Recent Oriel communications

[ForumFriend]

Post below if you've heard from Oriel since 26th March.  The text of the letters would also be useful (no names, of course!).

Thanks

[bluefox11a]

Hi all

I received and email from Owen at Oriel Collections 27th March a copy of which I have attached.  They say they are acting on behalf of PLATTE INTERNATIONAL and are not persuing computer owners but Mr S Anderson.  The only reason Platte or Oriel have this name is beacause I contacted them in all innocence when their bl***y icon appreared on my screen.  There are also 2 S Anderson's within my household one of which is a minor and they couldn't tell me which S Anderson they are pursuing.  I informed oriel that I was in dispute with Platte as they could not or would not tell me which S Anderson they are dealing with.  Oriel have suggested that I contact my internet provider and also say they didnt know I was in dispute with Platte but have not said what if any action they now plan to take.  Will keep you informed

[ForumFriend]

Thanks, Bluefox. 

It's interesting to think that anyone who contacts Platte and gives them a name would, apparently, run the risk of being pursued by a debt collection agency, regardless of whether or not they have ever been near any of their sites. 

[christom1dog]

I received a letter from oriel with just March 2009  no actual date. I called them so say I wil not be paying this bill £54.99. I am now awaiting to see if anything else happens. I also made the mistake of calling them to get the code to remove the pop  up and now realise I should not have done as this is how they came by my name.

[john]

Hi all, unfortunately, due to risking my family having bad thoughts about me put into their heads, I gave in to the bullying tactics of Platte and Oriel and paid them the money. And I still have to clear stupid little pop-up's which pop up twice a day, every day.

How long must we continue to be subjected to these bullying tactics?

[ForumFriend]

John, you really should  complain to Trading Standards/the OFT about the pop ups as this directly contravenes Platte's undertakings to the OFT.

[MsC]

Hi

I received a letter from Oriel on 26th March. I am in the process of replying to them to say I am not paying as I have never accessed anything to do with Platte international. I made the mistake like so many others of calling Platte to find out what these pop ups were about. I did manage to succesfully block them but am now being pursued by a debt collection agent, I am somewhat concerned about this as I do not want to get a bad credit history as I have never before had any issues with debt. The amount has increased from £49 to £74.99. Communication from Oriel was rather poor, letter was not dated just March 09, nor did they give any indication as to why the amount had increased (obviously this is to cover their costs but they are very poor at explaining this). I swing between thinking that I will pay the amount as the idea of debt worries me but also  thinking why should I pay it as I have never accessed anything to do with platte media.

I would be more than happy to pay for the service if I had ever accessed it!! I would be grateful for any advice anyone has to offer

[fire1]

I sent letters to Oriel and Platte saying nobody had accessed their site two weeks ago and that following legal advice I would not be sending any money. I have heard nothing since,will keep you posted should I hear.

[Dave McDave]

My mother is the victim in this and I'm doing all this on her behalf as she really isn't that "Net-Savvy"

Since June last year she has been plagued by Platte. She made the mistake of contacting them after the initial pop ups and they haven't given up.
She told me about the pop ups about a month later and I told her after only 30 secs of web searching that platte was in fact just a scam. I removed the offending software and thought that would be that.

But 9 months later and now she has received a notice from Oriel that she now owes £54.99 (The original £29.99 + £25 for Oriel) and if she doesn't pay (just a phone number to contact with a credit or debit card, no address) within 7 days she'll get further letters costing £25 each and possible court fees once they start trying to claim the debt through a court. About two weeks before this they sent another letter telling her to pay up, and again, rather foolishly, she contacted Platte asking for the details of when she signed up to this site but still no response. I doubt she'll get any response since the woman she spoke to the first time was so obnoxious she actually slammed the phone down on her after telling her someone must have signed up to the site so you'll have to pay.
After this letter my mother also contacted Trading Standards. Although again I'm not sure why since she never signed up to the site, but forget that for a second.
The person at TS she spoke to told her, and this is a direct quote, "You might as well pay it. Cos they'll only get you in the end and you'll probably end up paying court fees as well." This made me absolutely livid.

I spent around 5 hrs last Sat digging up everything I can on Platte/MBS/Oriel from the net and sent it all to her to take to a solicitor so that she can find out the legal stand point on this business.
But from my amatuerish knowledge, surely they can't make her pay unless they can prove she was actually the one that signed up?

See my mother is a very religious woman. And the time and date they say she signed up to the site she was actually at her local Kingdom Hall with 40 others in prayer. The only other person who could possibely have accessed the computer was my father who can't even turn the computer on. He's 68 and she is 66. They've always relied on others to show them how to use the computer and I've usually been the one to help. But I live 320 miles away from them so they don't get that many lessons.

If a court were to find in favour of Platte in this case, charging a couple of pensioners with attempting to download porn and taking a weeks pension from them, then this country really does belong to the crooks and we might as well all leave and let them have it. Maybe there is some room on the moon to live.lol

[David M]

As with many people, I first came accross Platte when their pop up started appearing on the laptop my children and wife use.  After a lot of reaseasch I did manage to get the software off the laptop, but not before maiing the mistake of phoning Platte and disclosing my address (but thankfully not my name).

The usual letters then arrived asking for payment (all address to "Computer User"), which I threw in the bin, but then a few weeks ago a new letter from Oriel arrived (again addressed to "Computer User")asking for payment.  As advised in the forum I wrote back to Oriel advising them I was in dispute with Platte and that if they contacted me again I would complain to the FSA, etc, then sent it by Recorded Delivery.

So far I have not heard back from Oriel.

[gusjames]

Hi all,

Had a letter from Oriel, dated March 2009, to say that they had been appointed by Platte International to collect an outstanding amount of £54.99. I telephoned them immediately, and as soon as I said that it was in reference to Platte, I was transferred rather quickly to a chap called Simon. I explained that I would not be paying the debt, as I had not used their service, and that I was in dispute with Platte regarding the matter. He said that they would have to pursue the debt, so I questioned him as to what means they were going to use, for which he had no answer. I stated again that i would not be paying the debt, and the conversation finished with Simon saying that we wold have to agree to disagree, before putting the phone down.

I have not heard anything since.

[buttle]

Hello, forum friends, Its been six weeks since my recorded deliver letter to ORIEL,I have still had no reply from them at all. I am beging to think they are not chasing PLATTE debts, or are having second thoughts,hope this is helpful to everyone. all the best. BUTTLE

[matt_d]

Hi all, unfortunately, due to risking my family having bad thoughts about me put into their heads, I gave in to the bullying tactics of Platte and Oriel and paid them the money. And I still have to clear stupid little pop-up's which pop up twice a day, every day.

How long must we continue to be subjected to these bullying tactics?

Agree with ForumFriend, this is totally unacceptable especially as you felt pressured into paying. Platte should have provided removal instructions upon receipt of payment.

[kb2000]

I have received a letter from Oriel today just marked April.  They are chasing £54.99.  I wasn't even in the country on the date they say I 'signed up' for whatever it is they do!!

Not sure whether just to ignore it or send it back with 'wrong address'!!  Well, I can be as stupid as them.