Help please...is this a scam???

dawnylou

Yesterday my husband received a letter from Inter-Credit International Ltd.
It is titled 'Debt Recovery Notice'.
They know our name, reg number and model car!

They say that because we have ignored all previous letters (this is the first letter we have received by the way!) the DVLA is currently preparing a claim against us as the registered keeper of an unlicensed vehicle. To avoid this we must pay £80 fine otherwise legal action will commence through the courts and our vehicle may be clamped and impounded!

Is this a scam of some sort??

BillTrac

Why would the DVLA use a third party?

Firstly, is your car taxed?

Usually the DVLA(or rather their authorised agents) will clamp any untaxed vehicles they find.

I think this may be either a scam or a mistake, but somehow a scaremongering scam seems more likely.

You could ask on Pepipoo as well

dawnylou

Thanks for your reply.

I don't know - that is why I am wondering if it is a scam. I have never heard of them and DVLA have never contacted us.
The car is taxed. Is that what unlicensed means? If there is no tax?

What is Pepipoo?

Tao81

Unlicensed does mean no current road tax paid.
My first plan of attack, if I'd received a letter such as this, would be to ring the DVLA directly and verify they are actually involved?
If they informed me they weren't, then I'd simply ignore it.

BillTrac

If car is taxed then a scam

sorry, Pepipoo is a site where you can ask motoring questions regarding tax, speeding and parking problems. Dont know why its called Pepipoo

And I second calling DVLA, although you can check that your car is shown as taxed on the dvla website before calling, just so you know that they know it is taxed

And if it is a scama, which it sounds like, then the DVLA would be interested to know.

They may have obtained your details by registering with the DVLA just like Tesco,ASDA who request your details(costs them about £2.50 a time) if you ever overstay in one of their car parks. And the people on Pepipoo will tell you that these are not enforceable. So some good advice on that site(as well as on here, of course!)

dawnylou

Thanks all. Going to be late for work so better dash, but will look at that site tonight. Thank you x

flutterbyuk25

BillTrac wrote: »

Why would the DVLA use a third party?

Firstly, is your car taxed?

Usually the DVLA(or rather their authorised agents) will clamp any untaxed vehicles they find.

I think this may be either a scam or a mistake, but somehow a scaremongering scam seems more likely.

You could ask on Pepipoo as well

It's not a scam.

DVLA do use InterCredit International and 3 other debt collecting agencies to chase for payments on the behalf if you have not replied to the 2 penalty letters they send when a vehicle that is registered in your name is untaxed.

Firstly has the vehicle in question been untaxed at all in last up to 4years?

Secondly, check the address on your V5C Registration Certificate (logbook). You say that you haven't received letters from DVLA, if you haven't updated your address this would be why. 2 letters would have been sent by DVLA to you regarding the fine. DVLA use debt collecting agencies as they have the resources/ability to track you down at a different address.

If it has been untaxed, then you owe the fine, so pay to InterCredit.

If you are unsure of whether it has been untaxed, or why the fine was issued, then ring DVLA. They will not be able to discuss the fine itself (repaying etc) as the case is in hands of debt collector, but they can tell you the period that the fine relates to.

The fines are issued when 2+ months are missed on the tax. And fines have been issued since 2005, although the legislation has been in place since 1998. Intial fine is £40 if paid within 28days then increases to £80.

HTH, any other questions PM me.

Flutterby - ex DVLA employee.

x

maninthestreet

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

It's not a scam.

DVLA do use InterCredit International and 3 other debt collecting agencies to chase for payments on the behalf if you have not replied to the 2 penalty letters they send when a vehicle that is registered in your name is untaxed.

Firstly has the vehicle in question been untaxed at all in last up to 4years?

Secondly, check the address on your V5C Registration Certificate (logbook). You say that you haven't received letters from DVLA, if you haven't updated your address this would be why. 2 letters would have been sent by DVLA to you regarding the fine. DVLA use debt collecting agencies as they have the resources/ability to track you down at a different address.

If it has been untaxed, then you owe the fine, so pay to InterCredit.

If you are unsure of whether it has been untaxed, or why the fine was issued, then ring DVLA. They will not be able to discuss the fine itself (repaying etc) as the case is in hands of debt collector, but they can tell you the period that the fine relates to.

The fines are issued when 2+ months are missed on the tax. And fines have been issued since 2005, although the legislation has been in place since 1998. Intial fine is £40 if paid within 28days then increases to £80.

HTH, any other questions PM me.

Flutterby - ex DVLA employee.

x

If the OP hadn't updated their address with the DVLA, they wouldnt have received this letter, would they?

flutterbyuk25

maninthestreet wrote: »

If the OP hadn't updated their address with the DVLA, they wouldnt have received this letter, would they?

yes they could have. That is why I said in my post that DVLA use debt collecters as they have the resources and means to track down people at alternative addresses.

dawnylou

Thanks all. For some reason they have our old address - despite having moved over 2 years ago. We updated everything (or so I thought)

CHR15

So after moving you didn't tax your car???

Surely you must have known this demand was genuine. You can't simply forget to tax your car for ever!!??