Letter from "Red Debt Collection Services" - I'm convinced it's not mine!
MikkyX
Posts: 6 Forumite
Hi all,
First post, be gentle
I received a letter last week from a company called Red Debt Collection Services stating they were collecting on a debt of £200 to HSBC. There were just two problems with this:
1) Although the letter had my name and address on it, the middle initial was wrong. Fiddly, I know, but I thought it was significant considering........
2) ........I've never owed HSBC a penny
Upon receiving the letter I phoned the CCCS (currently going through a debt management plan with them) and asked their advice. They suggested that the letter was probably sent to me by mistake as if a company is having trouble tracking down a person who owes them money, they just spam letters to everyone they can find who sounds vaguely similar. I should ring the agency and explain this. So I did and got a helpful sounding girl to talk to, and they agreed to retrace, see if they'd got the wrong man (they have!).
Today I got another letter from them so I rang up and queried how the trace was going. I got a much less helpful guy who told me that since I'd verified my name, address and date of birth (all of which apparently match their records) the debt was definitely mine and I should pay up. No acknowledgement of any trace. Then the knockout punch (for them) - he said the debt was outstanding on a HSBC current account. I've banked with Barclays and now NatWest but NEVER HSBC. I told him this - he acted like it was irrelevant - still my debt.
The conversation went round in circles, got a little heated, and ended with him saying I would have to prove I wasn't the person who owed the debt by sending them a copy of my passport and a letter with my signature on so that they could match it to the original documents, and me demanding THEY prove I'm liable for the debt before things proceed any further. Which they won't be able to do since I've had no dealings with HSBC..... I'm thinking of ringing HSBC to ask them what's going on.
Before I proceed I wondered what advice people here had for me as to where to go next - should I send the proof of ID they're asking for or leave the onus on them to provide the proof *I* requested?
First post, be gentle
I received a letter last week from a company called Red Debt Collection Services stating they were collecting on a debt of £200 to HSBC. There were just two problems with this:
1) Although the letter had my name and address on it, the middle initial was wrong. Fiddly, I know, but I thought it was significant considering........
2) ........I've never owed HSBC a penny
Upon receiving the letter I phoned the CCCS (currently going through a debt management plan with them) and asked their advice. They suggested that the letter was probably sent to me by mistake as if a company is having trouble tracking down a person who owes them money, they just spam letters to everyone they can find who sounds vaguely similar. I should ring the agency and explain this. So I did and got a helpful sounding girl to talk to, and they agreed to retrace, see if they'd got the wrong man (they have!).
Today I got another letter from them so I rang up and queried how the trace was going. I got a much less helpful guy who told me that since I'd verified my name, address and date of birth (all of which apparently match their records) the debt was definitely mine and I should pay up. No acknowledgement of any trace. Then the knockout punch (for them) - he said the debt was outstanding on a HSBC current account. I've banked with Barclays and now NatWest but NEVER HSBC. I told him this - he acted like it was irrelevant - still my debt.
The conversation went round in circles, got a little heated, and ended with him saying I would have to prove I wasn't the person who owed the debt by sending them a copy of my passport and a letter with my signature on so that they could match it to the original documents, and me demanding THEY prove I'm liable for the debt before things proceed any further. Which they won't be able to do since I've had no dealings with HSBC..... I'm thinking of ringing HSBC to ask them what's going on.
Before I proceed I wondered what advice people here had for me as to where to go next - should I send the proof of ID they're asking for or leave the onus on them to provide the proof *I* requested?
0
Comments
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Someone will be along soon to put you right BUT in the meantime don't send them anything, 'specially not copy of passport or signature, companies have been known just to copy your signature onto documents to try & prove you signed for something.
If they are saying they want to compare your signature, ask them for copies of the agreement/paperwork they hold. There is a template letter for this.Tallyhoh! Stopped Smoking October 2000. Saved £29382.50 so far!0 -
SEND THEM NOTHING AND DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY DEBT TO THEM
A Debt Collection Agency is legally obliged to send you full details of any alleged debt, including a full statement, which they say that you 'owe'.
It looks as though Red are 'Phishing' and that this 'letter' is no more than a 'scam'.
By confirming your name and address you have admitted to nothing.
The onus of proof is on Red Debt Collection to prove that you are in fact the debtor and not on you to prove otherwise.
Have a look at the following:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdfI am NOT, nor do I profess to be, a Qualified Debt Adviser. I have made MANY mistakes and have OFTEN been the unwitting victim of the the shamefull tactics of the Financial Industry.
If any of my experiences, or the knowledge that I have gained from those experiences, can help anyone who finds themselves in similar circumstances, then my experiences have not been in vain.
HMRC Bankruptcy Statistic - 26th October 2006 - 23rd April 2007 BCSC Member No. 7
DFW Nerd # 166 PROUD TO BE DEALING WITH MY DEBTS0 -
Totally agree with Rog
You do not need to prove anything. If you provide them a copy of your signature there's a chance that your signature will appear at the bottom of some credit agreement you have never seen.After falling off the gambling wagon (twice): £33,600 (24,000+ 9,600) - Original CC Debt: £7,885.91
Dad Gift 6k ¦ Savings & Inv Tst: £2,500
Loan 10k: £0 ¦ Dad 5.5k: £2,270 ¦ LTSB: £0 ¦ RBS: £0 ¦ Virgin £0 ¦ Egg £0
Total Owed: £2,270 (+6k) 11/08/20110 -
Had a feeling things might be that way round. Thanks guys - I will call Red again tomorrow to remind them of their legal obligations. 0
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Good hunting tomorrow MikkyX, great advice off the guys.I am one of the 63336.'It is better to have lived one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep.'
His Grace Lord Stunty the Coherent of Deep Throcking
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Total con artists...trying it on
Idiots, them, not you!Empty pockets never held anyone back, only empty heads and empty hearts can do that -Peale0 -
Had a feeling things might be that way round. Thanks guys - I will call Red again tomorrow to remind them of their legal obligations.
Hi - You need to write to them. That way when they cannot find the documentation, you can tell them to bogoff and that if they ever contact you again, you will make a formal complaint (actually they are committing and offence but getting anyone to take them to court is difficult).
If you just phone, this will keep going. As you have discovered it depends entirely who you speak to and they are not consistent in their behaviour.
Send the letter rog directed you to, above, recorded delievey.The person who has not made a mistake, has made nothing0 -
Definately do not call these imbeciles. No doubt it is a premium rate 0870 number or something similar. Write, keep copies and send recorded delivery. Clip the royal mail receipt to your copy and a few days after posting download the delivery acknowledgement from the RM website.Don't lie, thieve, cheat or steal. The Government do not like the competition.
The Lord Giveth and the Government Taketh Away.
I'm sorry, I don't apologise. That's just the way I am. Homer (Simpson)0 -
yep I bet its an 0870 number...as the OP says forget telephone calls.
inmypocketnottheirs has it right on the button do as he / she suggests........
then forget all about0 -
I got a much less helpful guy who told me that since I'd verified my name, address and date of birth (all of which apparently match their records) the debt was definitely mine and I should pay up.
So, now you have told them your name, address, date of birth and, no doubt, your phone number as well!
Did you bank with Midland 20 years ago? Red Debt has been known to buy 20 year-old debts!0
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