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Comment by williamvds | Hacker News Reader

That video is also a great example of just how abusable the bailiff system is.

All the "agents" care about is getting the money for their client. For this, they're willing and apparently able to abort at least one flight, and possibly others, costing people on those flights possibly thousands each with rebookings etc, all for £3k.

I've only has the displeasure of interacting with a bailiff once, when I was a naive student. The guy knocked on the door asking after a previous tenant. We went through for any mail addressed to the guy he was after, and while doing so seemed to revel in explaining how he had the power to barge in by force and arrest me if we wanted. In the moment I was slightly incredulous but nodded along. Was only after the fact I researched to find you're within your rights to turn them away unless they're accompanied by actual police.

Seems like the perfect job for power-tripping sods.

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I find it difficult to side with Delta when they're trying to shirk their legal obligations to their customers.

There's a comment in the video that this is david vs goliath, and they give david some leverage. I think that's the perfect use for high-court bailiffs. The other way around, maybe not so much.

(Ironically - obeying court judgements is not without control of the airline, so if this caused delays, those customers could claim compensation also.)

In general I agree, the bailiff system should be abolished for personal debts.

Except these are High Court bailiffs collecting a commercial debt. They just enforce the powers of the court. Useful in this situation where the executives are in a different country. The High Court can do a lot worse than stopping check in if you don’t comply with its orders.

Sure, no problem with their use against companies.

I don't care about the cost to Delta in that video, but I do think this particlar strongarm tactic was way over the line, due to the significant financial impact it could've incurred to innocent bystanders

Years back, a software consultancy owed me money. I took them to court and eventually called in the bailiffs for non-payment.

Are you seriously saying I should not have done this, just because it might have inconvenienced their other customers!

Get a grip sunshine; and put the blame where it it due.

>I don't care about the cost to Delta in that video

I do. if it was something like 3m euros I'd understand the greed, even if I don't condone it.

3000? They just seem petty. As the article said, this was something a manager could pay out of pocket (and I hope they got reimbursed). It should have been a rounding error already built into their budget that they paid immediately. Delta clearly didn't care of the "innocent bystanders" either, or they were willing to bluff with them as ransom. I've had delays for stupider reasons, but this would at least be a hilarious story to share as a passenger.

It's not like some working class that may not have that much in liquid to pay off.

Debt Collector != Court bailiff

You clearly had the former masquerading as latter. In Blighty, a debt collector tricking a naive student into believing they have court authority (!) is their Standard Operating Procedure.

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