What rights and power etc do I have when I get debt collector letters

ryouga

I admit when I was 18 as far as 21 I got some bad debt mainly a few credit cards and phones that I defaulted on though I am 28 soon and did a credit check on all 3 providers 2 years ago and had zero defaults or CCJ's

However I have for years been getting pestered with letters for a debt to T mobile who I last had a phone with 6 and a half years ago that I didnt pay off.

I wouldnt mind paying whatever I debt I owe minus admin fees and only for the time I had i.e I paid for about 5 months of a 12 months contract then was blocked so with a £20 a month debit that would be no more than £120 not about £700 what they want when it hasnt even gone to court.

Anyway back to the issues, I thought it was 6 years from the date of debt/default or is it 6 years from the date your account is closed(giving them a few weeks or months more)

Also I lived in Scotland at the time I got the debts so I thought it was 5 years in Scotland though I am currently in England so is it 5 years if the debt occured in Scotland, or does it become 6 years if you move to England and if so what happens if I move back to Scotland?

DarkConvict

Yeah, your spot on 5 years since las payment or written acknowledgement by you, if you know you haven't been in touch send the SCOTLAND letter from this post - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11571227#post11571227

ryouga

Thanks wasnt sure if I have even ever had any T Mobile phones, I think it was actually 3 or Vodafone I was there also there was another letter for a bank account that has been closed for 8 years from same company.

Also recieved some letters saying that they have information that I was the tenant at X address when the addresses they gave one was somewhere I moved out of 10 years ago, 1 from 9 years ago and one from 8 years ago so how on earth can they expect me to pay a debt after that time.

I didnt reply as they didnt mention what the debt was so I thought that if I rang them they would claim I was admitting debt.

I am also unclear on the 5/6 year thing as if say I got a credit card in England then moved to Scotland and didnt pay so they closed account is it 6 years since I got the debt in England though defaulted in Scotland or one step further say I got the credit card in England, defaulted in Scotland then say 2 years later moved to England and stayed there for 3 years would they be able to cme after me etc.

Tixy

Whether its England or Scotland is where you took the account out originally, that is when the T&C were signed so that decides which law is relevant.

If you are chased for a debt but its not clear which debt it is (iyswim) then you can always send the prove it letter - that ensures that you have not acknowledged the debt.

Then if they prove the debt and explain what the debt relates to you can then decide if is statute barred or not.

Prove it letter template - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11570893&postcount=2