Quite so but I doubt how often they succeed for all the bother of it.

My one never even lived here and the post code used for years was slightly different. Completely unknown to me. The idea must be to harass people until they pay the debt of a stranger ignoring all correspondence.

Lloyds has now sent a cheque for £100 via my MP who was very helpful. However after several weeks of silence from IstCredit (who of course never answered my recorded delivery letters) I've had a silent phone call from one of their numbers. So now I'm not sure whether it's all going to start again.

If you read the guidance carefully it refers to a 'mistrace' where the debt collectors are pursuing someone who does not owe the debt. My case is not this since the letters are all addressed to someone else not to me personally. Update. The bank has now written to my MP who I complained to apologising and saying they were sending another £100 later and separately - via him. He wondered why! Well two weeks later no cheque. I think the bank has decided to 'forget' to do so having made themselves look good. What a bunch of twisters. They really need to grow up. I'm going to write again shortly. Meanwhile I sent a second recorded letter to IstCredit. They've signed for that one but not replied.

They say on their web site only third parties if they are being targeted as proxies to lean on debtors. For example the wife.

Ah thank you kindly. That is very helpful indeed. Ist Credit has presumably bought the debt in ignorance of the shenanigans the vendor has inflicted on me. But they still hold pieces of paper they can wave stating that my address is that of the debtor.

OK but that does not help me with the debt collectors who have bought the debt. The bank said sorry in future you'll have to deal with them having given them two wrong addresses. Not our problem any more!! Incredible lack of any concern with ethical dealing. The history of the years since the crash in 2008 illustrates that the banks know they can do what they like with toothless regulation. There is a revolving door of personnel between regulators and banks too.

I have two addresses from their letters. There is a PO box and a registered office which according to posters on the web is an accommodation address. It's Ist Credit. Heavily sanctioned by the OFT a while back.

With their last weasel worded letter the bank sent a cheque for £25. However I'm thinking of sending that back with another recorded letter saying they've not resolved the problem and to accept the money means I agree they have. Which is why they send it I think! How do I contact the debt collectors since they don't take recorded letters it appears? I can write to the OFT about that but it does not solve my immediate problem.

In the case of the bank yes always to the registered office. I got replies anyway from them. In the case of the debt collector to the PO box they quote for account enquiries. Headed 'wrong address' etc. The Ombudsman will only take on complaints by customers. I'm a third-party not the customer so they won't take on mine. I checked by email. There is a hole in the system.

For five years I've been getting debt collectors letters for someone I've never heard of. The post code is different from mine but near enough that I get the letters. I've written endless letters to the CEO of the bank which owned the debt. They kept saying they'd got the address slightly wrong missing a line and had informed the debt collectors - which made sense. Then another letter would arrive with an unaltered address alternating between two debt collectors. It's bizarre. Everything went quiet for18 months after the bank's last letter saying they'd used the wrong address. Then a fortnight ago two letters from a third collector. The bank has sold them the debt TWICE. Once with the confused address they've been using for five years and a second time with the postcose changed to mine! Wrote to the CEO yet again. letter declining to explain why they've used my full address on one sale. Malicious? And another assurance that they've told the latest debt collectors the correct address to use. I've written by recorded delivery to the new debt collectors but the letter has not been taken. I assume they refuse to take recorded delivery so they can deny receiving things. Fax? They've also sent another letter asking the debtor to confirm the debt. I assume this means it's statute barred from what I've learned here. I posted that back marked 'not known at this address'. If the latest debt collectors send a statutory demand to my address what do I do with it please if anyone can advise? The debt is under £750. What I am worried about is that these collectors will find a sneaky way to go to court without my knowing and bailiffs will turn up claiming that my address must be that of the debtor because the court says so. I'm not naming the collectors since for all I know they may read here and it might help any nefarious scheme. I've never had debt problems myself so have little clue about all this. It's worrying me sick - which of course is intended in the hope I'll pay someone else's bill I assume.