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ESB to take on a British thug firm to chase after 130.000 unpaid bills.

  • 27-02-2012 10:00am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    In another anti ESB rant, the ESB are to take on heavy handed British debt collectors (IE, Thugs, Bouncers want to be cops etc ) to tackle the problem of unpaid bills, Most of these so called debt collectors are the same breed of people you find at the door at any city centre nightclub. Certainly not the type of heavy handed people you want banging at your hall door at 6AM looking for cash.

    THE ESB promised last night that its customers would not be treated in a heavy-handed manner after it appointed a British debt-collection firm to chase down unpaid bills.

    More than 310,000 cash-strapped families have agreed to payment plans where they pay their electricity bills weekly because they are unable to meet the normal bills every two months.

    Of these, some 130,000 are in arrears on their ESB bills.

    Now Electric Ireland, as the ESB has been renamed, has brought in UK debt-recovery specialists BCW to take over its payment-collection operations for its 1.3 million customers.


    http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/esb-uses-uk-debt-collectors-as-130000-in-arrears-on-bills-3029085.html


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    That's shocking :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,191 ✭✭✭CardBordWindow


    So cutting off people's electricity isn't enough?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭Nothingbetter2d


    BCW are used by Bank of Ireland for debt collection too... they have an irish office in dublin near castlenock.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Anyone


    So cutting off people's electricity isn't enough?

    I'd imagine that the people they are chasing have got their supply from another provider.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23,953 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    So cutting off people's electricity isn't enough?

    I think they still leave you with a thumb and one finger, but you can wave goodbye to the rest.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,568 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    *sigh*
    The bailiff business will go up and the courts will be even more packed with familys that are in a bad way already!
    THE ESB promised last night that its customers would not be treated in a heavy-handed manner after it appointed a British debt-collection firm to chase down unpaid bills.

    Forgive me ESB but I consider your PR spin/words to be absolute cobblers!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,944 ✭✭✭fedor.2.


    In another anti ESB rant, the ESB are to take on heavy handed British debt collectors (IE, Thugs, Bouncers want to be cops etc ) to tackle the problem of unpaid bills, Most of these so called debt collectors are the same breed of people you find at the door at any city centre nightclub. Certainly not the type of heavy handed people you want banging at your hall door at 6AM looking for cash.

    THE ESB promised last night that its customers would not be treated in a heavy-handed manner after it appointed a British debt-collection firm to chase down unpaid bills.

    More than 310,000 cash-strapped families have agreed to payment plans where they pay their electricity bills weekly because they are unable to meet the normal bills every two months.

    Of these, some 130,000 are in arrears on their ESB bills.

    Now Electric Ireland, as the ESB has been renamed, has brought in UK debt-recovery specialists BCW to take over its payment-collection operations for its 1.3 million customers.


    http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/esb-uses-uk-debt-collectors-as-130000-in-arrears-on-bills-3029085.html



    Exaggerate much


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,956 ✭✭✭Doc Ruby


    BCW are used by Bank of Ireland for debt collection too... they have an irish office in dublin near castlenock.
    You have to wonder why though, I mean its not like they have any more legal powers than the bank. They can't seize property or otherwise interfere with peoples' business unless they go through the court.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,568 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Doc Ruby wrote: »
    You have to wonder why though, I mean its not like they have any more legal powers than the bank. They can't seize property or otherwise interfere with peoples' business unless they go through the court.

    Just means that if you do get dragged to court, on top of your possible court costs and actual ESB bill, you now face further costs charged possibly by an additional agency to boot!

    This will not end well!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,189 ✭✭✭drdeadlift


    pay as you go electricity might be the best for some customers in the future,sure esb might make a bit less if people use their power a bit more gingerly.Its gas the way prices always go up.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,195 ✭✭✭maximoose


    Most of these so called debt collectors are the same breed of people you find at the door at any city centre nightclub.

    Nonsense.

    Certainly not the type of heavy handed people you want banging at your hall door at 6AM looking for cash.

    Illegal and doesn't happen.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭giant_midget


    I usesd this last time i had trouble with a debt collection ageney. I was 100% in the right and owed nothing. It was a clerical error on the companies part that i was dealing with.



    I am in receipt of a letter from you regarding the above reference no.
    It is apparent that you are acting on the presumption that some relationship that you may have with XXXXX XXXXXXX Limited, is in some way related to me.
    I am not a party to this implied relationship you have with XXXXX XXXXXX Limited either directly, indirectly or by means of any tacit consent.

    Accordingly, I do not understand how to respond to you inasmuch as I am unaware of any contractual relationship between us.

    As a courtesy and because you may find it helpful, I can confirm that the last correspondence I had from XXXXX XXXXXXX XXX Limited was a phone call from XXXXXXX XXXX back in January 2011 where I have informed XXXXX XXXXXX Limited that this matter is settled & no monies whatsoever are due.


    Heard nothing since.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    I'd rather debt collectors collect the monies owed to the ESB than my bill going up and up to cover the costs of others. Sorry but I'm already extremely careful with power and heating because I know what I can afford to pay when the bill comes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 43,017 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    Will they be wearing black and tan coloured clothes when they come knocking?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    drdeadlift wrote: »
    pay as you go electricity might be the best for some customers in the future,sure esb might make a bit less if people use their power a bit more gingerly.Its gas the way prices always go up.
    Third party credit coin payment Is and was the way in many flats and bedsits across the country.

    Not a good idea for the elderly that could be found dead in a flat if their credit expired on a freezing cold night.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Anyone


    Its a no lose situation for ESB/BOI or any other company who use Debt Collection agencies. In most if not all cases, the person who owes the debt is informed that this will happen and that they will bare the costs of it.

    As for ESB/BOI or whoever, they dont get charged until the Collector, collects.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,398 ✭✭✭Paparazzo


    Damned if you do and damned if you dont.
    Another thread giving out about price increases. Which will go up more if people don't pay their bill. This reminds me of the bear tax in springfield


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭redt0m


    prinz wrote: »
    Sorry but I'm already extremely careful with power and heating because I know what I can afford to pay when the bill comes.

    Looks like being careful isn't going to be enough to keep your costs down from now on:

    http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/low-electricity-users-hit-with-extra-charge-541340.html


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,568 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    redt0m wrote: »
    Looks like being careful isn't going to be enough to keep your costs down from now on:

    http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/low-electricity-users-hit-with-extra-charge-541340.html

    http://www.thejournal.ie/energy-customers-face-minimum-charge-for-not-using-enough-electricity-366894-Feb2012/
    AN ESB-OWNED ENERGY company has introduced a new billing system which will see some customers have their bills increased – for not using enough electricity.

    Electric Ireland, which was formally rebranded from ‘ESB’ shortly before Christmas, introduced a ‘low user standing charge‘ earlier this month – which means users who use only small amounts of electricity will pay for more than they actually use.

    The charge applies to households who use an average of two units (kilowatt-hours) per day across the two-month billing period – adding €9.45 to each bill if customers fall below that minimum usage threshold.

    Electric Ireland explains that the cost of necessary because the cost of maintaining the electricity network, and running billing and customer services has increased- with the result that low-spending households don’t actually pay enough to cover the costs.

    Second or holiday homes which lie vacant for much of the year are most likely to incur the new charge. The average household uses several dozen units a day: for example a 28″ television, left turned on, would use around three units over a 24-hour day.

    “This leaves us with no option in these situations but to increase the standing charge on these accounts,” it says, noting that the alternative option would have been to raise the flat ‘standing charge’ for all customers.
    Though Airtricity and Bord Gais energy have similar standing charges, they do not apply a minimum floor.

    The Irish Times this morning estimates that Electric Ireland’s minimum charge affects around 100,000 customers, with Electric Ireland saying the absence of any minimum charge meant that it was making a loss on ‘about 10 per cent’ of its 1.3 million domestic customers.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    I have a meter (not an ESB meter, company called Prepay Power) and if the money runs out after 4pm or on weekends/bank holidays it doesn't cut the electricity off, it goes into minus numbers and when you put credit back into it, it just takes what you owe off.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,435 ✭✭✭wandatowell


    Most of these so called debt collectors are the same breed of people you find at the door at any city centre nightclub

    Thats an idiotic comment to make,

    grow up


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 98 ✭✭gremha


    People need to know that unless a debt collection agency own the debt, they have no power at all in Ireland (apart from intimidation), they are simply hired collectors.

    Ireland is not like the UK where debt collectors can seize goods. The companies operating in Ireland rely on peoples ignorance of Irish law to frighten people into paying up - too many Irish people think that they have UK style powers. They have so little power that a debtor can simply verbally bar them from entering his/her property and call the Gardai to remove them for committing criminal trespass if they they do call.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 609 ✭✭✭Dubit10


    This is unreal. It's no wonder the nation is falling apart with sh it like this going on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,050 ✭✭✭token101


    Hmmm I'm going to play devil's advocate here and just put this out there:

    Unemployed people struggling to pay bills in this country can apply for the FEA allowance, which essentially entitles you to very cheap electricity. Now, the Post Office also have a budget scheme where you can pay X amount every week off the bills. If they ring you re an unpaid bill and you agree to pay off X amount over the 8 weeks it's unlikely you'll be cut off. Electricity is still a service, not a human right. Yeah, electricity is obviously vital, but so is food. When was the last time you walked into a supermarket and they gave you 8 weeks to pay?

    Now, I've never heard of this BCW crowd, but if anyone thinks that bailiffs are going to be knocking on your door to take your stuff without going through every court in the land, you haven't clue. It's a long, long road for them to take you to court and if you make a reasonable offer based on what you can pay, they're essentially **** out of luck and have to take it or face being told to **** off in court. If you're struggling so badly that you can't pay the utility bills, you are bankrupt really and should apply under the new legislation, in which case they'll be told to **** off anyway.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,327 ✭✭✭Sykk


    Some fat bastard can try intimidate all he want, but they can't actually physically ever touch you.. Scare tactics fail.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    Thats an idiotic comment to make,

    grow up

    Debt collectors and bouncers do have one thing in common, IE, they are both professionally trained at intimidating and putting fear into people.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,050 ✭✭✭token101


    Sykk wrote: »
    Some fat bastard can try intimidate all he want, but they can't actually physically ever touch you.. Scare tactics fail.

    FFS the fat scary man isn't going to show up at the door because you haven't paid the electricity bill. And if they do call the Gardai.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,568 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    token101 wrote: »
    ...Unemployed people struggling to pay bills in this country can apply for the FEA allowance, which essentially entitles you to very cheap electricity.
    For those that need further info:

    http://www.esb.ie/esbcustomersupply/residential/manage-your-account/free-electricity-allowance.jsp


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    redt0m wrote: »
    Looks like being careful isn't going to be enough to keep your costs down from now on:
    http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/low-electricity-users-hit-with-extra-charge-541340.html

    In fairness to them two units per day is a lot different to 'being careful' with power usage... but the underlying point is true. ESB/Electric Ireland is not a charity. We do not have automatic rights to free electricity. If person A isn't paying their way, person B and C will end up paying more to subsidise them.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Dubit10 wrote: »
    This is unreal. It's no wonder the nation is falling apart with sh it like this going on.

    I agree. People should pay their electricity bills.


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