Can they send me to prison !

Mike_St_Helens

one phone co for a debt of £6.99 (ONETEL), threatened to send me to prison if I did not pay and they took me to court and I still refused to pay !

This is a debt from an old address on an account that was canx over a year ago..i asked where the charge came from, they just sent a statement shount a balance of £6.99.... I refuse to pay this when I dont know where it has come from.

Can they truly send me to prison ???????

MD

lynzpower

no they cant
DID THEY ACTUALLY SAY PRISON to you, or just court?


deep breath

Mike_St_Helens

Bet your sick of me already lynz ! me and my troubles !

Yeah honest ... I have the letter... states

'If you still refuse to pay after we have successfully taken you to court for this debt you could be sent to prison for up to two years'

MD
.

domesticgoddess

scare tactic IMO, yes they would take you to court but what judge/magistrate would send someone to prison for that amount??


I think you need to finmd out what the charge is for and complain complain complain

Mike_St_Helens

I did try to complain and ask what offence and under what criminal law can they do this.. they just shouted at me and told me to just pay and stop trying to get away with paying !!!!!

Lightbulb moment was realising the onetel arnt a very nice firm !

Ill just leave it... let them throw more and more money at it ... all for £6.99

lynzpower

SCUM arnt they

Write to the guardian Dear Anna or consumer page about it. I would - get them shamed in the press.

And do them for harrassment. Keep all the letters, and report it to the police and get the crime reference no. If they phone you State you will not discuss it over the phone and in writing only .

Write to the chief exec and CC your MP.

Mike_St_Helens

Really... are they that much in the wrong for this.... I assumed it was me who was in the wrong !

MD

lynzpower

well if youve never had a contract with them, then they are harassing you for a debt thats not yours? Or have you had a contract with them but dispute you owe them the money?

armarda

What they are getting at is this - if the court orders you to pay and you then refuse to do so, that is contempt of court. This can be punished by jail. However I think that the chances of this happening in your case are extremely low.

TBH I would be tempted to pay - I know its the principle but is it really worth the stress over £7?

Debt_Free_Chick

Mike_St_Helens wrote:

This is a debt from an old address on an account that was canx over a year ago..

OK, but that doesn't mean you don't owe this amount. Do you?

wigginsmum

I think the OP is trying to establish where this small amount has come from, thinking that the account was sorted out a year ago and all finished. Am I right?