Multiple DCA and DG Solicitors

[talisman_81]

Hi there,

 

I'm new to these forums, and have spent the better part of the last 48 hours reading before I registered.

 

I've been through financial hell for the past 2 years - although having read some of the nightmare stories on here it sounds like i might have had it easy. I owe a few debts, all of which are with DCA, and i'm now at the end of the tether with them.

 

Some background...

 

A couple of years ago I took out a small unsecured loan (£2000) with Welcome Finance. It was registered at my old address, and I was due to work a couple of months later with a new company and would easily be able to pay off the loan (which i had gotten out at that time to pay a few months worth of rent where i was living). Around the same time I also had a credit card with paypal with a £3000 limit.

 

Everything went wrong when the job i was due to start told me they did not need me. So i ended up freelancing (still am) and had to move to another apartment. Needless to say I didn't pay any of my loan or credit card debt back. The cc has never attempted to phone me, and thus they do not have my new address details. The loan company would phone me every few months trying to set up a payment plan, and I must have given them my new address as i did recieve a couple of letters from their billing debt department whilst at that address.

 

In recent months, i've moved yet again (to a still cheaper apartment), and as i've moved here the loan company phoned to inform me that they were passing the matter to a DCA (but wouldnt tell me who).

 

Now my question is this:

 

The DCA for the loan, do not have my current address (nor do the loan company)... they havne't phoned me yet (the loan company apparently gave them my debt a few weeks ago). The credit i had, has never tried to contact me, and has an even older address.

 

If i wanted to attemp to pay off these debts or have them written off i would need, in the first instance, to give them my current address. But by me doing that surely i'm opening a can of worms for them to start harrassing me? I'm really not sure what to do. If these companies are sending letters to my old address (and i have no way of knowing) couldnt they default the debts, and get bankruptsy or attachment of earnings orders issued on me?

 

Lastly, I ran a business with some friends a few years ago which got absolutely nowhere (which resulted in me needing to get a job and get into this financial mess in the first place).

 

I recently got contact from a solicitors called "DG Solicitors" (acting on behalf of HSBS) asking to collect the outstanding balance for an overdraft we had (for £1000). They do have my current address, and all contact details, as the HSBC account we had was up to date with my address as the "registered office". We no longer operate as a company, although we are still registered with Companies House. They are asking for payment within 7 days. They phoned the other day and caught me off guard... I paid them a token £20 so they would stop proceedings. And I then asked them to send me standing order forms... I may have shot myself in the foot... but wondered what i should do with this?

 

So there you see, i have multiple debts, and i'm a bit confused as to how to tackle each of them. It really is a stress and a strain on your daily life. It's hard to put into words the effect of having debts hanging over your head can have.

 

Any help would be appreciated!

[42man]

Have you any excessive charges on the account that you could potentially reclaim (+8% compounded interest) ?

[talisman_81]

For the HSBC overdraft one, no suprisingly not. The amount owed is the amount used by us at HSBC. Although curiously, we had no overdraft facility, yet somehow they allowed a couple of cheques to go through.

 

I'm not disputing that debt, just suprised that they gave us the ability to spend money in an overdraft that doesn't exist, and that they've passed it onto a supposed solicitors for collection.

 

With regard to the loan company and credit card company - should i just sit tight and do nothing?

Edited November 23, 2008 by talisman_81
typo

[42man]

I would create an affordable payment plan for the overdraft. As for the credit card and loan companies, if it was me I would request a copy of your agreement from them ? How old are these ?

[talisman_81]

The CC and loan company do not have my current address. So should i contact them in order for them to send me a letter? Otherwise, anything i send them will not get responded to at the correct address.

 

They are both around 2 years old.