Can a catalogue do this?

[cosmicangel]

I had a call from a catalogue company, it's a long story and I have not paid a months bill and stupidly said I no longer lived at this address. They said they are going to be calling the police liason officer and they'll contact me for more details.

Can they do this and if so what will happen?

[B00]

But you owe them money!

What makes you think you can get out of paying it just because someone may or may not have told you wrong info?

[saxy_jag]

Must admit it seems a bit of a strong tactic over one month's arrears. I've had a few catalogue debts myself in the past and it's usually been three or four months before they act. Even then it's usually via a CCJ/debt collector. They don't like involving the police because they have to pay for it and because the police don't like getting involved in such matters.

A very satisfying tactic of mine is to pay up, but overpay them by a pound or so. That way they have to put costly administrative resources into repaying you a paltry amount of money, and they can't charge you for doing it.

[B00]

don't understand why you'd do that either sexy jag? You owe them that money, its not like you're paying anything you didn't already agree to, why get ar$y about it?

[factor-fiction]

I think the OP may be confusing the Fraud Squad with the internal fraud department and the police with the internal 'police liaison officer'.

[boxtops]

It sounds like the catalogue were using heavy tactics - it wouldn't be the Fraud Squad. If you don't mind, cosmic, how much is the missed payment, are we talking big money here?

[pink-kittens]

Agree vodkancoke

I run several catalogues and on the odd ocassion I've missed a payment for been a bit late with one, I don't even think nI received a letter, never mind a phone call. All they did was add a charge onto my next bill, simple.

Op is not being at all truthful - one of her previous posts (2) have been about being off sick so I can understand not being able to pay, and in all honesty, it is highly unlikely the catalogue would have called the fraud squad for her telling them a lie that they knew to be false, they would just speed up the recovery process.

Like I said I can hear trip trap over my bridge that is now closely followed by a nasty smell

[JimmyCooper]

The police would laugh at them and say it's a civil matter

[Barquentine]

Whatever the full story is here the best policy is always to come clean and talk to them. Companies do not want to involve the police or their fraud department if the customer will talk to them. Companies want to avoid wasting money. If you tell them you cannot afford to pay and ask them if they can help you reschedule your repayments they will try to help - unless it's a very badly run company. And the only time they will get a suspected fraud investigated is if it's a serious one and involves a material (i.e. substantial compared to the size of their business) amount of money. For this type of thing they would only pursue a debt action (if you keep avoiding them that is) - and even then, they prefer to get a debt company to hassle you before they bother with the courts (which is technically an abuse of process). If you agree that you owe this money - just talk to them.