south staffs water chasing 9 yr old debt

[queensclose]

my sister received a demand from intercredit international demanding payment for £1283.16 from her previous address that she moved out off in march 2006. with a start date 1/4/2005. she phoned south staffs water and authorized me act on her behalf because she is disabled and i look after all her affairs

 

i explained that there is an error because all her bills are paid by direct debit and the facts are she moved into the property in May 2003 and a direct debit was set up and moved out March 2006. i myself called them up and stopped the direct debit and set up a new one for the new address still with south staffs. were payment has been taken ever since with no arrears.

she told me that they were unaware she had moved out and continued bill the old address as the new tenant did not register themselves at the address. i asked why they had not sent any letters out as i redirected the post for a year. she said she did not know but confirmed there was not arrears on the account until the date of moving out. and would get credit control to call back.

 

credit control called back and said she had readjusted the bill and wanted payment of £144 as she said that whats outstanding. she said the direct debit was cancelled about 10 months earlier. i told her that i,m not going to argue about it because it was a statue barred debt and its paid any way

 

this annoyed her and said not its a statue barred debt as they have been trying to trace her and makes it enforceable. i said well your 3rd party debt collectors found the new address. why couldnt you, she got quite irritate and said they will now use the county court to enforce it if she doesn't the amended bill

 

any thoughts

[i hate bailiffs]

Dealing with them on the phone

Do it in writing they will tell you anything

 

If no payment been made in past 6 years statue barred

Either vwrite to them stating it is SB

Or ignore them

If they want to wast money at court let them defence of SB is solid

[BankFodder]

Read our customer services guide – and then telephone them again and this time record the calls and get everything they say.

 

Of course you've been here since 2006 so you should know this anyway. A shame you didn't record the calls so far.

 

Anyway, you are completely correct. It is statute barred – but if I were you I would start gathering information.

 

Call them. Call them several times if necessary and get different versions and different stories. It always happens with organisations like this. They never sing from the same hymn sheet.

 

Send them an SAR and also get all the evidence you can from your bank. It may take an SAR to do that as well. At the end, claim the money for the SAR's from the water company because they are idiots