Carphone Warehouse passed me on to a debt-collection agency!

LifesonEarth

Hi. I changed mobile phone supplier in August. It took time and trouble to get a MAC code to migrate my number from CW to Virgin (they wouldn't give me a code over the phone 'You have to write to our HQ to get one') and I cancelled the Direct Debit to CW following the disconnection.
A good time later I received another bill from CW for £11.87. I didn't pay it as I thought that the final DD payment (considerably in XS of what my previous monthly payments had been) had cleared all monies owed.
CW then passed my bill to Roxburghe Debt Collection Agency, who are now charging me £34.87! ie, the debt-collection agency charge me £23 to recover this 'debt'.:mad::mad::mad:
If I don't pay they said that they would blacklist me immediately.
I personally have a triple-A credit rating (checked this on the Criterion website) and obviously want to keep this!
I paid the £34.87 and am now thinking of pursuing this legally.

Has anyone had similar problems with these agencies? (and indeed Carphone Warehouse!)

Can anyone here offer any advice?

DarkConvict

Rather than dismissing the letter, did you check if it was actually a bill / demand for payment? Generally as you pay one month in advance a final bill is usually in credit.

Otherwise my only advice as this is now all paid up, is you get in touch with Carphone Warehouse complaints, as they should inform you that they were planning to pass this to a debt collection agency as that bill could simply have been lost in the post.

I would ask for the Debt collection fees to be refunded at CPWs expense and that any missed payments or default be removed from your credit file.

MrRincewind

Companies have every right to pass on debts that aren`t paid, If they get written off then they get passed down to the customers who do pay there bills eventually, Not trying to state the OP is shirking his debts, Just that he ignored a bill and is surprised that it ended up at an agency.

Before i called CPW demanding things, I`d check whether it was a legitimate bill.