Advice please - Phillips Debt Recovery

[WanderingLamb]

Good Afternoon first and foremost....

 

I would like some advice on dealing with a debt that has arisen recently...

 

Firstly a little background on this debt. I grew up under a "family name" my step fathers surname, this name was with me until I was roughly 20 years old, where after a spate of identity theft I changed my name to my Birth name (which was never "legally" changed so I was known as both from a young age)

 

Now I have not used this "family name" for a minimum of 8 years, yet recently after a move back to my parents roughly 12 months ago.

 

Today, a company by the name "Phillips Debt Recovery" turned up at my partners home, I have NOTHING registered there, I did have a bank account registered there for a few month whilst I found a new place of residence...

 

We did have one or two letters turn up in the mail, but as they were in the wrong name, legally they're not our post, so we returned them with not known at this address postmarked on them.

 

Now the part I'm stuck with is, this is not my debt, the company in question have never contacted me, they are using the wrong surname, and as far as I know they have no right to go to my partners home ( who happens to be pregnant) and cause her distress. I do not wish to ignore this, as after an experian check, this has now been linked to my own credit rating.... yet it is not in my name :S......

 

Could anyone possibly spare some advice on who to speak to, what I can or cant do, where to try or such....

 

very unsure of anything regarding debts and the law surrounding such so any advice would be excellent.

 

kind Regards.

Edited March 6, 2010 by WanderingLamb

[HOWLER]

There is a template letter on here for dealing with bailiffs.

phillips are a bunch of ba-=22ds

they ere fishing for info ,

tell em to go forth the less you tell em the better.

good luck

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome, WanderingLamb.

 

I'll move this thread to the appropriate Forum.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[AuntieBilly]

I too had a letter from these back in January.

 

I sent the 'prove it' letter, requested a copy of the original CCA, and they ignored it all.

 

After a further 3 threatening letters from them, I sent a letter stating that they hadn't dealt with my previous request, and under no circumstances must any of their agebts attent my home without an appiontment and told them I had proof that they had received my requests and signed for them as I had sent them recorded delivery.

 

Sure enough, they replied saying that the contents of my letters had been noted and the account would be put on hold whilst they referred back to the origional creditor.

 

HOWLER is right, they're just fishing hoping someone will bite!

 

Try not to panic, I have been watching and learning from this excellent site for a long while now and it has helped me deal with a lot of c**p from debt collection companies.

[High Court Enforcer]

Do you actually owe the debt?

[WanderingLamb]

Do you actually owe the debt?

 

No, I had no debt from before I changed to my birth name, which was 8 years ago..... Since then I have not used that name...

 

This debt is newer than that, and in the wrong surname, the one I havent used for 8 years and is not known as mine or on ANYTHING of mine, and hasn't been since that day....

 

I can only assume the debt has been taken out fraudulantly.... as I believe ( correct me if I'm wrong though) that a debt is wiped off if no contact is made within 6 years ? any debt of mine would be a minimum of 8 years old in that name.......

 

anything after that, via my bank accounts etc, is all in my birthname.... and has been for the last 8 years. I would not be able to obtain any debt in that name as not a single peice of my own ID etc is in that name.

 

yet they have attached it to my credit report thing, and are chasing me via my bank accounts ( I assume), again all in my birth name, completely seperate to anything that was in that name before... ( I changed banks and started fresh after the previous spate of ID rape)

 

How do I, without giving them info for the above "fishing" tell them to sod off...... so to speak.

 

and get this debt off of my own credit rating etc ?

[tomtubby]

No, I had no debt from before I changed to my birth name, which was 8 years ago..... Since then I have not used that name...

 

This debt is newer than that, and in the wrong surname, the one I havent used for 8 years and is not known as mine or on ANYTHING of mine, and hasn't been since that day....

 

I can only assume the debt has been taken out fraudulantly.... as I believe ( correct me if I'm wrong though) that a debt is wiped off if no contact is made within 6 years ? any debt of mine would be a minimum of 8 years old in that name.......

 

anything after that, via my bank accounts etc, is all in my birthname.... and has been for the last 8 years. I would not be able to obtain any debt in that name as not a single peice of my own ID etc is in that name.

 

yet they have attached it to my credit report thing, and are chasing me via my bank accounts ( I assume), again all in my birth name, completely seperate to anything that was in that name before... ( I changed banks and started fresh after the previous spate of ID rape)

 

How do I, without giving them info for the above "fishing" tell them to sod off...... so to speak.

 

and get this debt off of my own credit rating etc ?

 

 

 

I am sorry to say this but is possible that they are legally collecting a debt. This is because Philips are one of 4 companies under contract to to the Magistrates Court to enforce unpaid Magistrates Court Fines.

 

Commonly, these will be for using a TV without a licence, speeding, driving a car without road fund licence, MOT or insurance.

 

We have had cases where some of the fines go back over 10 years!!!

 

If a Distress Warrant had been issued, Philips will DATA CLEANSE the warrant to locate either a new name or address and this would be how they could locate you (assuming that this is in relation to an unpaid fine).

 

If it is, then please be assured that an unpaid fine would not be affecting your credit status.

[AuntieBilly]

Hi WL

 

You haven't said what type of debt they'e chasing you for, unless i've miss-read, in which case I apologise.

 

Is it a credit debt or the type mentioned by tommy above?

 

Its a bit difficult for anyone to advise unless we know a little more info.

[WanderingLamb]

Hi WL

 

You haven't said what type of debt they'e chasing you for, unless i've miss-read, in which case I apologise.

 

Is it a credit debt or the type mentioned by tommy above?

 

Its a bit difficult for anyone to advise unless we know a little more info.

 

I do apologize, the only info I have was on a card posted through the door, the originator for the debt is known as "1st Credit".

 

I assume this is finance/loan of some sort.

 

A bizarre turn however, I did a new/updated credit check with Experian, to find there is now NOTHING showing against my name as owing/being chased.

 

I am rather confused by all of this now. Do I contact these people? Send the "send me the original documents" letter ? or just ....... I do not know........

[hallowitch]

sounds like acredit card/ loan of some kind if you have had a letter from Ist credit

there is a prove it template letter on here somewhere i will have a look and see if i can find it

Edited March 8, 2010 by hallowitch