what advice to give

[workaholicandy]

Looking for some advice to give to a couple of friends of mine apart from the obvious join here!)

They are both in full time well paid emploment and have as debt only a morgage and car loan which they have never missed a payment.

They have owned their house for almost 4 years now.

About 2 months ago they started receiving letters addressed to the person who used to rent the house befor they bought it. Most have been sent back as return to sender addressee unknown, but one was accidentally opened with their own post.

It is from a DCA and is regarding a debt of over £1000 to 3 mobile ( who they hell runs up a grand phone bill?? lonely, addicted to sex chat lines sprang to my mind LOL).

Coincidentally ( or not) they had just tried to get a contract with 3 mobile but were turned down ( no reason given). This surprised them somewhat and they are worried that some how this persons debt has become associated somehow with them becausse of the address and a very similar surname ( and extra h in the middle).

What letters should they be sending to whom to find out if they hav ehad this debt attached to them somehow? Also they are a bit worried as they opened post addressed to someone else.

 

I have told them to join here because of the excellent advice I got with my student debt SB problem a month ago which I thank you all for :o)

[Pinky69]

They should check their credit reference reports with Experian,Equifax and Callcredit to see if there have been any defaults entered under their names, which is usually why people are turned down for credit. They will then have the details of which companies entered the defaults and they can contact them to get them removed.

[twofoot]

An address link to another person should not be shown on a credit file unless you are financially linked to that person, i.e. co-habiting or married. After seeing your cra file if it shows a link you can ask them to remove if you state why.

[bigandyuk1]

Both my daughters have run up £1000 mobile bills in the past...Daddy only bails them out once though and that was on the phone to their friends not chat lines

[Undercover-Elsa]

Hi Workaholicandy,

I agree with the above, they need to see if this debt has been wrongly attributed to them on their credit file first, if not it could just be a random fishing trip.

As the names are similar, it would be an easy mistake to make opening a letter sent to your own address, so I wouldn't worry on that score.

If the letters keep coming or there is a record on their credit file it might be an idea to send the general "no knowledge of debt" letter here> http://www.consumerforums.com/resources/templates-library/86-debt-collectors/573-general-debt-letter-if-you-know-nothing-of-the-debt

 

Do warn them though NOT to sign the letter, and to keep personal info about themselves TO themselves, eg they may be ask to PROVE who they are or where they lived when the alleged debt was created. Under no circumstances should they comply with this as it's not unknown for unscrupulous companies to "adjust" debt details to fit! Golden rule is that it's up to the debt co to prove they owe a debt, not for your friends to prove they don't.

By all means ask them to join CAG, they'll get a warm welcome

Elsa x