Get the latest product reviews, money-saving tips and more. ARL Collect was acquired by PF Group Holdings Pty Ltd in 2018. ", Not a day goes by where our financial counsellors aren't speaking to people who have been impacted by debt collectors in some way. They were relentless, unscrupulous. Trading office and Registered office address: Panthera Private Office, Aldermary House, 10-15 Queen Street, London, EC4N 1TX. All three consumers were subjected to repeated and intrusive calls from Panthera, and had to take multiple steps to prove they did not owe the alleged debt.. The ACCC is seeking pecuniary penalties, declarations, injunctions, orders for a compliance program, publication orders and costs. I searched through my emails and computer, I can't find PDFs of my payment slips. They hope that youll pick up the phone. As it stands, the originator of a "debt", such as utilities companies or banks, and the funder of purchasing that debt (including venture capitalists), both get to profit from the systemic and aggressive actions of a very profitable debt collector. hb```f``"Y@9> 9%)gd x Y^]#'x6]( X Y@ENcd0u If youve received a notice for a debt that you should have not received, you can alert Panthera Finance to this. Energy Australia will not assist - they referred him to Panthera. I received a bill for $1,900 that I never owed. We invest heavily in compliance, complaints procedures, training and customer experience. The ACCC has instituted proceedings against debt collection agency Panthera Finance Pty Ltd alleging it unduly harassed three consumers over debts they did not owe. Are you able to send me an email with your account information to help@energyaustralia.com.au or alternatively you can contact us on 133 466 to discuss further. While researching this article, I called Energy Australia to ask about the process for engaging debt collectors. Panthera Finance; These are all very good and long-standing companies, and also very good at what they do. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. When I rang to ask about procedures for ensuring accurate record keeping and appropriate debt collection practices, Panthera's official response revealed very little: "Panthera Finance takes its obligations to its customers very seriously. Why has Panthera been in the news recently? "What we rely on at the moment are a set of guidelines that have been put out by the ACCC and ASIC. We want to warn all debt collection agencies that the kind of conduct alleged in this case is not acceptable and will be the subject of further enforcement action against other businesses if necessary, Ms Court said. We are extremely disappointed that parts of the debt collection industry continue to disrespect consumers. Force them to prove that: 1. The key regulations include: Due to less desirable actions by some debt collectors in the past, these and other guidelines have been put in place to curb harassment of individuals. They told him to contact Panthera. Called Energy Australia and we owe no money!! It is clear something needs to change. You do realise this is an quite an old thread. This action is part of our continuing joint efforts with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to crack down on shady debt collection practices, Ms Court said. This is bad news. Some debt collection agencies have a poor record of adhering to consumer protection guidelines. Born and raised in Scotland, Jamie studied Spanish and Politics at Newcastle University and spent time living in Mexico before moving to London to embark on a career in mortgages in 2007. 2021 Panthera Finance Group. All rights reserved. The debt is yours (via a contract you had with the original company). If they come to your door, you can politely ask them to leave at any time. ", Read more: One day in 2016 I came home to discover my gas had been disconnected. Over an 18-month period, Panthera at first refused to communicate in writing, and instead called me up to three times a day for weeks on end. In December 2018, the Federal Court ordered one of Australias largest debt collection firms, ACM Group Ltd, to pay $750,000 in penalties for ACMs misleading, harassing, coercive and unconscionable pursuit of underpaid debts from two vulnerable consumers. ), Media Team - 1300 138 917, media@accc.gov.au, Debt collection company in court over alleged harassment, Not receiving products or services that are paid for, Receiving unrequested products or services, Problem with a product or service you bought, Unauthorised transfer of phone or internet services, Supplying products or services that are paid for, Supplying unrequested products or services, Problem with a product or service you sold, Competing fairly in professional services, Competition and anti-competitive behaviour, Collective bargaining and collective boycotts, Implementing a business compliance program, Electricity market monitoring inquiry 2018-25, Postal services price notification and monitoring, Interstate rail network access undertaking, Hunter Valley rail network access undertaking, International liner cargo shipping regulation, Telecommunications industry record keeping and reporting rules, National Broadband Network (NBN) access regulation, Non-NBN fixed line services access regulation, Superfast fixed line broadband networks regulation, Transmission services and facility access regulation, Telstra's migration of fixed line services, Regional mobile infrastructure inquiry 2022-23, Exemption from parts of the wheat port code, The development of bulk wheat exports regulation, Digital platform services inquiry 2020-2025, Retail electricity pricing inquiry 2017-2018, Feminine hygiene products price monitoring, Foreign currency conversion services inquiry, Murray-Darling Basin water markets inquiry, Residential mortgage products price inquiry, Digital platform services inquiry 2020-25, Digital advertising services inquiry report, MVIS information for data providers, repairers and RTOs, Authorisations and notifications registers, Collective bargaining notifications register, Resale price maintenance notifications register, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, UniSA & ACCC Competition Law & Economics Workshop, Mergers & Competition Exemptions consultations, Cookies, website analytics & other website information, Industry ombudsmen and dispute resolution, ACM Group Ltd, to pay $750,000 in penalties, Equifax Australia Information Services and Solutions Pty Ltd to pay $3.5m in penalties. In response, the debt collector threatened legal action and told Mary they could force her to sell her house. I too have been receiving misc xero style invoices from various 'big name' companies (e.g Telstra, Energy Australia), that I know I have no association with. Help using this website - Accessibility statement. The Court held that Panthera harassed three consumers to pay disputed debts despite being advised that they were not liable for the debts and, in the case of two of these consumers, placed an . hl7z]6x87Q.7.bY5. w(Wg8aFV4K bW@H3=|MmV(@ AZ Yes, its true. Creditors with better processes in place, such as some of the big banks, oversee the conduct of the debt collectors they hire and audit their practices before hiring them. They told me that debt was only transferred to a "third-party debt purchaser" after numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact the customer and resolve the outstanding debt. and they looked into the "debt" and found it was in fact paid, they instructed Panthera to cease collections activities and ever since they have left me alone. Laura lives in Essex with her husband and 2 young sons. Fantastic culture with great office perks and incentives. Hi guys I'm a financial counsellor don't forget overdue accounts and amounts owing become statute barred after 6 years and only 3 years in the NT and ACT so be careful if its an old bill. I feel like I have been harassed and coerced into paying whether I owe anything or not and I am not the first one to feel like this. ), Contingent collectors third-party agencies that are hired by creditors to go after non-paying customers are of particular concern. At Panthera Finance Group, we integrate financial services with digital-first, data-driven solutions. Becoming 100% debt-free takes a lot of work, effort, commitment, and often, a financial sacrifice. Then my three-year nightmare began, For the latestflood and weather warnings, search onABC Emergency, Keep across all the live scores and results from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. "In this case, we allege Panthera's conduct was particularly egregious as we understand they continued to harass these three consumers after they became aware that they didn't owe any money. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Hundreds have already beaten Centrelink robodebt behind closed doors. That is an affordable payment plan to get debts resolved. Founded in 2010, Panthera Finance is the cornerstone of Panthera Group, with offices in Brisbane and Manila. Energy Australia refuse to provide any information - they cannot even find someone to press a button and print out details of the supposed account. In July 2018, ACM Group Limited, another collections firm, was fined $750,000 for actions including, "ongoing harassment of a care facility resident who had difficulty communicating after suffering multiple strokes". In 2017, Champ Private Equity bought into Panthera Finance, valuing the company at $300 million. Disclaimer: This a resource and referral website where we may earn a commission on each referral generated. Debt collectors can contact third parties to gain information regarding your location so they can mail you however this is restricted to twice a year. Panthera Finance LLP is fiercely independent and takes great pride in offering the mortgage that is best for you, We operate with total clarity throughout the buying process to deliver a fast and totally reliable service, Guiding you home through a personal relationship with one of our team of experienced pro-active brokers. The Federal Court has ordered that Panthera Finance Pty Ltd pay $500,000 in penalties for unduly harassing three consumers over debts they did not owe and for misleading one of the three consumers. Don't forget to celebrate the small wins along the way. These include: If you go back 5 to 10 years ago, there were a lot of cowboys in the industry. She thinks an overhaul of the system is in order: "What we need is specific legislation covering the debt collection industry as a whole," she says. Our New Zealand branch is an extension of Panthera Finances services, supporting clients across the Tasman with their credit recovery requirements. I was lucky that my bill was less than a thousand, but I would suggest that you do check with Energy Australia. We offer a comprehensive range of mortgage products from across the market. In his spare time, Tom enjoys eating, spending time with family and long country walks with his cocker spaniel Elvis. After a long and middling rugby playing career, Jamie now prefers to watch others playing the game from the comfort of the sofa, and is an avid pub quizzer. Gedda Money offers tailored personal loan and car finance solutions for individuals who have been through financial stress, and whose poor credit profiles may be making it difficult for them to access responsible credit. staff are welcoming and inclusive. Youll discover how to avoid debt collections in Australia, using this guide and the very effective service that we recommend. Bad news if you need to buy a car or house in the future. (Debt buyers, on the other hand, buy debt from creditors at a significant discount and attempt to recover the full amount. There are no promises of success nor is there a magic bullet that will instantly get you out of debt. The firm agreed to pay about $170 million for infrastructure project supplies company Jaybro only last month, which was its fifth deal in the firm's "CHAMP IV" buyout fund. Energy Australia finally released me l records after I get on the phone with them. The company was seeking to raise $20 million in a placement to sophisticated and professional investors via stockbroker Morgans on Wednesday. In this case, we allege Pantheras conduct was particularly egregious as we understand they continued to harass these three consumers after they became aware that they didnt owe any money.. Asked 10 February 2021. Panthera Finance has purchased more than $5.5 billion in receivables from banks, telcos, utilities and the like. 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