Ruthbridge limited, help please

[johnno1982]

hi ppl, basically last week my parents recieved a letter for me at there address (Ive not lived at home for 6 years) from ruthbridge ltd about a debt they have acquired through Cabot financial (who acquired the debt through the associates) for the sum of £1210.88 telling me they (well my parents) that unless i made contact with them within a week they would apply to the county court to start bankruptcy proceedings and sending bailliffs and the lot for the amount of money, my parents informed me of this and then 2 days ago another letter came with the 'friendly' headline WITHOUT PREJUDICE in which they have informed my parents i have till the 15 of july to respond to this letter or they will be starting court proceedings to make me bankrupt, in the letter they also say that if i pay £726.53 then they will regard the matter as settled. First of all i dont live at my parents address since im a grown up and moved out of the home years ago, second the debt comes from a credit card with a limit of £250 that i got in 2001 and which i thought was paid until a company named Cabot financial sent a letter (parents address again) out of the blue last year informing me of the debt saying i defaulted on it in 2002 and the last payment made on it was in 2003 i told them i didnt recognise the debt and that there was no way i was paying anything then ignored any and all correspondance till this new letter came and as you can figure my parents are a little peeved and worried, i told them not to worry and have filed the letters from ruthbridge but no replied via post or phone call and i intend on just plain ignoring them, any advice????

i also think its worth noting that as a youngster i got myself into alot of debt and have had poor credit till last year, i now have mobile phone contracts, debit and a credit card and generaly have improved my credit and sorted myself out and have never missed a payment in 2 years of having credit. are these people just all talk and am i right to ignore them????

[cerberusalert]

This is more than likely Statute Barred & they are just trying it on. Send them this recorded delivery, print your name do not sign it; http://www.consumerforums.com/resources/templates-library/86-debt-collectors/599-letter-sent-when-debt-is-statute-barred the onus is on them to prove otherwise.

[johnno1982]

Cheers for the advice, like i said i dont live at my paremts address anymore and have found out that my mother has sent them a letter explaining that i haven't lived at the address for 6 years and any more letters will resut in action being taken against the company as the house is in her name and she doesn't appreciate being threatend with baillifs, just wondered what you make of that?

[cerberusalert]

It's standard practice for debt collectors to send these type of threatograms, she is lucky that the don't have her 'phone number too.

 

Your mother did the right thing writing to them & warning them off & if she has any further problems with them she should make a complaint through Consumer Direct - Contact us and the OFT The Office of Fair Trading: Contact us

[johnno1982]

well mum wasnt impressed haha, cant believe they think they can threaten ppl with such things even if it isnt there property

[johnno1982]

Just a thought but i havent replied to ruthbridge but my mum has. should i bother even sending them that letter i have no fixed address coz i spend my time between hear and greece, is there any point letting them i know i know theyve sent letters??? mum told them im in greece!

[cerberusalert]

Once a Statute Barred letter has been sent they must cease collection activities according to OFT guidelines, or prove otherwise.

 

Your mother can send it on your behalf. Although she doesn't really need to explain to them she could add in the letter that she has been in contact with you & since discovered that the a/c is Statute Barred.