Recycled Mobile Number Problems (Not our debt!!)

[Maevvy]

Hello,

 

I'm writing this on behalf of my boyfriend.

 

My boyfriend moved from a foreign country to Britain and has only been here just over a year, he has never had any debt troubles and I've never had any debt troubles in our whole lives.

 

So when it was time he purchased his mobile phone and contract from Vodafone. Within about a week Lowells were pestering him saying that he had an account with them. This seemed to have been "fixed" when we told them that it's the wrong person as the mobile phone number was recycled and the person in question was no longer at this number.

 

It's been a quiet year and now I think the debt has been passed on to another company, because now he is getting daily calls from another debt company. I think it is Creation Finance / Sigma because I googled the number they left: 0845 259 0324 and found it mentioned on the who calls me website. He hasn't picked the calls up yet because he's usually busy in meetings or such. This first started with a text message which I think was sent on Friday.

 

I have a few questions, so obviously we can prepare on what to do next:

 

1) How do we get this permanently to stop, regardless of who the debt is passed onto? It seems records are not "kept up to date" from company to company. Mind you, this person's own friends can't follow these instructions when they text his phone asking random rubbish so I doubt this shower will either.

 

2) Is there anything we should be wary of? I realise the obvious no giving out our names and no giving out personal details. But I know what these scumbags are like from reading these boards too much. Is there any chance of us being saddled with something that is 100% not ours if they are not able to track the original owner down? This is my main concern.

 

Many Thanks,

 

Maev.

[citizenB]

You should certainly check your credit files with the 3 main Credit reference agencies to establish there is no adverse information being recorded on them.

[Maevvy]

Thanks. I thought that might be the case.

 

It seems that perhaps the calls are becoming more frequent as the number called his phone again. This time we picked it up and it was an automated message. He didn't listen long enough to find out what it said.

 

What would be our next action to try and get this sorted permanently? We will check the credit references (I check mine monthly) but until the number is scrubbed off the record it seems that he might always be under "threat" from them for something he's never done/owed.

[PGH7447]

go back to vodaphone and get them to delist the number against the other party, it is there error in the first place

[DonkeyB]

Or get your number changed.

[brokebutnotbeatn]

Much easier to change your number as this will rumble round for ages otherwise...

[Maevvy]

Cool. Yeah. Vodafone have offered it for free for us because of the situation.

 

It doesn't guarantee we won't have the problem with the next number. We're thinking of taking up the offer though. It's great how with these automated messages they're giving away this person's first and second name though...

 

Thanks for the help.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi Maevvy,

 

Thanks for making me aware of this.

 

In the event that this recent contact relates to the matter which your boyfriend was contacted about last year could you ask him to email me with his details by following the contact information in our pinned thread here: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?213340-Vodafone-Webteam-for-Customers-With-Problems?

 

Once sent he'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. To enable me to ensure that it reaches me could you update the thread with this and I'll get back to him as soon as possible?

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK