While I was typing my last post there was a knock at he door. It was a double glazing salesman.

The conversation went like this.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but how long have you had your double glazing?"
"I do"
"Er, pardon?"
"I do"
"Do what?"
"Mind you asking."

Funny, he seemed rather nonplussed by my answers.

I loved the "do what?" Did he just leave then?

No, it was the next bit of the conversation which mad him leave. Trying to be humourous and "matey" he said "You're no going to hit me are yo?" and I replied, "That all depends on how persistent you are.)

Then he left.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BobHale,

I had a character call me and ask whether I knew about the "new legal way" in which I could get rid of my debts. Since I have none I told him to go away but it made me think:

If there are now ways in which people's debts can be written off, without their going through the formal process of bankruptcy, what a dreadful development this is. Creditors won't get their bills paid, lenders won't get their loans repaid and Government won't get its overdue taxes. And who, in the end pays for the inadequacies of those who can't or won't live within their means? Those of us who can and do, of course - through higher prices, higher bank charges and higher taxes.

And, of course, we also pay the fees of those who are peddling these so-called debt solutions. Compared with them, double-glazing salesmen are up there with the angels.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Richard English,

quote:

"new legal way" in which I could get rid of my debts

There was a story about a company (one among many) who would, for a fee, use their "patented software program" to re-estblish your bad credit by eliminating all your late payment or non=ayment indicators. One family gave their last $500 to avoid losing their house but the company did nothing to help. When they finally reached someone to complain, they were told "You missed one of the steps." The missed step was never explained. So like most of these deals, it's a scam.

Richard and Proof, it would seem in the US at least that such methods are completely legit and in heavy use for decades now-- oh, I mean, except by most ordinary tax-paying citizens of course.

quote:

such methods are completely legit

If you advertise a service but son't provide it even though you're paid, its a scam/

quote:

If there are now ways in which people's debts can be written off, without their going through the formal process of bankruptcy, what a dreadful development this is.

It's not the case. These are scams.

Richard's salesman was probably trying to sell an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, which is fairly new. I think I've seen a couple of commercials for them on the TV, from the same sorts of dodgy law firms that promise to get you compensation if you suffered an injury at work.

We had a call the other day which may have been some similar dubious legal firm but was more likely a scam. The caller said that he was calling from my bank and wanted to help me reclaim excessive and overpaid bank charges. As for the whole of my life I've managed to keep my account in credit, I've never paid any bank charges and so can't possibly have any to claim. I started asking him questions about which bank he was from, his department and branch and he hung up on me.
I reported him to the bank he claimed to be from who informed me that they offer no such service.

I had a call from someone who said she was from Google and wanted to check my details so she could renew my contract.

The only contract I have for website positioning (which contract gives me a position on page one for most searches) is with Scoot I asked her whether she was from Scoot or Google itself. She was evasive and in the end hung up on me. Her number was withheld - so it was probably a scam.

Now I always ask for sales callers' telephone numbers; if they won't give them then I hang up. No reputable organisation is going to refuse to give a customer its telephone number.