Debt Collectors!!! Now what??????

Gareth83

The situation is as follows:

I lived in a uni house in Exeter with 6 others during 2004, I set up blue yonder broadband in my name and received money from everyone and paid via my bank account.

I left for Australia after having only set up the contract for 3mths, Blueyonder were unable to change the name in the contract.

However, one of the boys took over the payments.

My mate text me yesterday saying he went back to the house yesterday to see if there was any mail etc. and there were a few letters for me. One of which saying a debt of £32.09 has been passed onto the debt collectors!!

He's sending me the letters tomorrow, so I'll have a better idea. But what is gonna happen to me?? I don't want a bad credit rating or CCJ etc. I've never been late for a payment of anything!!

Anyone know what I should do?? Seen as they dont have my home address, should I just leave it??

ukbill69

Pay the dept collector and you will be ok. Otherwise you will find that they will take your tv, dvd player to repay the payment.

Locana

I'm sure if you leave it, It will get worse. Can you contact the friend and ask him to pay it? I'm not sure if this is the right advice, more people on here know better than me!! You don't want more 'admin' charges to go on top of that sum, its fairly a small amount to pay rather than your credit score being damaged?

Gareth83

yes but they dont have my home address, otherwise I would have received the letters wouldn't I have??

Thats why I'm thinking I should ignore it. It's only £32 but what are the fees likely to be on top of that after 2 years????

Dora_the_Explorer_5

yes but they dont have my home address, otherwise I would have received the letters wouldn't I have??

They do, isn't the house in Exeter where you told them you were living? Have you informed them of any change of address? Don't worry about the fees - your credit record will be shot to hell if you don't pay and that's really something to worry about. I'd suggest you pay the outstanding amount asap and cancel the contract.

Gareth83

the contract was cancelled last year

i suppose i better wait to see the actual letters on tuesday!!

MrsTinks

Firstly 12 month contracts are usually unbreakable... the exception can be gym etc but you need to read the small print. I've got out of a few contracts as I was sent abroad to work and I had to get a letter from my company to confirm I genuinly had been sent abroad as part of my job.

Secondly - pay them and be shot! £30 odd is nothing and the quicker you pay up the less likely it is to scar your credit file. As the contract for the Broadband was in your name then you remained responsible for paying it even if you passed this on to a 3rd party. It remained your responcibility to pay. If you are lucky the might be happy with your explanation of what happened and as you are showing remorse for your youthful ignorance (act!) then that might be the end of it and they mgiht not end up putting anything onto your credit file

If you really want to battle it the you could argue you have been abroad for x years etc etc etc and you informed them at the time and seeif they can prove you didn't inform them. However I would go with paying them myself

Xbigman

Check your credit reports. If it has gone to debt collectors you may already have been defaulted. Paying the debt now will not get the default removed but it will be marked as satisfied. This is better than nothing.

Also check the full debt is £32. That sounds like only 2 months broadband payments to me. Did your ex housemates pay all the rest or are they out there too?
Regards



X

Gareth83

Have received the letter this morning and the debt is £32.09 and has been passed onto a company called DLC (Direct Legal & Collections in Northants)

The debt relates to a bill for 05 October 2005 and was subsequently passed onto the DLC on the 8 Dec 2005

However the contract was initially set up in 2003 and should have ended in 2004, I instructed them to end it at the end of the 12mths before i left to Australia!

So why it's ran for another year I haven't a clue???

MrsTinks

Hmmm if you asked them to close it in writing after the initial 12 months then they should have honoured it.
Up to you if you want to dispute it after you have paid £32.09 or risk the debt collectors turning up and all the stress that goes with it. I WOULD contest it after you've paid though to ensure that it is not going on your credit file If it was more than £32.09 then I would have said fight them but is it worth it for that small an amount? I would instead direct my anger at the ISP and try to get compansation for the stress false charges etc

Gareth83

the situation was this:

set up account on 16/10/03

contacted them on 06/03/04 to say I was leaving the house of 7 and could the contract's name be changed. Was told it couldn't but will terminate at the end of the 12mth period, providing payments were taken care of.

went to australia on the 19/3/05 and assumed everything was ok

rest of the people in the house would have left in aug 04 and all payments were sorted.

i then receive a letter of failed payment for the month of nov 05!! It appears that the new residents had carried on paying the bills which kept the account open "in my !!!!in name!!!" despite them saying it would end at the end of the 12mth period.

As I was the account holder the responsibility was my fault!!

Anyway rang the debt collection agency and made the payment of £32.09 by credit card, but apparently wont go through till tomorrow????

I'm a bit dubious about the payment tomorrow though as today is exactly 4mths after the debt collection agency's first letter!! Are they trying to play tricks on me?????