S.R.J. Debt Recovery & SKY

[ratbag1970]

I received a letter today from S.R.J Recoveries informing me that I owe SKY £60.00. I haven't had Sky tv since I canceled the contract at least 6 or 7 years ago, at my previous address, and to the best of my knowledge I owe them nothing.

I have had no correspondence from SKY or anyone representing them since then until today. I moved to my current address 2 years ago. I phoned them this afternoon and was informed this debt is from 2005!! I am not disputing I had an account with Sky, but I am not convinced I owe them anything.

If I did, a) I would have paid it when I canceled the contract or b) I would have paid them on the phone.

The nice (!) lady on the phone said I should write in informing them that I am disputing the amount owed. I'm not entirely sure how to word the letter. Also she informed me on the phone that they have had a lot of accounts in from SKY from 2005 and they have had a lot of calls from customers disputing the amounts owed. She also kindly mentioned that "Was it really worth incurring all the extra fees and costs for the sake of £60.00? It would be cheaper for me to just pay it over the phone now."

Some advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[kurvaface]

6-7 years means it would be statute barred anyway provided you haven't acknowledged or paid the account for a minimum of 6 years.

 

They would not be allowed to ask you to pay.

 

Send the Statute barred letter and then it's upto them to send you proof it isn't statute barred.

[bazaar]

The last bit of your post, seems to be a bit of a [problem], I wonder how many people have just paid the £60. Nice little earner, have you spoken to trading standards etc for investigation into this company?

[ratbag1970]

Thanks for your responses. I must admit, the letter has got me asking myself do I actually owe the £60.00? Clearly I'm not about to hand it over without some kind of proof. As far as I can remember there has been nothing paid to SKY for at least 6 years, so I think I will send them the statute barred letter and see how it goes. And I completely agree about it being a nice little earner, if I had been less suspicious, I may have paid it!!! Depending on the response to the statue barred letter, I may well speak to trading standards. I have been nosing around regarding this company, and like a lot of them they don't seem to care about the legalities of debt collection. I thin the term "Bottom Feeders" was used in one particular post!

 

The only concern is that SRJ are saying that the debt is from 2005, which would only make the debt 5 years old not 6. The debt wouldn't be statute barred.

 

Many Thanks.

Edited February 11, 2010 by ratbag1970

[bazaar]

Im just getting more curious here now, £60 is a nice round figure, almost as if you'd moved home and requested that they provide sky at a new address. For which they charge around £60, ( install phone and hook up).

maybe, it would be wise to enquire to sky about this. ( not over the phone you'll be there for 8 hours:D).

Just a thought

[ratbag1970]

Funny you should say that, my daughter has just said she received a similar letter, only SRJ told her to ring SKY to query it and once she got through, they offered her a special SKY package!!!!!

Is there any possibility you can give me an idea who I should email/write to regarding SKY?

To be honest it's so long ago I have no paper-work regarding the account with SKY. There is nothing on my credit report relating to it either, I am 99% positive I don't owe them anything but it really has got me questioning it. I am also 99% certain it was at least 6 years ago not 5. Even though I canceled the contract with SKY, I had a SKY Freeview card and I'm positively sure if I had owed them anything they would have contacted me, repeatedly at the time.

[bazaar]

report to TS and go to sky website, do not phone them I think its about £1.50 per minute so beware.

[kurvaface]

The only concern is that SRJ are saying that the debt is from 2005, which would only make the debt 5 years old not 6. The debt wouldn't be statute barred.

 

 

The number 1 rule with debt collectors (After the one that says "Don't speak to them on the phone";)) is don't believe a word they say. Anything they haven't put in writing is probably a lie.

[ratbag1970]

I have decided to send SRJ the general debt letter of no knowledge first and see how we go.

Thanks for the help and I'll let you know what transpires!!

[ratbag1970]

The number 1 rule with debt collectors (After the one that says "Don't speak to them on the phone";)) is don't believe a word they say. Anything they haven't put in writing is probably a lie.

 

Ok, I was irritated. I never usually contact a DCA by phone. Letter already in the post, no signature!

[kurvaface]

Seperate to your issue, I think I have read somwhere on here of Sky not letting a new customer complete a sign up because they had an outstanding account that was well over the Limitation period.

[ratbag1970]

I wouldn't re-sign with SKY if they paid ME a monthly fee . Half the channels available on Freeview or Freesat SKY charge for!!!

TBH, if someone owed me money from years previously, I wouldn't lend them money or offer them a service without being paid first!!

[millieanne]

I have just received a Trace confirmation letter from S R J.also regarding a so called debt from SKY from 2005,I did have sky and had for a few years, but moved in 2004 having cancelled the contract in the correct way so was suspicious.Since I received the original letter which just stated that a trace had been put on me.I will type what letter says, its easier that way.(We have failed to receive a response to previouss correspondence and have therefore made tracing enquires for confirmation of your current place of residence,information has been received confirming your address details have changed to this address.Please contact us immediately on 08453137203 qouting the above reference number.)(Big Brother or what!!) I changed my name legally in 2004 following a divorce and have moved from the original address they say the debt is from 3 times!!!I finished my account with sky more than 6 years ago and all monies owing on the account were payed.I asked S R J for details from sky about the so called debt and was told they did'nt have to give them to me,so I did some research online and found I am not the only one who is being harrassed by this company.Having done my research and received some advice I phoned them back and told them that I will not be paying the so called debt they had purchased from Sky and anyway as it was over 6 years old even though I was told last week it was passed to them in January 2005.I know I had moved from that address and my post was redirected anyway and I certainly had no correspondence from Sky.I told them I was photo copying there letter and giving copies of it to my local MP, the trading standards authority and the local police.I firmly believe these bottom feeders should be stopped at all cost as other people may just pay up,there are a lot of vunerable people out there.Does anyone thing this is the right way to deal with companies like this or is there another way? Would value feedback as I feel for all the people who may be unable to deal with such companies who seem to make the rules up to siut themselves.

[Bazooka Boo]

SRJ are hilarious:D

 

You can bait these cluless morons till the cows come home, i am extremely surprised they can even manage to organise a workforce, least of all continue sending out red headed fabricated debts.

 

Send copies of any drivel they send to the OFT and TS via Consumer Direct, to investigate.

 

I wouldn't pay them just out of principle, send them £60 in monopoly money...

[rapterman]

Its companies like this that could easily send out about a thousand letters like this in a month asking for £60, if only one hundred pay up then it’s a nice earner

And when they are caught out they will simply put it down as a “Computer Error” or something.

If I did that and sent out letters to people claiming they owed money but they didn’t then I would be put in prison for obtaining money by deception.

[ratbag1970]

Just thought I'd update the thread. I have received a response from SRJ in relation to the general debt letter of "No Knowledge" I sent them. The letter reads as follows dated the 19/03/10:

 

"We thank you for your recent communication and note the contents. We confirm that we are taking instructions from our client and will revert to you shortly. In the meantime, we have placed the account on hold. "

 

I can't wait for the next letter to arrive!

[RW Fugitive]

They must of bought a job lot of old debts off Sky... got a letter today saying "pending litigation" "we've traced you"

 

It's for an old Sky bill of £35... now when I was moving over 6 years ago I called up and tried to cancel/give notice to Sky, but their computers were down and the guy I spoke to was very rude to me... I just cancelled my DD and disconnected the Skybox.

 

Now they have sent in these clowns to try and recover the money! they can Foxtrot Oscar for sure! :grin:

[RW Fugitive]

Got a 7days warning that they *may* go for a CCJ for a "debt" of £35

 

Idiots! I've already got 2, so not bothered, let them waste their money on a CCJ.

[Bazooka Boo]

Now that shows you how really sad and desperate these people are, attempting to get a CCJ for £35!

 

The DJ would laugh them out of court..