La Redoute - I owe them money (apparently!)

[katya_1978]

I got a call from a debt collection company yesterday saying that La Redoute had passed the account to them as I owed them £35ish. First I'd heard of it! So i checked my emails and the last order I placed with them was for some ballet shoes back in april '08 which I paid for up front.

 

So I gave them a call and they told me that they had added some sort of service called something like 0800 HELP ME which is an assistance service for if I have my bag nicked or lock myself out. They said that I would have had a phone call from them at which time I would have verbally authorised them to add it to my account, I have no recollection of ever having this conversation. They also said that they would have sent me out the paperwork to my address which they would have confirmed with me at the time, clearly they couldn't have as they have the wrong address for me! I challenged them as to why they hadn't emailed me regarding the matter and they said they had done - the last email I have from them is a marketing one from xmas last year.

 

As it stands they say they will investigate and get back to me.

 

What is the law regarding these cold calls? I don't think I ever received this call but if indeed I did and just can't remember can they charge me for something that I never signed for? Is a verbal agreement binding? And the fact that I never received any paperwork for the service smacks of either underhandedness or sheer stupidity.

 

Any advice gratefully appreciated.

[reallymadwoman]

I wouldn't worry about it. It's up to them to prove that you agreed to whatever it is they say you bought, not for you to disprove it. Unless they provide proof, ignore them.

 

PS Standard advice is don't discuss these things on the phone - you have no way of proving what may or may not have been agreed with this debt collection company and it is far to easy for them to bully you on the phone. If they call you back insist that everything now be in writing.

[Mr lex]

You need to send our 'Prove it' here :-

 

http://www.consumerforums.com/resources/templates-library/86-debt-collectors/573-general-debt-letter-if-you-know-nothing-of-the-debt

 

If you get any more hassle from them, send this SAR and find out all the information they have on you :-

 

http://www.consumerforums.com/resources/templates-library/86-debt-collectors/576-subject-access-request-debt-a-dca

 

Hope this helps,

 

Lex

[katya_1978]

Thanks tonnes for your replies, I have now had a letter from La Redoute saying that they still insist that I agreed to this but as a gesture of goodwill they are prepared to cancel the "debt" and clean any negative credit scoring that may have been incurred. I did think about arguing my case as a matter of principal but really don't have the time or energy.

[reallymadwoman]

I would agree with that one. Life's too short to fight every battle.