Very vague letters from Fredrickson

[cheddar]

Hubby got a letter a few days ago from Fredrickson as follows:

 

Dear Mr ****

 

We have been instructed to collect the outstanding balance on the above account.

 

We have made tracing enquiries for confirmation of your current place of residence and information has been received confirming that your address details have changed to this address.

 

Please contact us immediately quoting the above reference.

 

Now the odd part is that there are no details at all on the letter aside from a reference number starting with 'PHO' it doesn't say who the debt is with, where they have got it from, how much is owed or why...

 

Then 2 days later I get the exact same letter the only difference being the reference number but it also starts 'PHO'.

 

Again this is another debt in my maiden name, I have been married for over 5 years and we have lived at our current addres for 5 years as well. We can't work out what these so called debts are for and of course we won't be ringing them.

 

What's the best course of action here? Ignore? It seems like they are fishing to me...?

[Bookworm]

c'mon, cheddar baby, you know the answer to this one!

 

All together now, 1, 2, 3: IGNORE!!!

[cheddar]

Hehe! Just wanted to make sure Bookie! Also realllly wondering what the debts are even for....does PHO ring any bells?

[Bookworm]

Public Health Observatory? Have you been scoring drugs on the cheap again?

 

 

Or did you ever make a runner from a Vietnamese restaurant?

[cheddar]

LOL!!! Me? Run? Never hehe! I do have a very fuzzy head from various shenanigans last night though

[unclebulgaria67]

You could always send the letter back, with a covering note, basically saying that there is nobody resident with the name quoted. That you are the new tenant and that you have no idea who lived there previously. Then sign it with a made up name, basically an anagram telling them to get lost. You can have 10 minutes of fun trying to think up some names to suit.

[cheddar]

Well they have sent me another lovely letter, this time full of details which mean naff all to me. They now say they are collecting on behalf of Phoenix Recoveries Ltd who I have to say I don't think I have ever heard of. They mention 'repeated requests for payment' lol quite amusing as this is my 2nd letter from them and I've had nothing off Phoenix...amount is for over £1000 I can only think it's a very very old credit card debt. How amusing...do I still ignore? Or shall I ask them to prove etc?

 

I'm waiting for another one to my husband who in all honesty hasn't really had any debt in his life....so that's going to be an interesting one!

[harrassed senior]

Well, you could ignore? or, if still addressed to your 'old' name, return to sender, Not known at this address.

 

If you are fairly sure that this has to be that old that it is SB you could send the 'prove it' letter. They are that desperate at the moment that they are sending off their threatograms to almost anyone, had one myself not so long ago that was SB in 2001!!

[cheddar]

Yeah it's in my maiden name, I got married in June 2005 so it's before then, could be touch and go as to whether it's SB. Think a lot of my debt from kinda running away from it when we moved in July 2005 (not that I condone that or suggest anyone else do it) so I can't be 100% sure that it's SB....maybe sending back with 'not known at this address' is the best option as well technically it's true lol!

 

I think it could be a credit card debt that would have started amassing early 2005 so not quite SB....I'll leave it and see what they send next. Is phoenix a DCA too?

Edited September 4, 2010 by cheddar
additional info

[unclebulgaria67]

Send back marked ' nobody resident with this name at this address'

 

I think Phoenix are an investment company, buying debts for small fee, hoping to make a profit.

[shedder101]

I had the same letter and sent a demand for documentation as you might be aware you should give them a pound to do it, i told them i wouldnt send a £1 and expect them to cover the cost i put this

 

"As I dispute this debt I am not willing to burden myself with cost relating to this, therefore the fee of £1, which is the statutory fee, must be covered by you. Note that these funds are not to be used for any other purpose."

 

i had a response stating the account was on hold and they would get back in touch with there client

 

i will now hold my breath

[harrassed senior]

You could send the 'prove it' letter which is only the cost of the stamp? That way you would get more knowledge, or, if you don't mind waiting, wait. Some people let it worry away at them, and others, often after joining CAG have other a more graphic response

[cheddar]

Thanks for the advice people

 

Nah I never let these idiots worry me, way back when I would have but not since joining CAG years ago lol! I won't be sending them £1 as that's for a CCA and I don't even know what I'm asking for the CCA of!!

 

I'll wait it out and see what the idiots have to say next. Still mega intrigued what they think my husband owes!

[cheddar]

Well it seems they are chasing me for an Abound account which as I recall is a catalogue company. It may be touch and go as to whether it is SB, I am sure most of it is charges as I don't remember having a high credit limit with them at all. Hubby is also getting letters but he's binned them lol he thinks they said Abound as well which doesn't make much sense as catalogues aren't supposed to let you have 2 accounts at the same address normally although Home Shopping Direct let us do this...I think I will be sending the prove it letter once they send me and hubby another letter. Is the prove it letter in the templates section?

 

ETA: Actually I may just send the SB letter, did this with Lowell and they kindly gave me the date as to when it will be SB

[Guest Cartaphilus]

Yes, it does seem that Shop Direct are farming off or Fredrickson's is buying them a lot of debts ... then using the Phoenix name to write to people ... based in Luxembourg (they are used on countless other things as well where debt's concerned I have since researched) ... whom you've never heard of (which I had before they did, but plenty of others won't have) and why they have got your debt that was with another company previously.

[cheddar]

Yeah I've not had anything about the debt from anyone, don't even know who Phoenix is, however they may have been writing to me at previous addresses. Am fairly certain it's SB so think I'll send that letter anyway

[Guest Cartaphilus]

My own experience of them was long before I'd heard of places like CAG, no idea what I could do ... The usual, etc.

 

Anyway, I had a strange letter from Phoenix International, which didn't make any sense and before I could even take breath it seemed, suddenly the awful BCW were on the scene persuing the same debt this Phoenix International company had written to me about just the day before.

 

I'd had no correspondence from them before but as it transpired they had been writing to an old address, but quite why I have no idea because the creditor plainly had my current one and had had it for quite a while.

[DonkeyB]

You actually had a letter from Phoenix? Wow! First one I’ve ever come across. Could you edit out your personal details and post it up? This could be very useful for you and many others.

[Guest Cartaphilus]

Yes. Only trouble is it was in 2007. Don't think I kept it,, I can have a look for it. It was one letter from them, which was on paper that was like the quality of old computer printouts, then the other from BCW. Theirs arrived so fast after the other there was no time to act on tne first.

[cheddar]

Okay, I didn't send the SB letter as I worked out that it will probably be SB next year in June 2011 along with the other couple of debts I left behind when I moved. Anyway, today I got a letter from Brian Carter Solicitors saying if I don't contact in 14 days they will tell Fredricksons to issue proceedings against me, it then all turns into 'may' 'might' 'should' etc so I know it's an empty threat. However I have read that when it comes to Brian Carter things can get nasty and recall something about CCJ's at old addresses etc?

 

Any ideas what I should do now? I suppose I could still send the SB letter to drag things out. That is my tactic with the 2 other DCA's at the moment, hence why I've not posted anything on my other threads, besides I am pretty lazy when it comes to sending off letters, terrible I know! I have not replied anything to Fredrickson, this debt is for over £1000 with Abound catalogue (shop direct) so do I need to be doing anything now Brian Carter are involved? All letters are still coming in my maiden name too.

[Bazooka Boo]

As this irritating joke and embarrassment of a so called Solicitor is involved, courtesy of freds, he will attempt to obtain a CCJ by default, plus he splits his claims, .

If he has at any point threatened legal action, then send him a CPR 31.14 request, this normally sends the horrible excuse running, and what you MUST do is report this to the Legal Ombudsman. http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/

[sillygirl1]

If they pass this round the houses you can write a simple statement to them

 

"I do not acknowledge any debt to your company or your clients

 

On xxx date this alleged debt was chased by xxx, it was disputed and passed to xxx, then xxx so by chasing a disputed debt you have earned you and your client to the OFT, Trading Standards and Ministry of Justice.

 

Goodbye

[cheddar]

Okay well the letter says:

 

"....Payment must be made within the nexr fourteen days failing which we will recommend to our client that proceedings be issued without any further notice. Should proceedings be issued, additional charges will be added to the existing balance as shown below"

 

Balance - £XXXX

Interest - £0

Court Fees - £65

Solicitors Costs - £80

 

Before the account is referred to us to litigate you still have an opportunity to contact Fredickson International Ltd with your payment proposals. In order to avoid further action you should telephone them immediately on..."

 

I personally see that as them threatening legal action if I can't pay in the next 14 days. Even though they do contradict themselves by saying it has to be in 14 days then saying ring Freds with a proposal. Well my proposal is for them to shove it as tbh I can't ever remember running up this much of a debt with Abound! Besides, I know there will be no CCA for it anyway.

 

So Bazooka do you agree this is them threatening me? A lesser informed person than I would be scared by this letter I reckon. Where's the CPR request? Sorry have looked in the templates and can't find anything! I will certainly report them as well. Can I check if they have sent a CCJ anywhere else?

[unclebulgaria67]

CPR letter not relevant yet, as normally that is only sent if they have asked a court to send you a claim for the debt plus costs.

 

I would suggest that you send them a CCA request with a £1 postal order.

 

Link to library letter. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?414-CCA-request-letter.

[cheddar]

Okay will send the CCA for now, who do I send it to? Fredricksons or Bryan Carter? Bryan Carters letter tells me to converse with Fredrickson, only reason I'm asking.

 

Also out of interest who should I sign my letters by? I'd rather they didn't know my married name....am I ok to sign them in my maiden name? Of course when I say 'sign' I only ever print my name