Dublin City Council, Greyhound and Pay Away Debt Management Solutions

budgemook

Hi,

Not sure where to put this thread. Please move it if it's in the wrong place.

I received a letter the other day from Pay Away Debt Management Solutions. They letter said this:

Account: Dublin City Council (Monies being collected by Greyhound Recycling)

Dear xxx

We are authorised and instructed to collect monies outstanding and we would like to draw your attention to the amount above which is now overdue. We now request that payment is made within 10 days of the date of this reminder.

If you have recently made payment to this account, please ignore this reminder.

Yours sincerely,
Pataway Collections Team.

That's it!

Now, I certainly don't owe Greyhound anything. I topped my account with 150 euros a while back and that's been covering my standing charge and the bin lifts. If Greyhound wanted this money they would just take it from my account no? I think this must have been from when the council were collecting the bins. There was a guy from the council emailing me telling me I owed them money (only after I raised a query with them) but I emailed him back a few times disputing this. Evetually he seemed to give in and I thought the matter was finished.

What it looks like now is he realised they were selling the business on to Greyhound and couldn't be bothered trying to get me to pay anymore. Whether the council or Greyhound sold the debt on to this shower I do not know.

What I want to know is what sort of legal right do Payaway have. I've sent them a letter asking them to explain exactly what I owe the money for and that I believe I don't owe anything. I have no intention of paying them but just wondering what I should expect. Will they be knocking on my door? Would it affect something like a mortgage application?

Cheers

Couchkitten

You may not owe Greyhound anything but you probably owe DCC for Q4 last year - they sent out a letter sometime earlier this year. I dismissed it thinking like you that my account was topped up. I also received the Payaway letter a few days ago. After several phone calls to Payaway, Greyhound and DCC I discovered that DCC did not collect for the Q4 before they sold the waste collection to Greyhound.

I asked them would it affect me getting a loan ect....I've had no response. I also made a complaint to the data protection people, because my details were sold on to yet another company...with no warning. I am moving from Greyhound, there rates are going up as well and I didn't appreciate receiving a debt collection notice when I generally pay my bills on time.

evilmonkee

I got one of these myself.

the one i received was for Q4 of last year .

I had paid this in May when I received the bill. Sent them an email saying it was paid (and kindly informing them that i dont like to be told I owe anyone money) with a scanned version of the bill and payment receipt.

received an email the next morning apologising.

Bistoman

I'm hearing of people getting these trough the letterbox this week, Regarding payments due for the end of 2011.
Is it legal for DCC to pass a debt to Grayhound and then pass the same debt onto Pay away? Do You owe DCC, Greyhound or pay away?
And if it was DCC who broke a contract by forcing people to move to greyhound, Do You still owe them anything??

dhman

I also got a letter in the door this week from payaway regarding payment in 2011? Is this for DCC or Greyhound, I obviously don't have receipts kept from way back then so not sure if I can even dispute it. I know I never missed a payment with either company when I was with them ( have since moved over to City Bin a year ago) so not sure what these charges could even be for. Has anyone else received these letters?

Bistoman

dhman wrote: »

I also got a letter in the door this week from payaway regarding payment in 2011? Is this for DCC or Greyhound, I obviously don't have receipts kept from way back then so not sure if I can even dispute it. I know I never missed a payment with either company when I was with them ( have since moved over to City Bin a year ago) so not sure what these charges could even be for. Has anyone else received these letters?

The charges themselves are for the last quarter of 2011, witch was due Jan 2012. As far as I remember Greyhound sent out the bill sometime around March 2012, But most people ignored that because it was money owed to Dublin C.C. and Not Greyhound.

HivemindXX

I got one of these today as well. I see the start of this thread is from 2012 and people mention collection on behalf of Greyhound, but my letter doesn't mention them, only Dublin City Council.

Since this is the first time I am hearing of this supposed debt and it apparently is from nearly two years ago I'm having a hard time remembering the exact circumstances of the transfer of the DCC business to Greyhound (obviously I remember it was a fiasco, just not the details).

I thought that any money owed to DCC was collected by Greyhound. Can anyone confirm if that was the case or not? I don't have any two year old records indicating what the €150 I gave them covered exactly.

I feel that this debt collector is just shaking the tree to see if any money falls out and I don't want to spend a lot of time trying to get copies of old paperwork to dispute this.

Couchkitten

I thought that any money owed to DCC was collected by Greyhound. Can anyone confirm if that was the case or not? I don't have any two year old records indicating what the €150 I gave them covered exactly.

As far as I understand it, DCC did not send out a final bill when they sold the business to Greyhound. DCC first gave Greyhound permission to collect the debts on their behalf. Now DCC have hired Payaway to collect any outstanding debts.

I paid the bill over the phone when I received my first letter from Payaway. In summer I received another letter from Payaway, telling me that the debt was still unpaid. Had to ring them and sort it out. It was a mistake (made by DCC) and the guy on the phone told me their phones had been hopping all morning with complaints. It's all very messy.

Mr Simpson

I think consumer issues is probably a better bet for this

Aarhus

I distinctly remember that when I went to register with Greyhound online on 12th Feb 2012, my newly created account indicated minus €55. I checked my last bill from Dublin City Council (€55 for Oct 2011 to Jan 13th 2012), and sure enough there was the Greyhound logo beside the DCC one, the former with "Collecting monies on behalf of DCC" written beneath it.

First of all, I paid €80 by credit card to Greyhound, leaving me €25 in the black to pay for forthcoming Greyhound bin-lifts; then I paid the €100 annual service charge. So, I paid a total of €180 in one sitting, and to my mind at least, the debt-letter I received from PayAway is nonsense.

I actually have all the bills, Greyhound digital receipts for the €180, and the credit-card statements indicating the debits. I've just sent (edited) copies of same to PayAway, asking them to check their records, and those of Greyhound, and Dublin City Council. Perhaps I've missed something, but I don't think so.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Greyhound took over the debts due to DCC. If you owed DCC then you owe Greyhound and they can pass it to whatever collection agency they please. Simples.

Dancor

Glad I'm not the only one receiving these. I've got three, the most recent being yesterday. Tore them up and ****ed them in the bin.

s_gr

Ring DCC Directly and they may discount the standing charge

mad m

Got one of these in post today, bill is dating back over two years ago. I'm sure I paid off any debt to DCC and Greyhound once I left them. I just thought there now this 49 euro was for collection of bins and to de sanitise them.

Greyhound wanted 49 euro to remove bins, I rang them to say I'd deliver my bins plus wash them. The next day my bins were gone! But it does state on letter outstanding for refuse collection services previously rendered.

Grab All Association

Couchkitten wrote: »

You may not owe Greyhound anything but you probably owe DCC for Q4 last year - they sent out a letter sometime earlier this year. I dismissed it thinking like you that my account was topped up. I also received the Payaway letter a few days ago. After several phone calls to Payaway, Greyhound and DCC I discovered that DCC did not collect for the Q4 before they sold the waste collection to Greyhound.

I asked them would it affect me getting a loan ect....I've had no response. I also made a complaint to the data protection people, because my details were sold on to yet another company...with no warning. I am moving from Greyhound, there rates are going up as well and I didn't appreciate receiving a debt collection notice when I generally pay my bills on time.

Nope. Its only banks, credit unions and building societies etc who are members of the ICB www.icb.ie that have write access to your credit history.

Just bin these letters. Greyhound/DCC whatever has sold off its debts to a debt collecting agency for a small percentage (usually 10% of what you owe) they are just fishing and will keep sending you letters hoping you will bite and pay it.

neutrino

So I got one of these letters this morning; I've been a direct debit automatic topup Greyhound customer since the handover. So let me get this straight:

DCC give my personal details (without my consent) and outstanding bill to Greyhound.

DCC, two and a half years later, enlist a debt collection agency to harass me for €30 that Greyhound should've recovered through their payment system anyway.

There was only €10 difference per year between them and Citybin, so apathy/inertia was all that stopped me switching; I've now been incentivised.

Hello City Bin.

neutrino

...dug out the letter received in March 2012: headed by Greyhound and Dublin City Council, undersigned by Seamus Lyons, DCC Assistant City Manager and Michael Buckley, CEO Greyhound, it states:

"The final City Council bill for the period ending 13th. January 2012 will be issued and the revenue collected on behalf of the City Council by Greyhound Recycling and Recovery. They will also collect any outstanding arrears on behalf of the City Council"

To paraphrase: Greyhound...will collect any outstanding arrears on behalf of Dublin City Council.

Greyhound this morning told me this was not nor ever was the case.

Dublin City Council say they have only 3 staff now dealing with refuse queries and complaints, and will send me out a complaint form.

I reckon ignore the Payaway letter. It's in writing that DCC gave that arrears job to Greyhound, regardless of who your service provider is.

CuppaCocoa

My 85 year old mother got one of these letters today telling her she owes €36 from 2011. She's terrified they'll come knocking on her door. She said she was never in arrears with DCC and always paid in advance. She said when they sold out to Greyhound she was still in credit with them. How do I check this? Obviously she hasn't kept any receipts from then. Is it worth ringing DCC?

Bistoman

lilybarlean wrote: »

My 85 year old mother got one of these letters today telling her she owes €36 from 2011. She's terrified they'll come knocking on her door. She said she was never in arrears with DCC and always paid in advance. She said when they sold out to Greyhound she was still in credit with them. How do I check this? Obviously she hasn't kept any receipts from then. Is it worth ringing DCC?

I think the Payaway letter has the last DCC bill printed on the back, So it should be there.
The problem and confusion here is that DCC collected at the end of each quarter, But for the final quarter it was handed over to Greayhound. So DCC never sent out a bill for the last quarter.
Tell Your mother that You have paid it for Her and try to intercept any more letters from these scumbags.

neutrino

Hi Lily; best you deal with them on her behalf; DCC is 01 2221000 is their number; they'll offer a callback or to post out a complaint form.

I've emailed them a copy of the 2012 letter, so it's in black and white, signed by the assistant city manager and the Greyhound CEO that any arrears would be collected by Greyhound.

Don't know if your mother's with Greyhound, but if so, they should have itemised records since the start. Their number's 1890 989 998. You'll need you mother's account number, it should be on the sticker on the bin.

Will keep you posted re responses from DCC, Greyhound and Payaway. Tell you mum not to worry, she's not the only one.

CuppaCocoa

neutrino wrote: »

Hi Lily; best you deal with them on her behalf; DCC is 01 2221000 is their number; they'll offer a callback or to post out a complaint form.

I've emailed them a copy of the 2012 letter, so it's in black and white, signed by the assistant city manager and the Greyhound CEO that any arrears would be collected by Greyhound.

Don't know if your mother's with Greyhound, but if so, they should have itemised records since the start. Their number's 1890 989 998. You'll need you mother's account number, it should be on the sticker on the bin.

Will keep you posted re responses from DCC, Greyhound and Payaway. Tell you mum not to worry, she's not the only one.

Thanks! I checked her acount online with Greyhound but it only goes back to January 2013 :mad: Bit strange that you can't access the previous years?

neutrino

Ring Greyhound; they'll have the full history and will email you and/or post you hardcopies.

JohnnyHatesYou

I received one of these letters tody too. It a weird one because from what I can find out about it all onlin, they were enlisted by greyhound two years ago to recover the same debts. I don't really understand how a debt can be passed to greyhound, then onto payaway, then somehow end up back with DCC and back to pay away.

I remember DCC telling me greyhound would bill me for the ramainding charge, and I just assumed did, I honestly can't remember.

Don't suppose anyone would upload a copy of the original letter from DCC about the change over from back then?

Also, was there an account number listed on your letters from payaway? I assume its the old DCC account, which I don't know if is still active... So what are they even going by? By letter is address to three people, two former residents and myself. And they don't seem to know our first names, so I didn't even believe it was legit.

PS
Just up, and on a mobile so apologies for spelling errors

valcassidy

I got one of these through the letterbox on Wednesday morning. If I hadn't verified the account with DCC I would have thought that this is a scam. Whoever payaway are they seem like a seriously dodgy outfit. Just wondering when the goons are going to arrive. Here is my correspondence with them so far...

From: ---
Sent: 17 July 2014 14:33
To: mail at payaway.ie
Subject: FW: Follow on from conversation

To whom it may concern,
I am still waiting for a response and am failing to understand, why no-one from your company has either phoned me or responded to my email. This is very surprising given the urgency you originally gave this matter.

Again I request that this email is responded to as soon as possible.

Your faithfully,

From: ---
Sent: 16 July 2014 10:44
To: 'mail at payaway.ie'
Subject: Follow on from conversation

Account no. ---

F.A.O. <SNIP>,

Dear <SNIP>,
Further to our telephone conversation this morning, I would like to put in writing what was covered.

As I want to question my payment with Dublin City Council it is extremely important for me to get an exact timetable of the escalation process. Unfortunately you were unable to give me exact details of this time frame, saying that non-payment would affect my credit rating within a month. You did not cover the area of unnecessary costs, which I would also like to be informed about.

When you mentioned your Solicitors I also requested their details, so I could get my solicitor to send them a letter explaining the situation. Unfortunately you said that you could not give me names etc. You did say I could send the letter directly to your company and you would pass it on to them.

When I requested your supervisor’s name, unfortunately you said you couldn’t give it.

When I asked to speak to your supervisor, unfortunately they were busy, but you took my full name and number and said they would contact me.

Finally I would like raise issues over the validity of the actual letter sent. According to Irish law, all company letters must have the following company information listed, please follow link: www dot cro dot ie/ena/letterheads.aspx

I would appreciate a response as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely
---