Here's another curious thing that only just hit me...it must be the cold weather slowing me down The postal address for 'Collections Direct' is NE11 0BR. The NE11 0.. series of postcodes are those for the Team Valley Trading Estate which, among others, boasts nPower as a resident business... Collections Direct lives in the Team valley with nPower...Rebyl Ltd lives in Windmill Hill with nPower...these coincidences just keep popping up. Right now, if I was a cynic, I'd be just about ready to bet some small change that Collections Direct is basically nPower in a plain brown wrapper, Rebyl is a dormant company used as a 'postbox' to avoid having to give an nPower company as a 'Registered Office', and the idea is to make an 'inside' collection job look like an 'outside' DCA. IF I was a cynic, of course...

@ Aktiv Runners - quite simply mate, the credit has never run out:) Okay...that's the first two shots away. A bog-off letter to the sweet-talking Ms Cook, care of 'Collections Direct', asking for a copy of the internal complaints procedure and inquiring which registered data controller will be holding and processing my data. And a WTF? letter to nPower asking them to clarify what the alleged debt is for and asking them to investigate CD's use of 'The Occupier' addressing. Just have to sit and wait for the postie now...gotta figure nPower will be the first to reply - they're only down the road.

@ make them aktiv runners I can't see how there would be a bill - the gas meter is on a card. We arranged with EDF to transfer as soon as we moved in and used the old card until the new one arrived. No debt was recorded on the meter when we moved in and we've certainly not run one up. Besides, nPower have had 8 months to contact me here if there was a problem - there's been diddly-squat about any debt.

Not this property, I moved in here in March and switched the gas/elec account to EDF straight away. I was with EDF for 3 years in the last house. The move was a switch with another tenant of the same landlord, so we've certainly been getting any mail sent to the old address. Absolutely zip from nPower regarding any debt.

I'm damn sure I owe them nothing...the gas and elec have been with EDF for at least 4 years and it's been a key'n'card job. I've had no demands from npower at all. Mind you, this house is a high-turnover private rented...with all the amusing consequences for Lazy DCA Ltd. Curlyben: Thanks for the letter...but I can't help thinking that if I don't take this further then I'm letting the so-and-so's off the hook ever so easy.

The letter contains no mention of Collections Direct being a 'trading style' of anyone, there is just the reference to Rebyl being the Registered Office. Companies House shows Rebyl as being a 'non-trading company' and there's no mention of nPower on the entry So, add the Information Commissioner on to the complaint list...option no 5;) Curiously enough, the letter has a tiny date/time stamp in the bottom corner reading 'npm1107/10.05'. nPower printer moonlighting, perhaps? Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. Complaint letters going in the post tomorrow...

Hi everyone...I'm in an agony of indecision and some advice would be most appreciated This morning a letter arrived at my house, addressed to 'The Occupier' . It turned out to be a letter from a gang calling themselves 'Collections Direct (Pre Court Division)' demanding about £50 for an outstanding gas bill. The letter is the usual guff...Dear Customer(!)...instructed by nPower...legal requirement to send notice of intending court summons...fulfills requirement even if you do not actually read it...we may visit you to make an assessment before we commence proceedings, and our costs for this, plus legal costs, will be added to your account...To prevent us taking legal action you must pay within 10 days ring us now...or send a cheque... The letter finishes off with a foretelling of the dire consequences to be expected, once Judge Bonkers of the Cloudcuckooland County Court has allowed them to make a claim against 'The Occupier' AKA 'Dear Customer'. 'On entering Judgement in Court, we may seek to enforce payment of the debt in one or more of the following ways: Warrant of execution by bailiffs against goods you own Attachment of earnings order with your present or future employer Charging order on any property you own or are purchasing under a mortgage' ...Plus the usual thing about CCJ's affecting your credit rating. The letter is signed by the 'Debt Recovery Manager' , one Nicola Cook. What a nice gal, to be sure. Now I must admit that I'm not too worried at this stage. I moved here in March and immediately transferred the account to EDF, with whom I'd been for 3 years previously. The gas and electricity were (and still are) on the key and card. I've had no letters at all to me (or 'The Occupier' for that matter) from nPower demanding money. But I'm quite curious..who are 'Collections Direct'? A quick google found nothing. The small print at the bottom of the page gives their registered office as 'Rebyl Ltd' (Co No 04043701) in Swindon. However, Companies House shows Rebyl Ltd as Dormant when the last company accounts were presented. A search of CAG forums revealed no mention of Collections Direct. They seem to exist only as a postal address (Freepost NAT12101) in Gateshead. Any idea who these clowns might be? Where I'm in need of some good CAGger advice is on further action. As far as I see I have the following options (obviously it's way too early for a CCA when they haven't even addressed me by name): 1) Do nothing, just keep the letter for future possible use and wait to see what happens. 2) Send a bog-off letter to the honey-penned Ms Cook, pointing out that addressing letters to 'The Occupier' is specifically classed as an unfair and/or dishonest practice by the OFT, and could affect their fitness to hold a licence. 3) Ignore the delightful Ms Cook, and write to nPower, pointing out that they are responsible for the conduct of a DCA representing them, and demand an explanation. 4) Ignore both, send to 'Occupier' letter to Trading Standards and the OFT and raise a formal complaint about the blatant breach of the guidelines. 5) None of the above or a combination thereof? Any advice or information welcome..