A growing trend among companies, particularly cold callers, and collections departments / agencies, is to either withold their number, or use "Spoofed" numbers to prevent them being identified.

When the person answers the phone, they do not identify whom they are, they simply ask to speak to an individual. Usually when they do identify themselves, they either speak so quickly, or mumble, so that you are still unsure of whom you are actually talking to.

When they ask "for security" your personal details, and you refuse to give them out over the telephone, in the cases of collections, they then inform you that refusal to give out such information will be taken as "refusal to co-operate" and action will be taken accordingly.

This is simply not good enough. When the telephone rings, especially at the hours that these people tend to call, the people have a right to know who is calling from their REAL telephone number, and sensibly not giving out personal information over the telephone should not warrant threats of "further action"

If we are being honest, any collections department or agency with a legitimate claim, should be making contact in the form of a written letter, addressed to the person in debt, which spells out clearly what is owed and to whom. Threatening phone calls from "cowboys" trying to intimidate vulnerable people has simply got to stop.

The Law is fairly clear, that it is the companys' responsibility to prove that they are owed the money, it is NOT the persons job to prove that they don't.

The problem is that people feel helpless and that these companies have the power to do whatever they want. With 9 million people in the UK in serious debt, The Gov't needs to start controlling these agencies who seem to believe they are too important to treat people with respect. 

It is important to note here, that this petition is NOT about letting people off from their financial commitments. It is about making sure that people are treated fairly and with honesty and openness. It can be very ovewhelming having debt collection agencies chasing you, especially when you do not know your legal rights. Having these people hounding you at all hours of the day (yes they have been known to call as early as 6am and as late as 11pm) can just add to stress that people in debt are already under. The government should be doing everything possible to help vulnerable people get out of debt with as little stress as possible, and not empowering the leeches that make money by buying debts and intimidating people. Which amounts to little more than thug organisations.

Many people will argue "well you shouldnt be getting into debt in the first place".. tell that to 9 million people.

It is wonderful that the government are looking at ways to help people avoid "payday loan debt", and I wholeheartedly hope that is makes a difference, but that doesnt help the millions of people already in trouble. 9 million people is not a small problem.