Advice re: Vodafone/1st Credit collection

The_ODonnell_Boy

Hi there

Posting this from another forum I frequent, wondered if anybody is able to offer any advice or assistance here?

Cheers in advance;

Is it legal for a company, lets call them 'Vodafone', to sell the answers to your security questions to a third party ?

I have been contacted by a company called 1st Credit claiming that I owe £67 for an outstanding sum I owe to Vodafone from 2004 !

I didn't have any idea who they were and they started asking for my Mother's maiden name, to which I refused to answer.

This has been going on for a couple of months now... It's not a lot of money but its the principle. I have repeatedly asked for invoices relating to this sum, to which they never respond to, they just continue to ring me and send me letters.

Last week I rang them and told them if they cannot prove the sum, they should either issue the summons or leave me alone.

They gave me the telephone number for Vodafone and my old account number and told me to get the invoices myself !!

I rang Vodafone and they have e-mailed me three invoices amounting to £51, but they wrote this 'debt' off in 2004 and have obviously sold it on with all my security details . I am astounded if this is legal

Am I within my rights to continue to insist that 1st Credit supply me with proof of debt even though I have obtained some details myself (I have no idea what the additional £16 is for) ?

I need to contact my bank to get copies of my statements for the latter half of 2004, and I am also goingto get Vodafone to provide me with a copy of my letter terminating the contract... in the meantime, I have these !!!!!! ringing me every day telling me to pay...

I am not trying to avoid paying, if I owe it , I owe it , but I am determined to get 1st Credit to send me some documentation before I cough up anything.

Cavey

I admire your stance and would be doing something similar if I were in your shoes.

A quick Google came up with these -

A forum thread on another site and,
one on MSE.

The second thread (quote below) seems to link to some good advice on other MSE threads including template letters.

GeorgeUK wrote: »

Hang on - i'll look out an old thread and template.

Edit:
Template: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11636295#post11636295
Details: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=578486

You can request a copy of the CCA at any time and asking for the CCA and statement of account at the same time means you only need to pay one £1 charge instead of two. This makes the request legally binding.

Just make sure not to sign the letter - not a good idea to let a DCA have your signature - even on a cheque.

I also liked the letter in this post on MSE, but I have no idea if it would be effective.

And this post looks like a particularly interesting read on the topic.

The_ODonnell_Boy

Excellent stuff

Thankyou Sir!