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

last_emperor

interesting question. i think it's worth remembering that there is a person on the other end of the debt - it may be a massive, faceless banking corporation or local council, or it could be an individual like a landlord with a Buy-to-Let mortgage to pay. frankly, i don't like the idea of people not paying my bank or local council, since i'm the guy who ends up paying for the loss, but when it's an honest individual, he/she may need that money badly....

i have the upmost sympathy with someone who ends up in debt problems, but the problems do belong to them. i wouldn't be comfortable helping debt collectors, but ultimately i would, because borrowing and not repaying isn't a victimless activity, even if it is done innocently/with the best intentions.

dawsar

This has actually happened to me. I did give out the forwarding address as there were many debt companies as well as customs and excise looking for him. I spent a long time on the phone to many debt companies trying to get my address removed from their lists.

As has been said before, if they were happy spending it all, they should repay it, and not leave all the debt at what is now MY address.

gitw

No I would not pass on their details. That is their job and good luck to them finding the person but I wont be helping at all. Not my business at all.

No need to worry about them coming and taking your own stuff. So long as you can prove who you are (tenancy agreement / passport etc) it is not a problem - been there done that!

grapage

Yes I did. My Very Ex Wife ran up £54000 in debts with store cards/credit cards etc giving my address as if she still lived there.
It caused me endless hassle.
I passed on her whereabouts to every one who asked.
Three years later and I am just about rid of this.
People who run from their debts should be bought to task.

stellabgh

Yes, I would and have done. Why ever not? I presume they would want to pay off their debts and clear they name so they don't get black marks on their credit score. If they really wanted to deceive the company they would have got post redirection to their new address and then just ignored it rather than leave it for me to deal with knowing I had their new address.
If they are actually trying to 'steal money' by not paying off their debts I have no sympathy. There are better ways of dealing with debt.

I'm surprised how many people would collude in helping them get away with their crimes.

caz1601

I would give the forwarding address. I used to send back mail for someone "not known" but the letters kept coming. When I finally opened one it was a notice that a debt collector had been given my address to come and collect what was owed, and they did turn up. I have given the address of the person to the company and now have no more letters or people turning up. Having a very persistant debt collector turn up trying to get thru your front door when your on your own with a small child is quite scary and would now automaticly give the address if i had it.

robbin1

Absolutely would pass on the details. Happily.

A_Ross

No. These people are the lowest form of life next to tabloid journalists and politicians. I have witnessed too many cases of debt collectors bullying and using criminal methods to obtain money from the destitute

Gorf123

A_Ross wrote: »

No. These people are the lowest form of life next to tabloid journalists and politicians. I have witnessed too many cases of debt collectors bullying and using criminal methods to obtain money from the destitute

If people paid their bills, their wouldn't be the need for bailiffs and their methods.

If people didn't write "gone away" on their own bills as a way to defer payment, there wouldn't be a need for creditors to ignore returned envelopes so marked.

If I had a forwarding address, I'd pass on the info once to each creditor. There's always the danger that the debtor has moved again, so to keep passing on the address is just moving the problem into someone else's lap.

adambro

I used to get a fair amount of post for previous tenents of a property I rented and I got into the routine of putting a "not known at this address" sticker over my address and dropping it back in the post. The first time I did it I made the mistake of not covering my address and some unobservant postal staff managed to return it to me despite the big sticker above the address.

I completely agree with others that if you run up debts, you have to take responsibility and pay back anything you owe. However, I wouldn't give debt collectors any new address though because it isn't my business and I wouldn't want to get involved. How do I know that the person they are chasing is actually the debtor or won't have changed address again by the time the company go round? It isn't worth the potential hassle.