Another Ruthbridge ltd. rant....

[BungleBungle]

I've just spoken on the phone from Mr Wilson at Ruthbridge ltd, and am still slightly shaking with rage! A quick google led me here, and I'm glad I'm not alone at being angry the aggressive and totally unprofessional manner this man spoke to me in. I even asked "if this a real company? Is this some sort of Candid Camera joke?" as I couldn't quite believe someone working in a legal British company would sigh and tell a customer to "be quiet!" when I was calmly explaining the situation.

 

 

I made the mistake of ringing the number on the virtually blank letter they sent.... if only I'd googled the name first!

 

 

I'd be grateful for any advice: I think know what to do from the excellent threads I've already read...... but I'm so angry I frankly need a quick vent and reassurance.

 

 

A quick outline of the situation:

 

I had a Barclay's Student Credit Card in 1999, with a ridiculously low limit of something like £150. All was fine for 2 years. In 2002-2003, I studied a year abroad in Australia. Barclays kept sending out statements that arrived two or 3 weeks after they were due, and often I had to pay to collect them as they always had insufficient postage. I got into a chain of correspondence with Barclays requesting that they either sent them earlier or set back the payment date to co-ordinate with arrival (this was all before mainstream online payment). This never happened, I kept requesting, and they sent me quite a few apologetic letters saying they would sort it.

 

 

Anyway, at some point they simply stopped sending correspondence. I think it was mid-2003. I moved back to England, changed my addresses (I also have a Barclay's account), so all those details were correct on their side.

 

Then frankly, I forgot totally about it, as I never really used it and after the postage fiasco.

 

 

Then, today, this letter from Ruthbridge arrived, with Mr Wilson demanding £1120. We had the aforementioned phonecall, when ended with him hanging up, and me essentially saying I'd happily go to court over it.

 

 

Now, I think this is probably a case of the 6 year limit rule. However, I've stupidly misplaced the information on the exact date of last payment/correspondence. I *think* it was mid-2003, and therefore within the ruling, but cannot be 100% sure.

 

 

He's now sending a non"The Occupier" letter (incidentally, this letter was to my family home.... which has remained unchanged in 23 years, so they clearly had contact information) to me.

 

Next course of action? Wait for the letter and respond with the standard "6 year rule" letter, even if I'm not 100% certain? Or is there a method of finding out precisely the last payment?

 

 

thanks to all you wonderful folk.

[42man]

You have probably read all about them on here. Your debt sounds like it is statute barred, if your last payment is mid 2003 then it WILL be statute barred send this letter recorded - http://www.consumerforums.com/resources/templates-library/86-debt-collectors/599-letter-sent-when-debt-is-statute-barred and i'd only recommend speaking to the if you can record the calls....and sending a letter to the 'occupier' is against CPUTR2008 in line with the OFTs guidelines on debt collection - PLEASE REPORT THEM TO THE OFT.

[BungleBungle]

Thanks 42man!

 

Yes, I thought it would be a simple statute barred situation (I'm 99% sure last payment or contact was early/mid-2003)

 

To be honest, at the beginning of the phone call, I was quite happy to pay off a reasonable sum, given it was a debt in my name, regardless of the poor customer service history with Barclays. On what could only of been a £150 original debt, after 6 or 7 years, I thought making a goodwill payment of 3 or 4 hundred pounds wouldn't be unreasonable. £1120 is not reasonable.

 

 

However, after being lectured by Mr Wilson, it'll be a cold day in Hell before I give that company a penny! I have no property in my name, nor vehicle, so I'm not exactly sure what assets they could even try to dissolve for the cash.

 

What are the credit report implications of this? That credit card was the sole contract I've ever had (no mortgage/ phone contract/ other cards), as I've never really needed any form of credit.

[BungleBungle]

PS. If this all works out, I'll make the sum I would have sent them if they weren't such total animals in a donation to this fine site and all the help you and your members provide.

[patrickq1]

also if you can afford to buy truecall from cag...your phone calls will be worth their weight in gold

[patrickq1]

£150 original debt

before you part with a cent send them a subject to access request

out of the 150 more than likely most of it is made up with charges....dont pay till they comply with your dsar

[NailPost]

Don't pay anything until they prove beyond all doubt they have the proper documentation, the right to collect and the matter is not statute barred.

 

Ruthbridge, like all debt collectors, are not only feeling the strain of the economic crisis but also the emergence of advice forums like this which have seriously affected their often illegal activities.

[BungleBungle]

Just got a new letter, replacing the "The Occupier" one from Wednesday. Now, I understanding the dodgy legal ground of sending "trick" letters like that one, but what about this "Jason Evans" signature in a standard handwriting font that's on the new one?

 

Surely you can't send legal financial letters that have what is clearly a "fake" signature (and probably a fake person too)?