The Office of Fair Trading guidelines on debt collection state that a creditor cannot use phone calls to contact you “at unreasonable times and at unreasonable intervals”. If they do, you can make a complaint.
Many people believe there are some laws or guidelines stating that a creditor can only make a certain amount of calls each day. Unfortunately, no such guidelines exist, so a complaint should be based on what you believe is “unreasonable”.
Yes, you can change your number if you do not want to be contacted by phone. Your phone provider may charge you for this.
If you change your number, remember to withhold it when calling creditors to prevent them getting your new number using caller display. Dial 141 before entering a number to withhold your own number for that call.
There are other options available from phone providers which may be helpful, such as call-barring and caller display. These can give you greater control over who calls you, but there are usually monthly charges. Contact your phone company for more advice.
If you change your number, remember that you must open and read any letters. You should never ignore your creditors.
Some creditors will offer to refer you to another organisation for debt advice. Remember that many debt management companies charge fees for providing debt solutions.
You can contact us for free and impartial advice at any time. You can use our online debt counselling service, CCCS Debt Remedy, which will provide you with the most appropriate solution to your debt problem. Alternatively contact our free helpline on 0800 138 1111.
In many cases, creditors will hold membership of one or more trade bodies who can help if you need to make a complaint.
Look at letters from the creditor and see if there are any trade organisations mentioned. The website of the trade organisation will often have a code of conduct or standards they expect their members to meet.
If you feel the creditor is not meeting these standards and you have not had a satisfactory reply to your complaint, you could contact the trade organisation. They may be able to help with their own complaints or investigation process.
If you do not get a satisfactory reply after making a complaint, the best organisation to assist you will depend on the type of debt:
There are many other organisations that can advise you. If you need further help finding a suitable organisation to help you, please contact us.
Some regulatory bodies such as the Financial Services Authority and Office of Fair Trading are not able to advise individual customers.
No, the Office of Fair Trading does not investigate complaints on behalf of individuals.
If you are unsure where to go for further advice about a creditor Consumer Direct can help.
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