MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Would you give debt collectors someone's address?

elizabethhull

Definitely not. Our daughter got into council tax arrears such that the bailiffs came to her home address ie ours. We did not realise that her medical problems had led to this and were able to help her out till she got sorted. Because of this, and because one does not know the individual circumstances, I would never track down an address under the situation described.

nitrofunction

Can't see why I should have to suffer for someone else thinking they're being smart leaving their problems behind.

If you're prepared to do this to me, be prepared for the response.

In other words . . .

You throw a stone at me, I'll throw a atom bomb back atcha!

Get the drift?

sunshineali

... and decided that initially I would "refer to sender", but if it was becoming a nuisance... then YES I would give them the info. I would be worried that I could be blacklisted for being at their old address.
Plus, wouldnt it be a pain in the neck for any new owner/occupier to have to sort out someone elses' mess? Who wants to be saddled with letters and callers regarding someone elses' problems-not me.

Synergy_2

Am I right in thinking that addresses, not just the names of occupiers, carry the stigma of a bad credit record created by bad debtors? Therefore a new tenant could inherit a bad credit rating because of the untrustworthy previous tenant. If they could be trusted they would pay up! Shop 'em!

BognorBoy

I have not passed details of third parties on however I would unless I had a very good reason otherwise.

This website is here to enpower consumers, not to avoid paying companies money that people have committed legally to paying which is what a lot of people on the forum seam to think is fair.

As many other people have said it is these people who dont end up paying that drive up costs for the other consumers.

Other people have said that that they 'would not want it done to them'. What would they not want done to them? People owing them money and then running off without paying them?!

If it is a geniune mistake then I am sure they wont mind there details being passed on.

peas

yes I would - we've had letters for the last 2 1/2 years re previous owners debts. Debt collectors ignore the 'return to sender not know at this address."
recently got a parking ticket sent to us - the owner has registered his new car at this address!! Hopefully have got rid of letters after writing a letter to the debt collectors to call off their hounds and sending it registered post. same to DVLA. Only time will tell.

dazman36

The cost of living in this country is so high partly due to the high risk of unrecovered bad debt.
These people just play the system and i do not know why i should pay more for my goods because of them.
The answer is yes i would tell and as a Utilities warrant officer i see many people every day who can't pay and our aim is too help them whilst those that wont pay because a drink or a new game on the Xbox 360 is more important just help them selves.

Mrs_Frontage

I agree with MADMANDY, I am a landlord and rented out a property to a very sweet couple that had learning difficulties.

It turned out the the sister of the tennant, was using their/my address to run up credit card debts, she had the same initial and surname as her sister! Leaving the poor couple to deal with all the red letters. I asked the sister for her address to pass on the mail, but she gave me her brothers address instead, so guess what, I gave that to the debt collectors.

How dare she put a vunerable member of her family in that position. I'm sure the brother was not happy when he found out either, but tough!

In effect, people that run up debts and run away from them are STEALING and should be dealt with. Bear in mind that it's the REST OF US, that end up paying for these unscrupulous people!

cuba2008

Until recently, I'd probably have said no. However.... we did an exchange with another couple and moved into our home at the beginning of June 2008. The day we moved in, the first letter arrived - from a power company. Then we began receiving letters, almost on a daily basis, from various companies (usually the debt had long passed to a third party collection agency). We tried all the usual things - returning mail to sender marked "No Longer at this Address". Obviously didn't work as the letters kept right on coming. Some addressed to the husband, using either his christian name or middle name and some addressed to the wife, either in her single or married name.

It was only when we realised they weren't going to stop sending them that I began opening the letters and ringing the companies concerned. We were able to prove we had done an exchange, through our housing association, with these people and that our tenancy was a new one. A simple scan of the electoral roll would also have proved that we had moved from one home in the area to another. This seemed to stop a lot of the letters and we still didn't feel the need to pass on the other couple's address.

That should have been the end of the matter. However, we then began receiving post again, some of it addressed to his first wife, who had died a number of years ago. One in particular caught my eye, as the dates didn't add up. That's when I realised they were STILL using our address to obtain credit. I now have the problem of sorting out the fact that the credit file shows problems at this address since we moved in. So YES I HAVE STARTED GIVING COMPANIES THEIR NEW ADDRESS. If we ever move again and find ourselves with a similar problem, I wouldn't hesitate - this has caused us a lot of stress dealing with some else's problems.

Ebenezer_Screwj

If it meant getting someone else's creditors off my back then I most certainly would, people who incur debts then just disappear should be exposed and brought before the courts.