oh and yes... the debt is approx 15 years old. i didn't even know it existed and my husband confirms that he was unaware of it, did not contact anyone regarding this debt and cannot remember any correspondence for at least as long as we have been together (9 years)

Thank you all for your responses. it's comforting to know that there are people out there, who want to./ try to help. as a warning to everyone in distress out there i decided to type up the exact content of the letter. Client's name is Cabot Financial Europe Limited (i'm guessing they are the original debt collectors who bought the debt out from Royal bank of Scotland (who this action had been assigned from and relates to the credit card mentioned earlier) the letter states: Dear Mr (such-and-such) With the current economic conditions remaining uncertain we understand the financial worries come consumers may be experiencing. This is why we are able to ffer you a special discount on your outstanding balance. Call us now to take advantage of our offer so you can have the peace of mind of not having to worry about this debt. We are offering a very attractive discount of up to 80% off the balance, subject to criteria. This means you may only need to pay as little as £345 in one installment (out of the £1700). To qualify for such a discount yo need to call us by the 10th Oct 2011 and your agreed payment received in our offices by no later than the 24th Oct 2011. Once approved the payment would be accepted in Full and Final Settlement of your liability and will also ensure that you are not pursued for the remainingbalance at any point in th efuture by us or our client. Once your remittance has been received and cleared, our client where applicable will update the credit reference agencies to mark your debt as 'settled'. We do hope you call us to give us the opportunity of seeing what discount we can do for you. Yours sincerely, Marcus Graeme-Recovery Division if you'd like to share further thioughts or advice, please do

Hello, thanks very much for your reply. well we have ignored the first letter but received another one-today- specifically addressed to my husband- stating that he owes just over £1700. the letter was very polite offering a 'special deal' that if he phones them within 5 days they will only request a payment of £345 in one and only installment. my husband and i have been married for 9 years and the debt is approx 15 years old- he took on a credit card for his step farther so to be fair it's not ever really his debt although it is in his name. Now a part of me wants it paid and over with but i have read so much about Ruthbridge that i am very concerned that i will be opening a Pandora's box. i am planning to ask his step-father to deal witht he financial side of things but i understand that even that needs to be handled very carefully as it is always strongly advised not to call them and i simply don't want my husband step father to call and put his foot in it...i'm really looking for the best and safest solution...

Hi There, i really need some advice re: the above debt collecting company. about 3 weeks ago my husband received a letter asking to contact Ruthbridge limited to confirm his details and whether he resides under the address we both live in. well i checked out the company to see what it's about and i found this site where i found out A LOT about how Ruthbridge handles things. well, we ignored the letter as it was advised here not to call them. Today we received another letter (very polite) saying that my husband owes just over £1700 but if he contacts Ruthbridge, they will give him a great discount and he'll only have to pay £345 of that amount in one installment. he tracked the debt down till about 15 years ago, when he took up a credit card for his father -in-law. I have read so many comments about how threating and abusive Ruthbridge can get that i really need some advice of how to go on about this matter. i do want to settle the debt but i'm a little afraid of contacting them by the phone. shall i send a letter, a checque or ignore it completely? i have a week to respond...please help...i've never had any dealings with debt and these sort of people and i'm mortified of making the wrong move. thank you in advance for all tips

Hi There,first timer here. i received a letter a couple of weeks ago from Ruthbridge limited asking whether my husband resides under the address of our home (well yes he does since we own the property) he was advised to make contact with the above, which i had urged him to do since i don't like things hanging over me. He was unsuccessful trying to call them so i decided to take action in my own hands- i googled Ruthbridge to see first what they are about and this Forum came up with a lot of people getting a lot of grief from them. Now, neither of us know why the letter arrived in the first place. we are unaware of any debts and really i'm looking for advice of how to tackle this. I don't want to ignore the letter but at the same time i don't really want to open a (very nasty by the look of it) can of worms. Could someone please advise what the best steps are. The letter stated that my husband needs to make contact with them otherwise they will arrange for their agent to contact us. that has not yet happened but i want to be prepared especially having read what this company is putting people through.any help or comments are appreciated.thanks