The parent company is the Queensland-based debt acquisition and collection agency Panthera, which since July has been facing court proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer. And three years later, my fight with Energy Australia and with Panthera was finally over. If youve received a letter in the mail or SMS about some old debt with Panthera Finance, its probably from Optus, Simply Energy, AGL or Energy Australia. He lives with his wife, two children and dog in Leigh-on-Sea. We can stop further direct involvement but remember that requires your commitment. Asked 10 February 2021. Panthera Finance is Australias largest privately-owned debt ledger acquisition and debt collection company. It looks like after I disconnected the service, they sent me a bill to the property instead of to my email, and since I've had left the apartment, I couldn't have known that I got the bill. 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". Those letters, text messages and phone calls can be stopped within days. They appear to be complicit in a scam. (Debt buyers, on the other hand, buy debt from creditors at a significant discount and attempt to recover the full amount. Call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 for free and confidential advice. ), Contingent collectors third-party agencies that are hired by creditors to go after non-paying customers are of particular concern. What never-ending credit card debt is doing to Australians. Over the last two years around 100 people have complained to the ACCC about Pantheras debt collection activities. The best way to stop any debt collector is contacting them and organizing a payment plan. "Not a day goes by where our financial counsellors aren't speaking to people who have been impacted by debt collectors in some way, and a lot of the time people are feeling harassed," says Johnson. The deal marks a busy period for CHAMP. Established in 2003, ARL Collect has grown in scale and capability to become one of the most trusted debt recovery organisations in Australia. Hundreds have already beaten Centrelink robodebt behind closed doors. Ltd. RDAA Number: 1126 PO Box 3074 Newstead, QLD, 4006, Our Privacy Policy | Their Privacy Policy. As far as I remember, I haven't used Energy Australia since 2014, and I've moved places several times since then. The information contacting within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore primarily targeted at consumers based in the UK.
Our team talks to people like you every single day. So whilst you may not have originally incurred a debt with a debt collector such as Panthera Finance, they have your existing debt from another party assigned to them and youre legally obliged to now pay the debt to their company. We recommend that you address this, even if you think its not your debt. How to Avoid Debt Collectors in Australia [2021 Guide], What is Personal Insolvency? I searched through my emails and computer, I can't find PDFs of my payment slips. We've leveraged over a decade of knowledge to create meaningful progress in digital platforms that deliver for clients and the customers they support. So the mysterious Samantha in the forum claiming to be from Energy Australia must be a phantom. Ask us to step in! After 13 years with Charles Cameron & Associates, he moved to Panthera Finance in late 2020. Only communicate with them in writing (and only to tell them to fudge off and stop harassing you). Took them two weeks to get back to me. Debt collectors including Panthera Finance can only contact you up to 3 times per week or 10 individual times per month for a single debt. 91 0 obj
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See something that's not quite right in this article? As a case in point, the Department of Human Services hired the debt collection firm ARL Group to recover money from welfare recipients in 201920. %%EOF
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. In October 2018, the Federal Court ordered Equifax Australia Information Services and Solutions Pty Ltd to pay $3.5m in penalties for misleading and deceptive conduct, and unconscionable conduct in relation to credit report services. At Panthera Finance Group, we integrate financial services with digital-first, data-driven solutions. When I contacted the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to complain about Panthera's debt collection practices, they were unable to act until the Energy & Water Ombudsman (EWON) had confirmed the legitimacy of the debt one way or the other. In the end i raised a complaint with the Water and Electricity Ombudsman (or what ever its called) State Mercantile is a debt recovery provider which specialises in the collection of heavily overdue and delinquent accounts. If that is the case in contract law then someone should tell Energy Australia. Tim has extensive experience working with high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Then again, we understand that you dont want to pick up the phone as youll likely get some harassment. "Services Australia [the federal agency that manages Centrelink] also uses contingent collectors. Something is not right here. Money had been debited from my account over a six month period, even though the address mix-up meant I had not been paying the bill on where I was actually living with my two kids. Call Energy Aust first.. they are the ones with the power to get them to stop. Panthera Finance is a debt collection company which buys debts off other businesses who are owed money. Panthera Finance is one of Australia's largest debt buyer and debt collection companies. How has Panthera Finance responded to the COVID-19 outbreak? 2022 Panthera Finance LLP. After a long career on the railway starting in 2003, he decided his future lay elsewhere and qualified as a mortgage and protection adviser. hl7z]6x87Q.7.bY5. Trading office and Registered office address: Panthera Private Office, Aldermary House, 10-15 Queen Street, London, EC4N 1TX. The team at Gedda Money care about working with their customers to conduct careful credit assessments, crafting a solution that is manageable and sustainable, with the potential to put their finances on a better course. Media Team - 1300 138 917, media@accc.gov.au, Debt collector Panthera to pay $500,000 in penalties for undue 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. they are a real company , had to deal with them before ( someone opened a telstra home line under my name fraudulently ) , they made things super difficult, if i was you i would find out from agl whats going on , and deal with panthera via email/written form only, when i dealt with them , they lied , made things up , failed to deliver any evidence of what was owed and refused to contact telstra after i called telstra and cleared it up with them and provided panthera with reference numbers to interactions with telstra, this was over a 4 month period where i was told multiple times it was sorted. "F$H:R!zFQd?r9\A&GrQhE]a4zBgE#H *B=0HIpp0MxJ$D1D, VKYdE"EI2EBGt4MzNr!YK ?%_&#(0J:EAiQ(()WT6U@P+!~mDe!hh/']B/?a0nhF!X8kc&5S6lIa2cKMA!E#dV(kel
}}Cq9 Again, we dont charge anything upfront at all. Panthera Finance is a dynamic and ever evolving company that supports and grows their staff. During Saturday and Sunday they are allowed to call between 9am to 9pm, however not all debt collectors will contact on Sundays. 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 . "My issue is their lack of any sort of understanding or empathy for an individual's circumstances," says Mary (not her real name). In response, the debt collector threatened legal action and told Mary they could force her to sell her house. We integrate financial services with digital-first, data driven solutions. As part of this case, the Court has suppressed the names and details of consumers affected. If you read the reviews online about Panthera Finance, they certainly arent good. Is this debt collection real? Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance, Australian Competition & Consumer Comission, Tips on How to Make Buying a New Car Easier, Financial Services in the Digital Era: How to Effortlessly Send and Receive Money, How to Easily Calculate Your Mortgage Rate Payments, Working Abroad Means Tax Planning Too: Heres What You Should Know, Home Loan vs. Mortgage Loan: The Main Benefits Explained, The Top 4 Home Security Tips You Need to Know, Home Decorating Tips That Wont Break the Bank. Get the inside story on our investigations into consumer rip-offs and bad business practices. Find out more about fact-checking at CHOICE. No need to talk to them! In my case, I finally decided to believe it was legit. We work hard to help everyday Australians to work through the hurdles. Or just a scam? I received a bill for $1,900 that I never owed. Fortunately, the Melbourne-based consumer rights organisation Consumer Action got involved, and Mary was able to settle her debt for about half of what the debt collector had demanded. If youve received a notice for a debt that you should have not received, you can alert Panthera Finance to this. Copyright 2006-2023 OzBargain ABN: 26 144 073 772, Mysterious Outstanding Bill Notification From Panthera Finance, numerous complaints about them on the net. Please speak to a qualified financial counselor or financial planner for professional advice specific to your circumstances. Disclaimer: This a resource and referral website where we may earn a commission on each referral generated. The investment is expected to fund Panthera's growth. All trademarks are owned by their respective owners.OzBargain is an independent community website which has no association with nor endorsement by the respective trademark owners. In its most recent annual report filed with the regulator, Panthera's parent company PF Group posted $81.5 million in revenue for the 2018 financial year, up from $59.8 million the year prior. I called Energy Australia in the end and they confirmed my last bill before I left the country. I believe this company to be a scam operation. This was the first time we used a virtual . All rights reserved.Privacy Policy. They hope that youll pick up the phone. q AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/i-never-thought-i-would-end-up-being-chased-by-debt-collectors/11685450, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Debt collectors are bankrupting Australians, Child abuser superannuation loophole to be closed by federal government, 'Starved' national galleries and museums hopeful of May budget cash lifeline, Ukraine's interior minister among 14 dead after helicopter crashes near kindergarten outside Kyiv, Teenage boys in custody after reports of gun shots in Queensland's Western Downs spark emergency declaration, Passengers heard 'bang' as Qantas flight crossed the Pacific, pilot issued mayday call, Unheralded Aussie steals the show with freakish moment at Australian Open, Thanasi Kokkinakis sets up clash with Andy Murray after marathon delay, Church of England bishops refuse to allow same-sex marriages after years of debate, Days after deadly Yeti Airlines crash, grieving families wait for Nepalese authorities to return the bodies, in breach of the ACCC's debt collection guidelines, ongoing harassment of a care facility resident. Guthrie says there's a lack of oversight of contingent collectors by some of the organisations that hire them, all the more troubling because the debt collectors are often going after vulnerable people. LiveHire was offering new shares at $1.05 each, with proceeds to accelerate growth. Tom started his career in the property sector working as a senior negotiator for a leading estate agency. In most cases debt collection agencies will be willing to discuss payment terms to manage your cash flow, or even provide a discount for upfront payment of debt. Of this case, I ca n't find PDFs of my payment slips is doing Australians. Work hard to help everyday Australians to work through the hurdles Australia and with Panthera was finally over by to! At $ 1.05 each, with proceeds to accelerate growth and told Mary they could her! One of Australia & # x27 ; s largest debt buyer and debt companies! Collect has grown in scale and capability to become one of Australia & # x27 s... 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