Debt collectors letters for someone I've never heard of

[Mike1952]

For five years I've been getting debt collectors letters for someone I've never heard of.

The post code is different from mine but near enough that I get the letters.

I've written endless letters to the CEO of the bank which owned the debt.

They kept saying they'd got the address slightly wrong missing a line and had informed the debt collectors - which made sense.

Then another letter would arrive with an unaltered address alternating between two debt collectors. It's bizarre.

 

Everything went quiet for18 months after the bank's last letter saying they'd used the wrong address.

Then a fortnight ago two letters from a third collector.

The bank has sold them the debt TWICE.

Once with the confused address they've been using for five years and a second time with the postcose changed to mine!

 

Wrote to the CEO yet again.

letter declining to explain why they've used my full address on one sale. Malicious?

And another assurance that they've told the latest debt collectors the correct address to use.

 

 

I've written by recorded delivery to the new debt collectors but the letter has not been taken.

I assume they refuse to take recorded delivery so they can deny receiving things. Fax?

They've also sent another letter asking the debtor to confirm the debt.

I assume this means it's statute barred from what I've learned here.

I posted that back marked 'not known at this address'.

 

If the latest debt collectors send a statutory demand to my address what do I do with it please if anyone can advise? The debt is under £750.

 

What I am worried about is that these collectors will find a sneaky way to go to court without my knowing

and bailiffs will turn up claiming that my address must be that of the debtor because the court says so.

I'm not naming the collectors since for all I know they may read here and it might help any nefarious scheme.

 

I've never had debt problems myself so have little clue about all this.

 

 

It's worrying me sick - which of course is intended in the hope I'll pay someone else's bill I assume.

[citizenB]

If they do send the Stat Demand to your address, then let us know.

 

Have you sent your official complaints to the Head/Registered offices of the companies involved ? If not, then print them off and send them there, Special Delivery. Your letters should be headed Official Complaint.

 

If you receive no resolution, then I think your next step is the Financial Ombudsman with copies to the Financial Conduct Authority.

[citizenB]

Have you checked your credit files to ensure there has been no adverse reporting ? If so, then I think you might have to issue a claim against the DCA and Bank. We can help you with that.

[silverfox1961]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

Debt collectors have a duty to ensure the letters go to the correct person. If the bank have given them the incorrect address (twice) they could be held responsible.

 

I would be writing one more letter to the bank (by signed for delivery) demanding some form of compensation for the stress they are causing you and demanding they rectify the issue forthwith.

 

With the latest DCA, don't bother with the SB rules as it is not your debt. Simply state that they have the wrong person and if they continue to harass you, you will take further action. Do not mention taking them to court (as yet) as I don't feel you have got that far yet.

 

Check your credit file(s) to ensure there is no linked names or addresses on there. If there is, you may have a claim for compensation. If there is a default there, you need to dispute it.

[Mike1952]

If they do send the Stat Demand to your address, then let us know.

 

Have you sent your official complaints to the Head/Registered offices of the companies involved ? If not, then print them off and send them there, Special Delivery. Your letters should be headed Official Complaint.

 

If you receive no resolution, then I think your next step is the Financial Ombudsman with copies to the Financial Conduct Authority.

 

In the case of the bank yes always to the registered office. I got replies anyway from them. In the case of the debt collector to the PO box they quote for account enquiries. Headed 'wrong address' etc.

 

The Ombudsman will only take on complaints by customers. I'm a third-party not the customer so they won't take on mine. I checked by email. There is a hole in the system.

[silverfox1961]

I feel the ombudsman is wrong unless there are other circumstances here that we are unaware of.

 

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/debtcollecting-note.html#8

[Mike1952]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

Debt collectors have a duty to ensure the letters go to the correct person. If the bank have given them the incorrect address (twice) they could be held responsible.

 

I would be writing one more letter to the bank (by signed for delivery) demanding some form of compensation for the stress they are causing you and demanding they rectify the issue forthwith.

 

With the latest DCA, don't bother with the SB rules as it is not your debt. Simply state that they have the wrong person and if they continue to harass you, you will take further action. Do not mention taking them to court (as yet) as I don't feel you have got that far yet.

 

Check your credit file(s) to ensure there is no linked names or addresses on there. If there is, you may have a claim for compensation. If there is a default there, you need to dispute it.

 

With their last weasel worded letter the bank sent a cheque for £25. However I'm thinking of sending that back with another recorded letter saying they've not resolved the problem and to accept the money means I agree they have. Which is why they send it I think!

 

How do I contact the debt collectors since they don't take recorded letters it appears? I can write to the OFT about that but it does not solve my immediate problem.

[silverfox1961]

Give us the name of the debt collector and we can supply you with the full address

[unclebulgaria67]

In the case of the bank yes always to the registered office. I got replies anyway from them. In the case of the debt collector to the PO box they quote for account enquiries. Headed 'wrong address' etc.

 

The Ombudsman will only take on complaints by customers. I'm a third-party not the customer so they won't take on mine. I checked by email. There is a hole in the system.

 

There have been people who have succeeded in small court claim in this situation. They have suffered a loss due to having to deal with a mistake made by a company, in sending communications to the wrong address. As long as you can quantify the loss incurred i.e time spend, postage. Then you send an invoice to the company writing to your address asking them to pay for your loss and to correct the information or you will be forced to issue a small court claim against them. Send recorded to their head office.

[Mike1952]

Give us the name of the debt collector and we can supply you with the full address

 

I have two addresses from their letters. There is a PO box and a registered office which according to posters on the web is an accommodation address. It's Ist Credit. Heavily sanctioned by the OFT a while back.

[Mike1952]

There have been people who have succeeded in small court claim in this situation. They have suffered a loss due to having to deal with a mistake made by a company, in sending communications to the wrong address. As long as you can quantify the loss incurred i.e time spend, postage. Then you send an invoice to the company writing to your address asking them to pay for your loss and to correct the information or you will be forced to issue a small court claim against them. Send recorded to their head office.

 

OK but that does not help me with the debt collectors who have bought the debt. The bank said sorry in future you'll have to deal with them having given them two wrong addresses. Not our problem any more!! Incredible lack of any concern with ethical dealing.

 

The history of the years since the crash in 2008 illustrates that the banks know they can do what they like with toothless regulation. There is a revolving door of personnel between regulators and banks too.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Mike1952

[silverfox1961]

They should respond from their registered addy which I assume is this one.

 

The Omnibus Building Lesbourne Road

Reigate

Surrey RH2 7JP

 

however, the FCA require them to have an email address for contact purposes which is:

 

 

[email protected] (no spaces)

 

You could try that one

[fkofilee]

Dont worry about the Statutory Demand, if the debt is under £750 then they cant issue one... Simple

1st Credit (Reigate Monkeys( I know them because i work down the road from them and have friends who work there., I have just asked one of them about your situation.

 

They said to email the CEO;

 

[email protected]

 

Itll go straight to their execs team.

[Mike1952]

Dont worry about the Statutory Demand, if the debt is under £750 then they cant issue one... Simple

1st Credit (Reigate Monkeys( I know them because i work down the road from them and have friends who work there., I have just asked one of them about your situation.

 

They said to email the CEO;

 

Itll go straight to their execs team.

 

Ah thank you kindly. That is very helpful indeed. Ist Credit has presumably bought the debt in ignorance of the shenanigans the vendor has inflicted on me. But they still hold pieces of paper they can wave stating that my address is that of the debtor.

[Mike1952]

I feel the ombudsman is wrong unless there are other circumstances here that we are unaware of.

 

 

They say on their web site only third parties if they are being targeted as proxies to lean on debtors. For example the wife.

[Mike1952]

I feel the ombudsman is wrong unless there are other circumstances here that we are unaware of.

 

 

If you read the guidance carefully it refers to a 'mistrace' where the debt collectors are pursuing someone who does not owe the debt. My case is not this since the letters are all addressed to someone else not to me personally.

 

Update.

 

The bank has now written to my MP who I complained to apologising and saying they were sending another £100 later and separately - via him. He wondered why! Well two weeks later no cheque. I think the bank has decided to 'forget' to do so having made themselves look good. What a bunch of twisters. They really need to grow up. I'm going to write again shortly.

 

Meanwhile I sent a second recorded letter to IstCredit. They've signed for that one but not replied.

[Mike1952]

If you read the guidance carefully it refers to a 'mistrace' where the debt collectors are pursuing someone who does not owe the debt. My case is not this since the letters are all addressed to someone else not to me personally.

 

Update.

 

The bank has now written to my MP who I complained to apologising and saying they were sending another £100 later and separately - via him. He wondered why! Well two weeks later no cheque. I think the bank has decided to 'forget' to do so having made themselves look good. What a bunch of twisters. They really need to grow up. I'm going to write again shortly.

 

Meanwhile I sent a second recorded letter to IstCredit. They've signed for that one but not replied.

 

Lloyds has now sent a cheque for £100 via my MP who was very helpful. However after several weeks of silence from IstCredit (who of course never answered my recorded delivery letters) I've had a silent phone call from one of their numbers. So now I'm not sure whether it's all going to start again.

[Jam_Buttie]

I've had this issue with HSBC/1StCrud for years for someone who lived at my house before me, many, many years ago.

[Mike1952]

I've had this issue with HSBC/1StCrud for years for someone who lived at my house before me, many, many years ago.

 

My one never even lived here and the post code used for years was slightly different. Completely unknown to me. The idea must be to harass people until they pay the debt of a stranger ignoring all correspondence.

[brassnecked]

My one never even lived here and the post code used for years was slightly different. Completely unknown to me. The idea must be to harass people until they pay the debt of a stranger ignoring all correspondence.

They don't care WHO pays them, just so long as somebody does

[Mike1952]

They don't care WHO pays them, just so long as somebody does

 

Quite so but I doubt how often they succeed for all the bother of it.

[ericsbrother]

you would be surprised how many people do pay becasue they think that something awful will happen if they dont or just pay up for a quiet life. As long as 1 personpays up when the debt isnt theirs they will continue to carry on as they do. If they were fined for getting it wrong they would cease the poor practices.

[The GodMother]

A case on here few yrs ago. They were threatening a 15 yr old with court action despite several letters from here parents saying they had wrong person they continued to chase. The parents paid it as it was causing stress to the girl and family.

[brassnecked]

Best one I heard was when a Moorcarp drone told the new tenant a single parent with an autistic child, and so vulnerable, that the debt was to the address so the current occupier "inherits" the debt Asa I was assisting the tenant as a community councillor with another issue, I told the drone to go away as there would be a police officer coming along to deal with a "Bogus Official" complaint and would he like to tell the Policeman what he had just told this tenant to help get the tenant to pay? He went white declined the offer and went away quickly.

 

Prepay meters are another issue where the utility tries to get the new tenant to inherit the debt. Dwr Cymru were good at that with Fresh Start water meters where a new tenant was told to keep paying on that handy card under the sink, with £600 of debt from the previous occupier.