Wescot and HBOS Credit Card 'debt'

[Bilgeman]

Hello, Folks

 

Haven't been on here for a while but I am currently getting letters from Wescot about an alleged debt with Bank of Scotland (Credit Card).

 

I asked them for a copy of the original signed agreement and confirmation that they are authorised to collect any alleged debt and they have written back saying.

 

"Having contacted our client they have requested that you contact them direct..... Please enclose a £1.00 fee"

 

So what do I do? My instinct is to ignore them or to say they have still not provided me with evidence that they are authorised to do this - anyone could demand money and claim to be acting on behalf of someone else - and say that until Bank of Scotland contact ME directly I will not consider that I've received any communication from them.

 

Does this sound reasonable and within the Law - anyone?

 

Thanks

[ims21]

If the OC still owns the debt then you don't have to deal with any third party.

 

Always deal with the OC direct and drop Westcot from the equation

 

ims

[Bilgeman]

Thanks - That's kind of what I was thinking - so just ignore them or write and tell them to leave me alone, and wait to hear from BoS? Sounds like a plan

[citizenB]

They have said for you to contact "their client" therefore it seems as though they are simply collecting on behalf of Bank of Scotland.

 

Have you been making payments of any kind to BoS ? if so....

 

I suggest you make your request to BoS for a copy of the agreement and in a separate letter perhaps send a "concerned" letter... something along the lines of..

 

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

 

I have been approached by DCA for monies, as I have been making payments to you as arranged and have not been advised of any change of ownership. Would you please confirm that this company has your authority to approach me and on what basis. eg: - are they the new owner of the account or are they simply collecting on your behafl.

 

Either way, I believe that you are obliged to advise me of this.

 

Yours, etc, etc.

 

 

 

Can I suggest that you use something like "signguard" or a grid of

 

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

to sign over

[Bilgeman]

I stopped making payments when I first contacted Wescot (some time ago) asking for the signed copy etc saying that I would restart them on receipt of what I asked for. This is the first reply I've had

[citizenB]

I stopped making payments when I first contacted Wescot (some time ago) asking for the signed copy etc saying that I would restart them on receipt of what I asked for. This is the first reply I've had

 

 

Typical BoS - I suspect they have discovered they either dont have a copy, cant reconstruct one properly or the one they have is totally illegible - which would make it impossible for them to comply with the s78 request. So they have decided to offload the problem.

 

If you have made the s78 request before and they havent complied.. then press them for an answer. I have rejigged the letter from above.

 

 

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

 

I have been approached by DCA for monies, . Would you please confirm that this company has your authority to approach me and on what basis. eg: - are they the new owner of the account or are they simply attempting to collect on your behalf.

 

Either way, I believe that you are obliged to advise me of this.

 

You will of course be reminded that on DATE I made a legitimate s78 request enclosing the required fee of £1.00. To date, you have still not responded to that request and as far as I am now concerned, the account is disputed until such times as you provide me with this.

 

If you have genuinely employed the DCA or assigned the account to them - have you made them aware of the dispute, or that you have failed to comply with my legitimate s78 request ?

 

Yours, etc, etc.

 

 

You will not need to enclose the fee or make a new specific CCA request as you have previoiusly done so and it is outstanding.

[Bilgeman]

Thanks - I didn't wnclose the £1 fee which I had forgotten about so maybe that's part of the problem. I'll write to BoS again from scratch and enclose the fee and see what happens. Quite happy to pay up if they comply and it's genuine