What should I do?

cmc2010

I accumulated a lot of debt - over 20k - between the ages of 17 and 21. I was living with my parents at the time and began hiding debt letters and throwing them away and ignoring debt calls.

When I was 22 I met my partner who is strict with his spending and saves like there is no tomorrow. I moved in with him when I was 23 and never changed my address.

The letters and constant phone calls were going to my parents after i left their home but they never gave out my new address because they didnt want me to get into trouble.

I am 27 now and am on Job Seekers allowance after giving up my job in July last year to pursue a different career that has not worked out as planned. So I started applying for jobs in finance and they credit checked me against my partners address and now the letters are coming here. He is very supportive and doesnt care about my debts but I think I should get them sorted because I lost out on that job after being offered it because of a background check...and it was 45K a year.

What should I do? I dont even know what I owe and to whom anymore.

DarkConvict

Money, it always catches up with you. Especially if you owe it.

Anyway, first plan of action since they know your address there is no harm in checking your credit file. Get the £2 statutory reports for all 3 Agencies. Call Credit is the least useful, but still worth getting. These 3 will hold all the data on you, all UK credit reports come from these (regardless of how many companies offer them).
If you plan to ring, use http://www.saynoto0870.com/ to find a cheaper number to ring on.
With the credit reports you will be able to see what situation you are in.

Experian Ltd
Customer Support Centre
PO Box 8000
Nottingham
NG80 7WF
0844 481 8000
https://www.experian.co.uk
£2 Report - http://www.experian.co.uk/wiseconsumer/

Equifax Plc
Credit File Advice Centre
PO Box 1140
Bradford
BD1 5US
https://www.equifax.co.uk
£2 Report - http://www.equifax.co.uk/Products/credit/statutory-report.html

Call Credit Plc
Consumer Services Team
PO Box 491
Leeds
LS3 1WZ
0870 060 1414
https://www.callcredit.co.uk
£2 Report - Might need to ring.

Note - If you hold joint accounts, your partner will be linked to you, so you will affect his score and ability to get credit at a lower rate.

First port of call is to send a prove it letter to anyone demanding money - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11570893&postcount=2

Worth noting, if an account had not had payment made or written acknowledgement by yourself (account holder) for 6 years (5 ins cotland), the debt is not enforceable in court. If they do reply to a prove it letter, and you think this is the case, send the statute barred letter - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11571227&postcount=3 . It is upto them to prove a debt is not statute barred, they need to show a payment or letter was sent. Only if they can and you think it is a mistake (or lie) should you then speak to get proof of this who from creditor you owed money to. This is done using a SAR - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11753093&postcount=9
Payment on SB debts is voluntary, but there is an exception. If a debt has a CCJ against it, the debt will not be statute barred.

I hope this post helps you get started.

cmc2010

I tried Experian and Equifax and they werent able to give me my online credit history. Experianwant 2 proofs of address and one proof of identity. If i send it will they still be able to link me back to my previous address where I got the debt. The only reason I ask is because it seems that the debt companies are grasping at straws because when I called them I told them I had never heard of me (just to keep them off my back) and they accepted it and removed my new address from their system and told me that I would not receive any more correspondence.

Now for a hypothetical question: if I send my proofs to Experian at my new address and they link to my old address will the same work there if i tell them that I dont know why they have linked me and moved the debt across - I know this is a lie and fraudulent so i would never do it.

never-in-doubt

They will always find you, if you have any accounts whatsoever from your old address then a link will be created. However in answer to your question, assume you never told any of the creditors your new address and never applied for any credit for 3 years then you would be able to, after 3 years, start afresh with a new credit identity - yes. This would be done because when you apply for credit they usually ask for address history for last 3 years, if you have been living at your new address for 3 years then no need to provide the previous address.

The link will be there if you carry any accounts from old to new address or you apply for anything and use the previous address. A lot of people provide their parents address as a previous, but obviously this is lying and frowned upon :whistle::whistle:

cmc2010

Ah, well I moved to this address 6 years ago and have never applied for credit because it scares me now and have carried no accounts over from my previous address. I have one bank account and it is registered at my old address and I have been using my partners bank account without being a joint holder...so I think I am basically a ghost.

I am worried that if I send all that proof to the credit ref agencies they will automatically add the debt from my previous address to this address and I wont be able to avoid it any longer. Would that be the case or would the credit reference agencies not make a link like the debt agencies did?

never-in-doubt

cmc2010 wrote: »

Ah, well I moved to this address 6 years ago and have never applied for credit because it scares me now and have carried no accounts over from my previous address. I have one bank account and it is registered at my old address and I have been using my partners bank account without being a joint holder...so I think I am basically a ghost.

I am worried that if I send all that proof to the credit ref agencies they will automatically add the debt from my previous address to this address and I wont be able to avoid it any longer. Would that be the case or would the credit reference agencies not make a link like the debt agencies did?

Hiya

Ok, so if you've been moved for 6 years then they will not link you so long as you can get away with not adding your previoud address - are you on the electoral register at your current address?

Also, after 6 years any debt is statute barred (means that it is legally wiped and gone forever - Limitation Act). Also, 6 years from date of default all derogatory (defaults) data is auto removed from your credit file, so lets assume it was 7 years since you last paid then chances are there will be no reference to the old accounts.

Why don't you apply for a credit card, see what they say? Only if you're on the E/R though.

cmc2010

I am not on the electoral role at this address - if I add myself on at this address will that fix the problem with this job - because I think the failure happened with my job app because there was no credit file to see in the first place because I wont have any defaults registered here because I dont have a history at this address.

I only want to be able to get this damned job lol.

OH NO NOT A CREDIT CARD haha

never-in-doubt

cmc2010 wrote: »

I am not on the electoral role at this address - if I add myself on at this address will that fix the problem with this job - because I think the failure happened with my job app because there was no credit file to see in the first place because I wont have any defaults registered here because I dont have a history at this address.

I only want to be able to get this damned job lol.

OH NO NOT A CREDIT CARD haha

Yes, see here - About My Vote, produced by The Electoral Commission - and get yourself added asap - you'll be fine now, no defaults etc will catch up to you but you should be able to appeal the job thing and no credit history should not be a barrier to employment, you'll have rights there protecting you - so long as you prove it was not adverse data that caused the decline.....

But you need to get added to electoral register asap - do it here: About My Vote, produced by The Electoral Commission

cmc2010

Thanks for your help - you're a star - I will let you know how i get on

never-in-doubt

cmc2010 wrote: »

Thanks for your help - you're a star - I will let you know how i get on

No probs - keep us updated

cmc2010

My partner has just told me that I will have been at this address 6 years in April - does that scuppor my plans then? I got my dates mixed up.

Also, once I get on the E/R at this address will the debt agencies not just come after me again like they have recently, because they said that they only contacted me again because there was a credit search done?

Sorry for going on and on like this.

Thanks