Collection Agency contacting neighbours

Jerseygirl55

A realative who used to reside at my address had some money problems, as far as I am aware the problem was sorted.I no longer have any contact with this relative but every now I them I get telephone calls asking for the person, I tell them they no longer live here and I do not have a forwarding address, I return all letters unopened to the sender but still it persists.
Today a neighbour gave me a letter sent to them telling them they need to contact my relative urgently, giving my house number and asking if they have any knowledge of my relative, ( my neighbour does not even know my relative ) or where they live now

Do they have the right to write to my neigbours ?
What is the best way to get this company to stop calling me

Thanks

JG

mdbarber

don't think you can unless they are threatening you personally,
try writing nicely to them explaining that you have informed them person no longer lives there but if they wish to employ your services as "finder" you will intercept and store any communication to him and bill them for the storage etc, if they do not wish this they must inform you within 14 days in writing or you will start to invoice them after that period.
may at least get an written admission of the inform and then you can argue that attempts to communicate with relative at this address are nothing more than a personal harrassment of your good self.

Freddie_Snowbits

In Coventry they used to hols surverys and things with money off vouchers to find out who lived there.

I always filled ours out falsly to get the Choccy for Freda

omen666

Send the following off to stop the phone calls.

Your Street
Town
City
Postcode
DATE HERE
Company Name
Road
Town
City / County
Postcode


Dear Sirs
Harassment by telephone

FORMAL COMPLAINT UNDER THE CONSUMER CREDIT ACT 2006 COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Account Number: XXXXXXX

I am writing in relation to the quantity and frequency of telephone calls that I have received from your company, which I deem to be personally harassing.

I have verbally requested that these stop, but I am still receiving calls. (Delete if necessary)

I now require all further correspondence from your company to be made in writing only.

I am of the view that your continued harassment of me by telephone puts you in breach of Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

If you continue to harass me by telephone, you will also be in breach of the Communications Act (2003) s.127 and I will report you to OFCOM, Trading Standards and The Office of Fair Trading, meaning that you will be liable to a substantial fine.

Please treat this also as a formal complaint, and send me a copy of your company complaints procedure.

Be advised that any further telephone calls from your company will be recorded. (**Even if you don‘t yet have recording equipment!!**)

Yours faithfully,


[NAME HERE] (type don't sign)

Brooker_Dave

Jerseygirl55 wrote: »

A realative who used to reside at my address had some money problems, as far as I am aware the problem was sorted.I no longer have any contact with this relative but every now I them I get telephone calls asking for the person, I tell them they no longer live here and I do not have a forwarding address, I return all letters unopened to the sender but still it persists.
Today a neighbour gave me a letter sent to them telling them they need to contact my relative urgently, giving my house number and asking if they have any knowledge of my relative, ( my neighbour does not even know my relative ) or where they live now

Do they have the right to write to my neigbours ?
What is the best way to get this company to stop calling me

Thanks

JG

Your "relative" could just pay back the money they owe?

That would make the nasty debt collectors go away.

Jerseygirl55

When my relative resided at my address, they did have some debt problems but as I said I think they sorted them out, but as I am no longer in contact with this person I cannot be sure,

I posted for advice in how too deal with the matter of a company harrassing me and I thank the posters who offered advice.

But as a new poster I feel saddened at the comment by Brooker Dave
but then everyone is entitled to their opinion.

cheers

JG

PBA

Jerseygirl55 wrote: »

But as a new poster I feel saddened at the comment by Brooker Dave
but then everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Well in fairness you say you think the problems have been sorted, but obviously as the letters keep coming then they haven't.
I don't really see what problem you have, as long as you personally aren't involved. Obviously the creditors want their money back, and I don't see why you ahould have a problem with them writing to your neighbours. Surely you have a vested interest in them clearing your name?

oldone_2

Am pretty sure that under the data protection legislation, debt collection agencies are not allowed to contact third parties, such as neighbours about debts. This is why, when a financial institution rings you up you have to answer security questions so that they know they are speaking to the right person.

Put the DCA in Google and you will find out if it is one of those the bends the letter of the law.

olly300

oldone wrote: »

Am pretty sure that under the data protection legislation, debt collection agencies are not allowed to contact third parties, such as neighbours about debts. This is why, when a financial institution rings you up you have to answer security questions so that they know they are speaking to the right person.

Put the DCA in Google and you will find out if it is one of those the bends the letter of the law.

They are not contacting the neighbours about the debts they are asking the neighbours if they know the whereabouts of a certain person.

This is not a breach of the Data Protection Act as they won't tell the neighbours the exact reason for them asking those details.

If you live in a rental property and someone i.e. a previous tenant has moved out with out giving a company* a forwarding address then they send you those letters.

*The letter can come from a utility company, a bank that the customer doesn't have a debt with but the ex-tenant insists on using their old address, or more troublingly a debt collecting agency.

oldone_2

olly300 wrote: »

They are not contacting the neighbours about the debts they are asking the neighbours if they know the whereabouts of a certain person.

This is not a breach of the Data Protection Act as they won't tell the neighbours the exact reason for them asking those details.

If someone knocks on your door and says
" I am from XYZ Debt Collection Agency - do you know where your neighbours have moved to"
what conclusions do you draw?

If they don't name their company, you will naturally ask who they are, or why they want to know. If answered truthfully,or even not answered at all - what conclusions do you draw ?

Please understand I appreciate that DCA's have a job to do, and people should pay their debts, but Consumer forums are full of tales of unscrupulous DCA's breaking the law and intimidating people.

terryw

oldone wrote: »

If someone knocks on your door and says
" I am from XYZ Debt Collection Agency - do you know where your neighbours have moved to"
what conclusions do you draw?

If they don't name their company, you will naturally ask who they are, or why they want to know. If answered truthfully,or even not answered at all - what conclusions do you draw ?

Please understand I appreciate that DCA's have a job to do, and people should pay their debts, but Consumer forums are full of tales of unscrupulous DCA's breaking the law and intimidating people.

I think that it is very unlikely that they will say "I am from XYZ debt Collecting Agency". They will merely ask if the current whereabouts of A. Debtbumper. are known

terryw