Lowells and Aktiva Capital UK chasing 14 yr old debt

[PDTS]

Hello, forum noob so be patient with me please.

 

I am receiving letters which I suspect is for a debt which is probably 14 years old but the letters do not have my current name on them.

I divorced then changed my name briefly due to my ex having debts I was being hassled for.

I am now known by my maiden name.

 

I was receiving these letters at my two previous addresses but always returned them 'not known at this address'.

I have just moved and I am now getting them here.

 

Advice please - I have not opened the letters and have never responded to any of them during this 14 year period and wondered if this falls into the statute barred category? Also, if they are not in my current name can they take action against me?

 

BTW I have checked the addresses on the back of the envelopes and they are from Lowells and Aktiva Capital UK and I have received 5 such letters in the last few days. Whilst checking the addresses I could see through the envelope and one of them claims I owe Barclays bank £360. I have never had an account with this bank. :eek:Advice please.

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[cerberusalert]

ot known at this address'. I have just moved and I am now getting them here. Advice please - I have not opened the letters and have never responded to any of them during this 14 year period and wondered if this falls into the statute barred category?

Yes, send the SB letter.

[silverfox1961]

As you are now going to go back at them, I can't see an issue with opening the letters.

 

If one does say a debt for Sharkleys, you could send them a prove it letter.

 

As Cerb has said, send the other debt(s) the SB letter

 

Send ALL letters by Recorded Delivery and don't sign anything

[Drexl Spivey]

Or you could just ignore them . They are only the dregs of such debt type companies , chasing after a 14 year old debt . I do not know if they are worth a stamp . If you do reply , and waste your stamp , you alert them to your presence and willing to take the bait of the worthless wretched companies tactics . From that alone , they may feel you are fair game . Best to let them continue in their futile and worthless pursuit unanswered .

 

If they go away , then that is that , the phishers have gone . If they do not go away , you will have built up a catalogue of threat letters from them upon which you can launch a blitzkrieg of complaint correspondence , of the like that makes them wish they never dared darken your presence with their bogus shadow of a 14 year old statute barred debt .

[JonCris]

I agree Also if they are sending you letters for debts you have never incurred chances are they have simply done one of their fishing trips & are chasing you simply because you have a similar name to another debtor

[PDTS]

Thanks folks. As I ignored similar letters at my previous address, I am going to continue to send them back 'not known at this address' - and why would I open them if they are not addressed to me? I have also registered that name with the Mail Preference Service. This woman doesn't scare easily

[PDTS]

I've had dealings with Moorcrap over 02. They tried to bill my dead father for an account we cancelled after he died. I tood advice from here and it was all good - thanks folks.

 

Anyway, I need some more advice please. I have received various letters from debt recovery companies over the years, but they are never addressed with my correct surname. I marked them 'returned to sender, not known at this address', However, today I returned home to find a hand written brown envelope on the doormat. I could see through the envelope the address on it was Scottcall, Glasgow with a handwritten invitation to ring a mobile number 'to discuss my accounts'.

 

First of all, the surname on the envelope isn't mine and doesn't even resemble it and secondly I have no idea what accounts they are referring to. Years ago I had some debts, but these are at least 13 years old. I haven't heard anything for years, never offered or made payment and I have moved house several times, but these letters arrive at various intervals. They are never addressed correctly and up until now no-one has ever visited. Any ideas on how to deal with this? I'm inclined to ignore it but don't want threatening visits from debt collectors who won't listen to my explanation. By the way, I do not intend to call the number!

Edited May 27, 2011 by PDawn
added stuff

[maroondevo52]

Hi, PDawn.

 

I've started a new thread for you.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[PDTS]

Cheers 8)

[cerberusalert]

Make a complaint to your local Trading Standards, they are breaching OFT guidelines by not ensuring that they are pursuing the correct person. i.e the wrong name on their visiting card.

[ims21]

Yet another phishing trip from the good ole dcas

 

Wish we had a phishing smilie!

 

ims

[PGH7447]

complain, then throw it in the bin and forget about the fools

[Undercover-Elsa]

[PDTS]

Cheers for the advice

[ims21]

 

Hi Elsa

 

Now thats what I call a smilie !!!!!!!

 

ims

[PDTS]

I have posted about debt collection agencies in the past,

but now it seems the statute barred debt has been sold on once again.

 

I've had numerous letters over the years, the most recent last week which I shredded.

 

These letters are not addressed to me but they are in a name that I used after I divorced to get away from my ex husband and his debts.

 

Mackenzie Hall are just one of many trying it on for a debt that I'm not even sure that I owe

- the letters never say what it is for.

Anyway, it must be over 16 years old, so it is definitely statute barred.

 

I have moved several times over the years and the letters stopped when I moved to my current address.

 

Unfortunatley, my mother recently took a call from someone and she naively gave information which may have confirmed my address.

Strange again as her surname is the same as mine, is in the phonebook but nothing like the name MH are using.

 

MH are now calling my work phone number and leaving automated voicemail messages.

I think they must be ringing an old number that somehow gets diverted to my new number,

so at least the voicemail messages can be deleted.

I work for a large organisation, but no-one knew me for the brief period that I used the temporary name,

so I am at a loss to know how MH have my work phone number

unless someone on the main switchboard has put the call directly through to my voicemail.

 

I am concerned that should MH ring the main switchboard asking for me by my first name

that the call will be put through or worse still, be passed on to one of the bosses.

 

I do not want to have any contact with them but I don't wish my employers or colleagues

to know my personal business.

 

Help and advice please.

[Bazooka Boo]

Report them in the first instance to the FCA and Ofcom.

 

You could if you wished send them the telephone harassment letter, but I would really focus on getting those who allegedly 'police' this industry

to take action against them and bring them down a peg or three.

 

Calling your work is exactly the reason why these clowns need to lose their licence.

[Conniff]

Calling your work is exactly the reason why these clowns need to lose their licence.

 

 

Agreed, but they wont, nothing ever happens. Either the Financial regulators can't be bothered or are in their pockets somehow.

[silverfox1961]

Hi

I would be sending them a formal complaint as well as the telephone harassment letter. Within the complaint letter mention that this debt is statute barred and that collection activity should stop with immediate effect.

 

By making this a formal complaint, they have 8 weeks to resolve after which (if they fail) you can escalate to the Ombudsman.

 

While the FCA may not take any action, it is well worth reporting them anyway as the FCA will build a dossier of complaints and may (at some time) take action.

[huggy41]

could you not take them to the small claims court for causing unnessaseary stress afterall the are breaking the law are they not ?

[ericsbrother]

A nice idea but the level of harrassment must be substantial and you still have to tell them to desist more than once before you can even contemplate going that way. Another tack is the incorrect data angle if they are after you under another name and they shoould kno that the data they hold is incorrect and they ahvent done anything about it.

[ericsbrother]

have you sent them the SB letter. If not fire it off right away and include a warning about harassment in it.

[PDTS]

Thanks for the advice folks.

 

I'm reluctant to send the SB letter.

 

I always assumed that it wasn't wise to have any contact with them otherwise the debt is 'unbarred' and the 6 year clock starts ticking again?

 

I don't really want to reveal my real name because of possible harrassment of family living in the vicinity,

(although somehow they managed to find my mum anyway).

 

I don't trust them not to call my work number again either once they know they have reached me.

 

I don't have a reference number as I've shredded the letters and deleted the voicemail anyway..

 

...but I'm sure another letter will arrive pretty soon.

 

Isn't an SB letter admitting that I owe the money when I'm not even certain if I do or what it's for.

 

I think I saw mention in one of the letters regarding Barclays but I have never had an account there!

 

I'm not sure what to do now, once I receive another letter would you send the SB letter

 

but print the name they are using to try to contact me?

[Bazooka Boo]

IMO something this old, as you say circa 16 years, is almost certainly SB, sending them the SB letter stating as such will NEVER reset the clock, as long as it is SB and you have made no payment or acknowledgement in the last six years then you have nothing to fear by sending the SB letter, it is clearly marked ''no debt is acknowledged'', send it, get proof of posting which is free from the PO counter, and if they contact you again demanding payment, you can report them.

[PDTS]

Thanks again for the advice. They're ringing my ex directory home number from a whithheld number and leaving stupid automated voicemail messages now. How does that happen then? I never give my number out to anyone apart from friends and family