Global text message on my business number - old LTSB debt

[Bman1973]

I need some advice please.I have had a text message on my business number to call a number urgently.Thinking it may be a new client I called the number.when a man answered he said he was from Tower and he would put me through to another number.The ghastly guy on the other number said the company name was Global and nothing more.He asked me some questions which I stupidly answered.I asked him what it was about and he informed me that thecompany wad in fact Global Debt Recovery and he had been instructed to collect a debt on behalf of Lloyds TSB.I played dumb and said I did not know what he was on about.His response was that I did know and that he was coming after me and then every member of my family to ckaim any debts that he could find on any of us.Disgusted with this I hung up.

 

Two days later a Two letters arrive at my house stating that I owe £11, 498 to Lloyds TSB.Stupidly I called the number and asked where he got this ludicrius information from. (I did have a loan in 1996/97 with Lloyds which I paid for about 2 years then defaulted being young and stupid back then I buried my head in the sand and forgot about it.) I asked him for all relevant info on this matter and to my surprise I recieve another letter from GDC this morning with a print out of a screen dump which they say came from Lloyds TSB but has no reference to them.

 

I am so sressed about what to do I am not eating properly or sleeping properly as I feel I will have to pay this money back.I have done two credit checks over the ladt 5 years with two different agencies and neither has shown up this debt.I cant talk to my wife about it as she is suffering from stress at the moment and I dont want to add to it.

 

So please if anyone can help I will be most grateful

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi welcome to CAG,

 

When was the last payment or written acknowledgment of this debt made.

Have you checked your credit reference files? If not do so asap.

The conduct of the person you have spoken to is totally unacceptable and breaches OFT Guidance and should be reported.

Please keep calm, do not phone them or accept calls from them.

 

My guess is that this debt is statute barred, so if you can confirm the information above I will draft a letter for you that will be the end of this matter.

[huggy41]

if you have not paid anything to this debt in 6 years then it will be stat barred nothing they can do

 

post crossed

 

hi brig

Edited January 10, 2013 by huggy41
brig is quicker

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

if you have not paid anything to this debt in 6 years then it will be stat barred nothing they can do

 

post crossed

 

hi brig

 

Hi Huggy, happy new year!!

[Bman1973]

Hi Brigadeer, the last payment I made was in 1999.I have done two credit checks in the last 5 years the most recent being about a year and a half ago and neither had any info on this matter.My mind says that if this was on my record how did I get a mortgage or credit cards and have a good credit rating now?

 

Thanks for your quick response.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Ok so you need to send the following to the Compliance Manager at Global by recorded delivery.

 

Ref: use the one on their letter.

 

 

Sir,

 

I write in response to a recent telephone call from Global and your letters dated xx xx xxxx in which you allged that I am liable for a debt of £xxxx.xx in relation to an account with xxxxxxxxxx.

 

Please note I do not acknowledge any debt to Global or any company you may claim to represent.

 

I have taken advice regarding this alleged debt and have concluded that any such debt is statute barred therefore I will not make any payment now or in the future.

 

Should Global wish to dispute the status of the alleged debt you are reminded that the onus of proof that that the debt is not statute barred lies entirely with Global and it is not for me to prove that it is.

This is my final response and any further contact from Global will be treated as harassment, and the matter will be reported to the OFT together with a report on the verbal threats made by your telephone operative which quite plainly show that Global is unfit to hold a consumer credit licence.

 

Get that of am tomorrow!!

[Bman1973]

Hi Brigadier,

 

Thank you very much for your swift response.Do you think the letter will work as I have read on other forums regarding GDC that I should ask for the CCA.

 

Regards

[The Riviera Kid]

Bman1973, please don't lose any sleep about these people at all, they are the del boy trotters of the debt collection industry pure and simple.

 

Global Debt Recovery has been at it for years, buying up statute barred or otherwise unenforceable debts for pennies in the pound, then trying to scare people into paying up so they make a profit.

 

What you'll find is that they'll likely send a series of strongly worded form letters (they only have a handful of these and cycle them). They'll also go through spells of harassing you umpteen times in a day, only to go silent for weeks or months.

 

I also have my reasons to believe (although I stand to be corrected) that they don't have the relevant permissions to change your credit file.

 

They're complete jokers.

[Bman1973]

Bman1973, please don't lose any sleep about these people at all, they are the del boy trotters of the debt collection industry pure and simple.

 

Global Debt Recovery has been at it for years, buying up statute barred or otherwise unenforceable debts for pennies in the pound, then trying to scare people into paying up so they make a profit.

 

What you'll find is that they'll likely send a series of strongly worded form letters (they only have a handful of these and cycle them). They'll also go through spells of harassing you umpteen times in a day, only to go silent for weeks or months.

 

I also have my reasons to believe (although I stand to be corrected) that they don't have the relevant permissions to change your credit file.

 

They're complete jokers.

 

 

Thanks Riviera I just want it sorting out as its doing my head in.I'll keep everyone posted on the outcome.

[dx100uk]

own thread created

 

dx

[The Riviera Kid]

Bman1973

 

Seriously, don't worry in the slightest about these clowns, they're all smoke and mirrors. The Vast majority of the stuff they claim they can do is absolutely false and designed purely to panic people into admitting and paying for a debt. What you'll find is that they're more an annoyance than a legitimate threat. Once you've received multiple copies of the same form letter, you'll realise that they're full of hot air. All they'll ever do is try to harrass you by telephone and letter.

 

If you haven't acknowledged or made any payment on this debt in the last six years, then send the statute barred letter text that brigadier has provided. That's all you need to do. If you ever did end up doing a CCA request, I can virtually guarantee that they wont have one, but forget this for now, just send the statute barred letter.

 

As far as I can tell GDR used to be a legitimate company working as collecting agents for Lloyds TSB. Without looking at my notes, at some point around 10 years ago, Lloyds TSB sold in bulk, a lot of old debt to a company called 'FV-1', which GDR continued to collect 'on behalf of'. I believe FV-1 and GDR are actually one and the same. You'll probably noticed 'client FV-1' on any letters they send. These days they're just bullies and chancers.

 

If you haven't acknowledged or made payments, then send the statute barred letter and forget all about it. They'll try and phone and intimidate you. Either hang up or simply talk over them and say "contact me by letter only".