Being chased for a debt that has been paid off

file_wizzard

richiethekid wrote:

I don't actually know the name of the agency without digging out the paperwork. The missus isn't really interested in any of this - she just wants to pay it. But I'll see what I can do.

Why pay a debt that is already settled, i can understand that she doesn’t want the hassle, but companies such as say for "random example" Thames ( Aktiv ), Westcot, Link… Ect Ect. are just debt buyers who buy old debts for as little as 10p - 30p in the pound then chase who ever they can find with threats of court action hoping this will scare them into paying.

If a debt is owed, yes it should be paid, however for each person that gives in to these despicable tactics it just encourages the DCA’s to carry on trying their luck with other innocent people.

richiethekid

My thoughts exactly file wizard. If it was me I'd tell them what to do with their debt, but Mrs The Kid isn't very switched on when it comes to things like this. I've emailed my local Trading Standards office to try and get some generic advice, just to confirm what you've already told me with regard to her consumer rights and the Consumer Credit Act. She's worried that this will affect her ability to obtain credit in the future, but I don't think it will. Surely if this was a genuine debt, they would have attempted to take her to court by now? They've been writing to her for at least two years. With any luck this bunch of chancers will be shut down.

Rant: why aren't these people regulated? It seems that any dodgy geezer can set himself up as a debt collector and use all sorts of illegal tactics to try and squeeze some money out of people, and they get away with it cos people like my missus don't know their rights. I had an overdraft with the same bank, and I regularly got letters from the same collection company even when I had a payment plan in place with the bank.

file_wizzard

Just to be on the safe side i would get hold of a copy of her credit files, some DCA's ( especially the lovely Thames Credit & Wescot ) take great joy in sticking defaulted account markers on your file.

Once this happens you ability to access main stream credit will be limited for up to 6 years.

you can obtain your statutory credit file for £2 from the following ( all hold slightly different information )

some also do "free" on line trials for 30 days, just make sure you remeber to cancel it if you dont fancy paying £50 a year to constant access!!

https://www.equifax.co.uk

https://www.experian.co.uk

https://www.callredit.co.uk

file_wizzard

richiethekid wrote:

Rant: why aren't these people regulated? It seems that any dodgy geezer can set himself up as a debt collector and use all sorts of illegal tactics to try and squeeze some money out of people.

Rather scarily they are !

they all have consumer credit licences issued by the office of fair trading !

although the OFT is very weak in enforcing breaches and revoking licences.

richiethekid

This is something I was planning to do as a matter of course. Although as my account doesn't appear on either my Equifax or Experian files (haven't checked Callcredit) and this was with the same bank I wouldn't expect her account to appear on her files either. Though it's worth checking just to make sure. If something does appear on there that shouldn't be there, there'll be hell to pay.

file_wizzard

richiethekid wrote:

This is something I was planning to do as a matter of course. Although as my account doesn't appear on either my Equifax or Experian files (haven't checked Callcredit) and this was with the same bank I wouldn't expect her account to appear on her files either. Though it's worth checking just to make sure. If something does appear on there that shouldn't be there, there'll be hell to pay.

If they have done it the entry would be under the name of the DCA not the original bank, this is a trick the DCA's are very fond of pulling as it pressurises you into paying