I came home from work one day a couple of weeks ago to find
a letter in my pigeon hole from "Wescot Credit Services", see: http://www.wescot.co.uk/. (Note their slogan: "focused on an
ethical approach to debt collection"; sick-bag please!) I assumed this was
related to the letter I sent to my bank a few months ago, see: http://hpanwo
tv.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-letter-to-bank.html, but no! Wescot were
writing to me on behalf of my old mobile phone provider because of an unpaid
bill still due from when I stopped using a mobile phone last year. The
outstanding balance is the monstrous grand total of £27.60... plus their "additional charges" of £3.10,
naturally. The letter from Wescot was in the form of a demand, giving the
impression that I'd already been notified of the debt many times long ago and
had had continuously failed to pay up. It contained phrases like:
"Important- notice of debt collection", "Do not ignore this
letter!" and "To avoid Wescot taking further action...". I was
dumbfounded; I had no idea this debt even existed. I don't mean in the sense
that a bank loan doesn't exist, see the above link, I meant that anybody even
thought, rightly or wrongly, that I owe them any money. I asked a few friends
for advice and they told me just to ignore it. I could do that, but I decided
to take a different course that is more entertaining. Also I feel angry with
them for way I've been treated; I feel violated almost, and want to make that
point. So I wrote this in reply:
Dear Interloper,
(I start with warnings about taking legal action for harassment).
I am a former
customer of Telefonica O2 UK Ltd, but have received no correspondence at all
from them regarding any outstanding payments due from me. Therefore I do not
understand your involvement in my business with them. I also reject your
attempt to charge me administration fees. Please ask your client to contact me
personally and directly so that I may settle any financial obligation I might
lawfully owe.
Yours sincerely
cka Ben
It's sad that the normal way to do business nowadays seems
to be through bullying and intimidation. A few years ago it would be
unthinkable for any creditor to employ a debt collection agency unless they'd
already tried asking their customer nicely and the customer had refused to pay,
or had neglected to pay over a long period of time. My experience is definitely
a general symptom of the times, that there is a drift in the moral Zeitgeist
towards greater authoritarianism and thoughtless bureaucracy. A departure from
all humanity and individual justice; and a brutal inflexibility and worshipful
adherence to the rules in the small print. I was even tempted to sign the
letter "Archibald Tuttle" in reference to the film Brazil
Dear Interloper,
I am a former
customer of Telefonica O2 UK Ltd and before breaking contact with them in
August of last year my record of accurate and timely bill payments with them
was always good; I am a reasonable customer and perfectly willing to discuss
any balance discrepancies with them in an amicable way. They have made no
contact with me at all since I ceased using their services all those months
ago; had they done so I would have been perfectly willing to deal with them
again in a proper way. Therefore I do not understand your involvement in their
business with me. I do not recognize your authority over this case. In my
business with them I certainly do not intend to permit the unnecessary
interference any third party interlopers whose first contact with me is to send
me a letter full of CAPITALS, red print, emboldened text and other forms of
intimidating correspondence. I decline to discuss this matter with you any
further. Please instruct your client to contact me directly. This is the SECOND
time of asking.
Yours sincerely
cka Ben
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