opened starting from the meter reading of that day - just as if some-one moved house - they wouldnt  charge the new resident (new account holder)  for the old residents past account holders) outstanding bill.

Offline Janlmb

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2019, 11:43:29 AM »
What I objected to was their deceit in pretending that the debt collectors were there to help me.  I only found out that they were debt collectors when I looked them up on the internet.  I appreciate that a company much make an effort to get what is owed but I think that an honest explanation would have caused less trauma.  The debt collectors sent me a letter addressed to my late husband which again could have so easily caused upset.  When I contacted them they were rather offhand and quite aggressive.  They did say that in this instance they would not add additional fees.  I really did not appreciate this incident.  The electricity company have said that they will examine their procedures.  I felt that I did not want anyone else to have the same experience.  Don't know if it will make any difference.  I have switched electricity providers and will pay the outstanding bill when probate is granted.  The electricity company are the only company that have not been considerate in their approach.

Offline Karena

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2019, 10:49:09 AM »
Potentially the debt collection company sold the idea they were considerate of bereavement issues too the electricity company  when they tendered the contract - everything is so confused now - too many middle men - had this when they wanted to switch card meters at the old house - we had a card which the post offfice topped up and you paid cash to the post office - then they wrote and said they were switching to a new digital card and were coming to change the meter - except the little local post office didnt have the machine to read the new things - in fact the nearest place that did was 30 miles away - so thats a 60 mile round trip weekly to top up the electric - bearing in mind in the winter of 2009/10 we were snowed in for 7 weeks and had to walk to get out and 7 weeks with no electric in winter would not have been jolly there was no other form of heating except a coal fite we couldnt get coal for because they couldnt bring it in - and i certainly couldnt hoist it home. So i rang and asked them not too they said to ring the meter company they said to ring anotherc company because they were contracted to do this by this other company whose sole prupose appered to be to act as middlemen between the electric company and th meter company no doubt all creaming a bit off along the way  -It went on for a couple of years  every month - we,re coming to change the meter every month ringing round to stop them until eventually the post office got the machine installed to read them. :angry: why does life have to be so compilated now. At the moment my electric company ( not the same one) want to install a smart meter - and where on the one hand it would be interesting to know what uses most ( although i have a pretty good ide anyway ) on the other how much of a farce will it be this time round.

Offline Jill

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Re: Debt Collectors
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2019, 12:30:37 PM »
I SO agree 'Why does everything have to be so complicated now?'  Couldn't have put it better myself!!