Philips Collection Services Ltd, Is This Letter Actually Something To Worry About?

[redmanmark86]

Hi everyone,

 

I've just had this letter hand delivered through my door by them, they didnt actually knock but just popped it through the letter box (so much for we came to discuss). I'm just about to write them a template letter saying i have no knowledge of this debt but just before i do i wondered if its actually something to be worried about as it says magistrates court in the corner...

 

Now Lowell the **** have been sending me letters for this £30 odd for about the last 2-3 years, they says its for a paypal debt that i have no knowledge of, its not on my credit file and i've never had a single court document other then Lowells usual story of sending fake solicitor letters through the door, but no magistrate stuff...

 

So can i just send the template no knowledge of debt letter on here still or has it passed that stage?

 

[leeroy2009]

i have no idear about this, but what have magistrates got to do with paypal?

 

is it paypal as in ebay?

[Nintendo Pü]

Take the letter to the magistrates court and ask if they recognise anything in it. if none then you can contact police.

 

Its an offence to make a false representation to obtain a money transfer under s2 of the Fraud Act 2006. Your action might be strengthened by reporting the matter to the police, any threat to report unless repayment is made could be interpreted as blackmail so just report it and tell him that has been done. It might raise the stakes for the bailiff and make him pay attention. I suggest you compile all the evidence before presenting the package to the local constabulary. Suggest you approach them via their local fraud squad by way of prior appointment with a specific detective.

[redmanmark86]

it is paypal as in ebay and i don't understand what they have to do with each other either.

 

Nintendo Pu i wouldnt even know where to start with what you have said because i don't even know what Magistrates Court and im guessing it's to do with PayPal as the sum is the same Lowell were asking for and its got Lowell on the letter... However i haven't heard from Lowell about it in 6 months so have no letters to build any case.

 

This letter through the door was completely random and i have no knowldge of the paypal debt anyway, i don't owe paypal a penny and haven't used them in over 2 years, closed my account ages ago... So iw as gonna write a letter asking them to prove i owe anything?

[Nintendo Pü]

try starting at your local magistrates court first. The bailiff could be pretending to be acting for the magistrates court to obtain a money transfer.

 

If you have no knowledge of the debt itself then sent £2 to Experian Ltd with a simple one-line letter asking for a copy of your credit file. No defaults, then the bailiff is trying to con you and you can hand the letter to police. It would well be a case of identity theft.

[redmanmark86]

try starting at your local magistrates court first. The bailiff could be pretending to be acting for the magistrates court to obtain a money transfer.

 

If you have no knowledge of the debt itself then sent £2 to Experian Ltd with a simple one-line letter asking for a copy of your credit file. No defaults, then the bailiff is trying to con you and you can hand the letter to police. It would well be a case of identity theft.

 

i already have access to my credit report from Experian via Credit Expert and there is no default on there relating to this and no judgements agaisn't me.

[leeroy2009]

sorry for souding dumb, but for what reason would a aleaged paypal debt ever go to the magistrates court for?

[Nintendo Pü]

One of two reasons addressed in the posts above.

 

1. Bailiff is pretending to be collecting for the magistrates court

2. Bailiff is trading as a debtor collector for a debt not belonging to the OP - identity theft.

[redmanmark86]

ok so where do i go from here as from what you have said so far it seems like i have a good chance to hit this company here it hurts for all of CAG and i know from a bit of research before i posted that CAG hates this company

[leeroy2009]

sorry i mean, why would magistrates hear a case regarding a debt to to paypal? in the first place?

 

as in philips seem to making out the have gained a judgement/ warrant from a magistrates court?

 

seems like they are trying to defraud the op in my opinion. (people who put that letter through his letter box)

[leeroy2009]

and if you ring philips, dont ring them on that number use this:

 

01325 383876

[redmanmark86]

i got no intention in ringing them, from what i can see they have committed an act of fraud and with your help would like to teach them a lesson....

[redmanmark86]

anymore advise on this, should i send the no knowledge prove yourself template letter or contact the police, will the police really care?

[letsmakeamark]

This may help you !

 

Wakefield Council debt firm under investigationPublished Date:

08 May 2009

 

By Don Mort

 

 

A DEBT collection firm used by Wakefield Council is under investigation for allegedly sending illegal letters to scare people into paying up.

Phillips Collection Services Ltd is being probed by the Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) over claims it sent letters threatening that bailiffs could force entry and remove goods.

Because the firm only collects sundry council debts – unpaid charges for services like waste collection and sports facilities – it has no legal right to do so.

 

Mandy Larder, money advice unit manager for the CAB, said evidence was being gathered after a number of complaints about the Durham-based firm.

 

She said: "They shouldn't be going out professing to be a bailiff, which would give them more negotiating power than they actually have."

 

The behaviour of firms collecting unpaid council tax has also come under the spotlight after we revealed last week that £14.5m was owed to the town hall.

 

Mrs Larder said: "Bailiffs, particularly Rossendales, are very hard to negotiate with.

 

"They generally make very high demands for payments. Some people will agree to that just to get the bailiff away from their house."

 

A former bailiff has told the Express that householders are sometimes bullied into paying debtors' fees by bailiffs who say they can force entry and remove goods when they have no right to do so.

 

The insider, who asked not to be named, said: "When it comes to female customers some of the tactics get quite nasty. Bailiffs work on an incentive system and 90 per cent of them are self-employed."

 

He said some bailiffs on commission told residents they would return a few days later to give them time to pay, but only used this tactic to charge them for another home visit.

 

He said the fees levied made huge profits for the firms.

 

He added: "We are making multi-millionaires out of these people."

 

Phillips Collection Services Ltd have made no comment.

 

Rossendales said its bailiffs were fully vetted, certified by the county court and complied with national and local codes of conduct.

 

A spokesman said: "Rossendales takes seriously any allegation of harassment and has in place audited and independent complaints procedures to investigate such concerns."

 

The firm said it was surprised at the comments from Wakefield CAB.

Its spokesman added: "We have no reports of such allegations being evidenced by Wakefield CAB and will be contacting them for clarification."

 

Rossendales said it only received six complaints in 2008/9, after handling 5,012 council tax cases.

 

Link here :

 

Wakefield Council debt firm under investigation - Wakefield Express

[redmanmark86]

well i have no intention of giving them a penny and im not scared of them as i know they have no order agaisnt me and they are lying, im just wodnering othr then sending the no knowledge letter is there some way i can report them for lying and get them done?

[palomino]

Yes, you must take this to your local Magistrates Court.

[letsmakeamark]

Jbw are doing a similar thing as well.

[Nintendo Pü]

JBW this, JBW that, JBW three bags full sir.

[pink_eeyore]

Yes it get's tiring doesn't it