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Debt Collection - At what amount of money owed is it not worth pursuing a debt?

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  • 24-09-2014 12:14pm
    #1
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭


    Is it worth it for company to pursue a debt of €900?


«13

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    #2
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,465 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    Depends on the company,


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    #3
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    It's a phone company.


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    #4
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    thehouses wrote: »
    Is it worth it for company to pursue a debt of €900?
    Depends totally on the company and what their policy is on debt recovery and what message they want to send to defaulters.

    also that is a lot of money to many smaller companies!


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    #5
    Gatling
    Registered Users Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    Have you tried a repayment plan
    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




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    #6
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    Gatling wrote: »
    Have you tried a repayment plan

    They refuse to co-operate and insist that the money is owed.


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    #7
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    foggy_lad wrote: »

    also that is a lot of money to many smaller companies!

    Agree - a larger company would not feel such a loss. Smaller companies seem to be fairer to deal with and the situation would not have arisen in the first case if it was a decent company.


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    #8
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    thehouses wrote: »
    It's a phone company.
    Always best to pay what you owe but if they have made a mistake or have not provided the service you paid for then you should have all the proofs and evidence from your complaints and troubleshooting with them etc so don't be bullied by their threats about courts and solicitors if they are in the wrong.

    If you just can't pay anymore then best to set up a payment plan with them and pay as much as you can each week(€10-€20) without being stupidly silly about it(€1 a week).

    If they refuse a payment plan you should pay as much as you can anyway!

    Also DON'T deal with debt collectors, they have no legal standing here. Deal directly with the phone company!


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    #9
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    Always best to pay what you owe but if they have made a mistake or have not provided the service you paid for then you should have all the proofs and evidence from your complaints and troubleshooting with them etc so don't be bullied by their threats about courts and solicitors if they are in the wrong.

    Also DON'T deal with debt collectors, they have no legal standing here. Deal directly with the phone company!

    That is the impression I get with debt collectors. Just ignore them - the contract was with the phone company unless they sell the debt and that rarely happens in Ireland.

    Thanks for the advice about a payment plan but I just can't do that. I always pay money that I owe but out of principle won't be paying this phone company.

    I have moved house since and they have an old address so fail to see how they can follow up on it.


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    #10
    former legend
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭former legend


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    Also DON'T deal with debt collectors, they have no legal standing here. Deal directly with the phone company!

    This is posted so often in this forum and it's completely wrong. If the T&C of phone contract says that they can pass your debt on (and most phone companies include it in the T&C), then of course they have legal standing.


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    #11
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    former legend wrote: »
    This is posted so often in this forum and it's completely wrong. If the T&C of phone contract says that they can pass your debt on (and most phone companies include it in the T&C), then of course they have legal standing.

    Would they pass it on for 900 euro though?


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    #12
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    former legend wrote: »
    This is posted so often in this forum and it's completely wrong. If the T&C of phone contract says that they can pass your debt on (and most phone companies include it in the T&C), then of course they have legal standing.
    The debt collectors have no legal powers to get money from you beyond asking you for it. They can not affect your credit rating unless they take you to court and get a judgement against you which you can stop by making a reasonable off of €XX a week/month. It would cost a lot more than €900 to recover €900 from you


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    #13
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    thehouses wrote: »
    That is the impression I get with debt collectors. Just ignore them - the contract was with the phone company unless they sell the debt and that rarely happens in Ireland.

    Thanks for the advice about a payment plan but I just can't do that. I always pay money that I owe but out of principle won't be paying this phone company.

    I have moved house since and they have an old address so fail to see how they can follow up on it.

    This is of course your choice but weakens your case somewhat because it paints you as unreasonable. if the company provided service than you pay for it.


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    #14
    Rogaine2
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 109 ✭✭Rogaine2


    thehouses wrote: »
    Would they pass it on for 900 euro though?

    I've had a debt of 70 euros passed to a solicitor!


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    #15
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    thehouses wrote: »
    Would they pass it on for 900 euro though?

    Absolutely.


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    #16
    Icepick
    Registered Users Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭Icepick


    A bigger company is actually more likely to go after you because it's about advertising and compliance as well for them. Plus they already have a contract with a legal company who enforce these in bulk.


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    #17
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    Icepick wrote: »
    A bigger company is actually more likely to go after you because it's about advertising and compliance as well for them. Plus they already have a contract with a legal company who enforce these in bulk.

    Can they get my current postal address? Can't see how they can enforce anything without that, but then again I could be wrong.


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    #18
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    Absolutely.

    I know for a fact that VHI would not pursue a debt as of 2013 unless you claimed on the plan because a claim could cost thousands of euro. It only resulted in threatening letters being sent and then they would write it off.


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    #19
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    thehouses wrote: »
    I know for a fact that VHI would not pursue a debt as of 2013 unless you claimed on the plan because a claim could cost thousands of euro. It only resulted in threatening letters being sent and then they would write it off.

    This isn't vhi, it's a phone company.


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    #20
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    This isn't vhi, it's a phone company.

    True but both know that you can't get blood from a stone and if one company views it as counter productive to pursue a debt, another may also. But I take your point on board.


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    #21
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,819 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    former legend wrote: »
    This is posted so often in this forum and it's completely wrong. If the T&C of phone contract says that they can pass your debt on (and most phone companies include it in the T&C), then of course they have legal standing.

    Legal standing to write to you with ever more ludicrously written demands; not to enforce anything or affect your actual ICB credit rating. That is always going to require the courts.

    We now have the private credit rating firms operating in Ireland although I question how legally as the ICB is a statutory body. These are not generally used by the banks but it does mean that defaulting on a contract with one phone company / mailorder firm means you're not going to get any service off the others if they match up details.


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    #22
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,034 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    MYOB wrote: »
    Legal standing to write to you with ever more ludicrously written demands; not to enforce anything or affect your actual ICB credit rating. That is always going to require the courts.

    We now have the private credit rating firms operating in Ireland although I question how legally as the ICB is a statutory body. These are not generally used by the banks but it does mean that defaulting on a contract with one phone company / mailorder firm means you're not going to get any service off the others if they match up details.

    ICB is not a statutory body. It was set up by its members who are mainly financial institutions. Nothing to do with the government and has no statutory force. It is just a credit reference agency, same as the others you mentioned.


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    #23
    alie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭alie


    My ex mobile phone company continued to charge me after my contract was finished
    I got a bill of 400 euro from them. I paid 250 off and am struggling to pay the rest due to my job hours being cut. They sold the debt on and the company is now ringing me up to 4 times a day and posting threatening letters. Is there anything i can do?


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    #24
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    Rogaine2 wrote: »
    I've had a debt of 70 euros passed to a solicitor!

    This article may interest you:
    http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-abroad/woman-90-pursued-by-debt-collectors-for-14-council-bin-fine-30285941.html


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    #25
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    alie wrote: »
    My ex mobile phone company continued to charge me after my contract was finished
    I got a bill of 400 euro from them. I paid 250 off and am struggling to pay the rest due to my job hours being cut. They sold the debt on and the company is now ringing me up to 4 times a day and posting threatening letters. Is there anything i can do?

    That seems to be harassment:
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/debt/debt_collection.html


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    #26
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,034 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    thehouses wrote: »
    That seems to be harassment:
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/debt/debt_collection.html

    The link that you provided is for lenders who provide credit agreements under the Consumer Credit Act. Essentially financially regulated loans. This would not apply to mobile phone companies who are not financially regulated. Also ( a small point I know) is that harassment is legally defined under the Equality Act 9 grounds. For example were they contacting them incessantly because they were a woman, or because of their ethnicity or family status etc. If not, it cannot be considered harassment.


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    #27
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,465 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    thehouses, I'm curious whats the point of this thread exactly?

    You've just posted a link that a council went after somebody over a 14e debt, but yet here you are asking can you get out of a 900e debt.

    This seems less of a consumer issue and more so about you trying to avoid a debt, the response you appear to want is "yes, they won't chase you for the debt"


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    #28
    Gatling
    Registered Users Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    Seems to be a lot of I want a service for absolutely nothing lately
    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




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    #29
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    Cabaal wrote: »
    thehouses, I'm curious whats the point of this thread exactly?

    You've just posted a link that a council went after somebody over a 14e debt, but yet here you are asking can you get out of a 900e debt.

    This seems less of a consumer issue and more so about you trying to avoid a debt, the response you appear to want is "yes, they won't chase you for the debt"

    Nope not true at all. I taught it was an interesting read.


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    #30
    thehouses
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭thehouses


    Gatling wrote: »
    Seems to be a lot of I want a service for absolutely nothing lately

    No, I always pay what I owe, the thing is that in this case they are trying to scam me.


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    #31
    Nuttzz
    Registered Users Posts: 3,771 ✭✭✭Nuttzz


    thehouses wrote: »
    Would they pass it on for 900 euro though?

    upc sold the debt belong to my dementia suffering great aunt for 90 to intrum justitia, took hard work but they settled for 30 in the end

    if they register a judgement against you for the debt this will have an impact on your ability to get loans, mortgages and future telephone contracts

    work out a settlement with them, better for you in the long term


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