Intrum Justitia.. or is it Justa Load of Scum Bags ?

I am being plagued by the above credit collection company who are used by e-bay. Their web site says that they are the biggest Credit Management company in Europe but they are classy enough to send correspondence to you on scrappy photocopied bits of cheap paper and no signature either !! Very upmarket !!

You see I was remiss in paying an e-bay bill for just under £10.00, I hold up my hands to this, it just slipped my mind until I received a letter from "Justa Load of Scumbags" which said I owed just over £20.00 along with the usual threats such as we have been instructed by our clients etc. and you may get a CCJ etc. etc.

I paid the full amount to e-bay that same night , got a printed receipt of thanks but lo and behold another letter arrived from "Justa Load of Scumbags".

I telephoned them and told this young man that I had paid the account. He told me I can't do that. I said, but I have and I owe nothing to e-bay now. He told me again, you can't do that because you're too late. Too late?I exploded then, what is too late? It is paid and I owe nothing. I was told he would come back to me. He didn't needless to say.

I received another letter from "Justa Load of Scumbags" saying I owed them just under £10.00 and I mustn't deal with e-bay anymore and if they (e-bay) ask me for any more money I have to contact them (Justa Load of Scumbags) so that they can warn e-bay off.

I phoned them again and spoke to a young lady, which if she had a trace of a bit of a brain would have been dangerous, and told her I owed nothing, I have a receipt and not to send me anymore letters. She insisted I owed JLoS the money which I again told her I didn't as I have a receipt. In the end I had to say rather forcefully that I will contact my solicitor if they continue to try to extort money from me which I do not owe and with threats. Her reply was breathtaking.. "see you would go to the expense of paying a solicitor which will cost you more than the money we are asking you for ". I will not elaborate on my reply as it is not past the 9 p.m. watershed !!

OMG, how can I get the message through to these dumb people.. "I do not owe you any money and I don't intend in paying for what I do not owe" and yes, in order to give JLoS a metaphoric smack in the gob I would be prepared to pay more money and see them in court.

In the end I put the phone down it was hopeless talking to an automaton who was probably reading from a script and earning minimum wage.

I am not alone in this... have a look at this link. To any prospective clients who wish to use "Justa Load of Scumbags" I would say, think again, there must be others out there with more acumen and civility you can use. To e-bay I say, if you wish to squander your customer goodwill, carry on using them by all means.

As for me, a lesson well learned and goodbye e-bay, you will not be missed.