So you’ve been contacted by phone call, SMS or a nasty letter from Charter Mercantile regarding a debt. Here’s what you can do!
These buys are based in Queensland (Redcliffe) and often chase people who have forgotten to pay their bills with Telstra and other companies, such as Optus and Vodafone.
We’ll do our best to give our perspectives of what you can do.
Charter Mercantile Agency
There are many debt collectors in Australia who are chasing unpaid bills. People move houses, others just forget about their obligations and some purposely just run.
Charter Mercantile is an agency based in North East Brisbane and is where people’s debts go to get collected professionally. They have a well-trained sales team whose job it is to get money from everyday Australians.
You might get contacted and get a voicemail saying “Please contact Charter Mercantile on (07) 3620 7500 for an urgent personal matter”
Often they are collecting for Telstra bills that you’ve forgotten about, but sometimes they serve other clients too. Vodaphone and Optus for instance.
When you read the reviews about Charter Mercantile, often people are UNHAPPY with their services. Like people have said their staff are rude and unhelpful.
But then again – you gotta ask yourself: Are these people simply running from their financial obligations? Often this is the case, so they just leave a negative review when someone didn’t say “You can just pay $0 forever”.
Understandably there are times when people are in dire straits and just can’t pay. Their lives have just been challenging and they’ve hit rock-bottom.
For those doing it really tough right now, we would recommend the National Debt Helpline.
So we’ve outlined what Charter Mercantile is, let’s discuss some common questions.
Is Charter Mercantile a scam?
No – this is NOT a scam company. Charter Mercantile is a proper business based in QLD whose focus is on calling people like you seeking debt recovery. They want your money and you probably owe them. It’s time to take action here!
What should I do?
You need to be proactive. This isn’t time to sleep. You’ve got an obligation to step forward today. If you don’t respond to their demands, then it only gets worse. Sometimes much worse, with fees, charges and additional interest added to the debt!
How did they get my details?
That’s easy! You had an old debt with someone else, maybe a phone service provider. Because that debt has now been sold to Charter Mercantile, this agency has all your details including your real address, work address and phone number. What’s worse is that some debt collectors do go through your social media accounts already including Facebook and Instagram. That’s unlikely to be the case with Charter Mercantile but still scary, isn’t it?!
Are they legal and legit?
These guys aren’t lawyers, but they are legally able to operate. They have to stay compliant with Australia’s tough debt collection laws. That said – they are allowed to call you until 9pm at night, plus stalk you on social media. I’m legit here – there is nothing in Australian laws that prevents this.
Sorting out Charter Mercantile phone calls, letters and messages
The best way to address any contact with these guys is through resolving it. Charter Mercantile want you to pay up which is why they are quite demanding, but luckily you don’t need to talk to them directly. Regardless, you can’t ignore SMS messages, phone calls or letters…or else it will get worse!
Can’t I just ignore them?
No – you can’t. Definitely you shouldn’t either because ignoring them typically makes things worse. I would absolutely recommend that you stand up and pay attention, otherwise you risk payment penalties and more interest accruing. This is serious business.
How can you help?
The Debt Free Community is a great resource to help individuals like yourself to work through tough times like this. We’re a marketing company that recommends a fantastic service to help you through debt collection issues, so you don’t have to talk to the debt collectors yourself.
Moving forward today
Charter Mercantile is a debt collection agency whose mission is to recover money.
You really have 2 choices here:
- Pay up today by contacting them directly (Our recommendation)
- Get in touch and our recommended service can talk to them on your behalf.
Option #2 is a good one if you’re not confident enough to pick up the phone. The caring team will listen to your challenges and hopefully find a solution that fits your needs.
The 1 thing you can’t do is ignore what is happening. It’s really bad news for you and bankruptcy will tarnish you for years to come!
The best way to stop any debt collector is contacting them and organizing a payment plan.
